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'Aqeedah First'

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‘Aqeedah First!

Sometimes when you are warning people against things that are prohibited in Islam, and they still go ahead doing them, don’t be surprised. How much of matters of ‘aqeedah have you been able to install in their memory before discussing other issues? The answer to this question would let you know why it is often difficult to convince people who are yet to understand ‘aqeedah to adhere to the Sunnah and abstain from prohibited (haram) things.

By Allah, adequate knowledge of ‘aqeedah (taoheed) is the first thing that would make a Muslim realize the importance of placing Allah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم in whatever he does. If a person doesn’t know about Allah, His names and attributes, how would he be able to give Him His due rights? When you say: “Allah says”, he will just be looking at you as if you are the one saying it. If a person doesn’t know the Prophet صلى لله عليه وسلم in his true sense and his status in the deen of Islam, how would he be able to understand the sanctity of obeying him and giving him and his Sunnah due regard and honour. If you read hadith to him, he will just be arguing with his own ra’y (personal reasoning).

Many times, when we advise one another to go and learn ‘aqeedah, some people think one is claiming to have knowledge. That is a wrong thought. What we seek to achieve by that advice is sanity of thought and reasoning. Scholars who are upon Sunnah have agreed that one of the most stupid things to do is to argue the deen with people who lack sound understanding of taoheed. You will be saying A, they will be saying B. You will be quoting texts, they will be using personal thoughts. They will waste your time and energy. An average Muslim is expected know the divisions of taoheed and apply them in his activities. A Muslim must know and understand the role of the Companions رضي الله عنهم in the deen and give them due regard and respect. A Muslim must know all these matters with their daleel in the Qur’an and Sunnah, apply them all the time, teach them to other people, and be patient upon any hardship he faces in the course of doing this.

Let’s ask ourselves, how many Muslims know these things the way they should be known? A lot of people just bear Muslim by name and not by knowledge and application. So, the reason why it is often difficult for people to understand the sanctity of obeying the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم is that they don’t actually know who he really is. This is a strong matter of ‘aqeedah that we should first get into people’s head before any other thing. Someone is yet to understand the position of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in Islam, and you are reading hadiths prohibiting protest against constituted authority to him, he will not understand. Someone is yet to understand taoheed, you are telling him about hadiths on cutting of hair moderately and evil of attaching false hairs, it will not enter. Even if it enters, the person might not know why he or she is accepting it. It is important to first teach people the basis upon which their obedience to Allah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم is built.

May Allah guide us aright.

Ibn Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori
6th Jumaadal Uulaa, 1439AH

German Far-right politician converts to Islam, quits AfD party

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The AfD is one of the leading anti-refugee and anti-Muslim groups in Germany [Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters]

A leading politician from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has converted to Islam and resigned from his position with the anti-Muslim party, the party has confirmed.

Arthur Wagner, a leading member of the far-right party in Germany‘s eastern German state of Brandenburg, stepped down for “personal reasons”, a party spokesperson confirmed, according to state broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

Wagner, who has been a member of the party since 2015, refused to comment to Tagesspiegel, the daily newspaper that first broke the news of his conversion.

“That’s my private business,” he told the daily.

On the party’s Brandenburg state committee, Wagner’s work focused on churches and faith communities, according to Deutsche Welle.

The AfD has campaigned against refugees and migrants and made history when it won 12.6 percent of the vote in federal elections in September 2017, entering the Bundestag for the first time.

The party became the third largest party in the Bundestag.

The news sparked derision on social media, with many Twitter users pointing to the irony of Wagner converting to Islam after being a high-ranking member of a party that has railed against the presence of Muslims in Germany.

Emily Dische-Becker said: “Creeping Sharia picks up speed as politician from Germany’s islamophobic AfD converts to Islam.”

Mark Berry said: “I really don’t understand Nazis.”

‘Islam is a foreign entity’

The AfD has long denied accusations that it is Islamophobic.

Originally founded in 2013 as a Eurosceptic party, the AfD took the lead as the most aggressive anti-refugee voice in the country while nearly a million asylum seekers arrived in Germany in 2015.

In the party’s first bill since its electoral success in September, the AfD proposed amending Germany’s Residence Act by barring refugees from bringing their relatives from the war-ravaged countries they fled.

Earlier this month, Beatrix von Storch, the deputy leader of the AfD’s parliamentary group, was blocked from Facebook and Twitter after publishing Islamophobic posts criticising police for posting Arabic-language updates on New Year’s Eve.

She had written: “What the hell is happening in this country? Why is an official police site tweeting in Arabic? Do you think it is to appease the barbaric, gang-raping hordes of Muslim men?”

The party has also sought to ban the construction of mosques in Germany.

In March 2016, the party’s Bavaria branch published a policy statement calling for an end to the “construction and operation” of mosques in the region, Deutsche Welle reported at the time.

In February of that year, then party leader Petry Frauke sparked outrage when she proclaimed that German border guards should “use fire arms if necessary” in order to prevent “illegal border crossings” by refugees and migrants.

In April 2016, the AfD’s Alexander Gauland proclaimed that Germany must remain “a Christian country” and “Islam is a foreign entity”.

The rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric has also coincided with a spike in violence against asylum seekers.

The German interior ministry documented 3,533 attacks on refugees and their accommodations – nearly 10 a day – in 2016.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA NEWS

BETWEEN FIRDAUS AMASA AND AISHA FOLAMI, HOW NIGERIA MUSLIMS IMPROVED

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Amasa Firdaus

 

The “call to bar hijab saga” which happened a little over a month ago, and made every one; Christians and Muslims alike, a judge or in the least, a juror in a grand jury made up on the internet is surprisingly still alive.I still come across hashtags #Justiceforfirdaous, #IstandwithFirdaus, et cetera,  all over social media, some also still have her as their social media profile pictures and press releases are being churned out regularly. Most recent one from Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), informing of the commencement of inquiry into the matter by the inquiry committee set up by the House of Reps.I must confess, it is the first of its kind. There have been several such cases of bias, intolerance, unnecessary show of hatred, assault and battery even, among others, been posted on the internet since time past, very recent ones including what “hijabites” face in NYSC camps across the country, especially in the Eastern states.

 

They never truly were fought to the pits by Nigerian Muslims, after a few days’ rant, one or two press releases from MURIC and other such Islamic bodies, the tide would die down and nothing would be said or heard of such again.Aisha O. FolamiOne most dear to my heart, which unfortunately Nigerian Muslims didn’t put enough effort to fight through and thoroughly, was the case of the “hijabite” broadcaster, Aisha Oloruntoyin Folami, who works in the Lagos Television (LTV) as a news anchor. I’d always enjoy seeing her beautiful and bright face while casting the news, until she was suddenly yanked from the position of a newscaster, only to be relegated within the newsroom. The full story was never brought to light, as people who knew exactly “what” could never really talk, as that could cost them their jobs. They’re civil servants and the interest of the government is paramount.I watched the news on NTA while growing up, and I’d always see a beautiful lady Fatimah Hassan in her scarf. It wasn’t a big deal to me then, in my little mind, being a Muslim, Christian or whatever faith you profess shouldn’t be, until I became this grown and got exposed to the bias and irregularities that has eaten deep into this nation in all its industries; private and public alike. It is no news that Muslims are being victimized, it is a statement of fact.

 

I wish Nigerian Muslims; concerned groups, Social Media Influencers, recognized Islamic bodies, etc. had actually done something beyond the usual “max” of two-three weeks rants and a protest. I wish we had stood our grounds and interfered in every available way. It is, after all, a government broadcasting station. It was indeed a huge blow on our faces, for we lost that even before the battle started. What is the use of wishes or perhaps, what do I know of the in-depth of matters such as this anyway? What I know is that we should never have let that matter die that way. She was like a representative of Islam in that regard, I know how glad I feel each time I watch Nymah Akashat Zibiri, on TVC’s “Your View”.I’ve witnessed Nigerian Muslims try countless time to vindicate Islam each time its haters set to work. That Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance shouldn’t be something too difficult to believe by any sane mind, as long as the Muslims complement that statement with righteous and peaceful characters at all times.Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, was said to have won several hearts to embrace Islam simply by his righteous deeds, even before preaching the words of God to them. Now that is what Muslims should keep striving to achieve, even while demanding for our rights, and that in itself would liberate us all.I’m glad Firdaus’ case is still very much alive (I still get dragged into it almost on a daily basis as a matter of fact) whatever reason that could be, it is to be a glitter of hope, my wishes weren’t any good then but my hope could serve better. It is also a reassurance that we get better at what we do, driving our agitation and rights home to where it matters, standing our grounds regardless and fighting for a right that is a clear injunction from our Lord.Her case has further opened a can of worms that has always been slightly opened to an average practising Muslim lady in Nigeria, now is the time to dispose the worms and thrash the can.What surprises me greatly is how some, Christians especially, put it upon themselves to berate her.

 

To everyone; Muslims and Christians alike, who took it as a duty to insult, berate, judge or curse her, I’m sure you all are well rested by now, but it was never your fight, to begin with. Despite that I initially had my reservations about the whole issue, I couldn’t help but salute her courage, she truly is a heroine and a great model in that respect.Thank you, Firdaus Amasa Abdusalam, for fighting the battle for your predecessors and successors like us.May Allah bless our struggles and grant the Muslim ummah success against oppressors all over the world.Note, however, when I say Nigerian Muslims I mean the conscious ones – not the ones who tell you worship is limited to what’s solely in their hearts, while they do not exactly understand the language their hearts speak.

Written by: Mar’yam Thaoban ( NobleHeart)

Rejoinder to A Message for the Muslim Bible Warriors

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

 

I have received different notifications these past two weeks notifying me of different comments I was mentioned on Facebook. Of these comments, I have seen where someone wrote that all reverts that embraced Islam through comparative religion are Kaafir. I ignored posts and comments like these as I do not find answering them beneficial but a waste of time.

 

However, my attention was called to an article written by someone who said Silence is Golden but he does not truly consider being silent especially on what he has little or no knowledge about. When I made a correction against Silence being Golden, I said, “Yes! Silence is Golden but in a world where people read the beginning and the last line of an article then make a conclusion, it is important that we explain the context of silence is golden so people don’t take it up and think silence is golden in ALL situations. Though he disagreed with my humble submission, this same person is not an example of silence is golden. What is the essence of teaching silence is golden without maintaining silence or is your silence only golden when it comes to oppression and victimization against the ‘Ummah?

 

I will not mention the name of this author not to give him undue popularity and also not to help spread his lies. He wrote,

 

“There is that morbid competition of who can win more Christians between the Osun-Ondo axis of Muslim Bible Warriors of the ACADIP calling Jamiu Adegunwa’s Risaalatul-Haqq (that apparently takes after Ahmed Deedat’s Izharul-Haqq) bloc based in Lagos – the avowed centre of everything in Nigeria including craziness.”

 

Praise be to Allah! I thank Allah that Salafiyyah is not strange to us else one would think that Salafiyyah is another name for lies, speculations, being scholarly on ignorance but Alhamdulillah, Salafiyyah is free from lacing Qur’an verses with lies and unfounded criticism. It is upon this author to prove that indeed, there is a morbid competition of who can win more Christians. Do I need to state the several number of times I myself have stated that it is only Allah that guides in light of the following Qur’an verse,

 

Surah Al-Lail, Verse 12:
إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا لَلْهُدَىٰ

Verily We take upon Ourselves to guide,
(English – Yusuf Ali)

Anyone attempting to confirm this statement of his would think that he sat down with those competing for reverts to have been so sure of the competition. In an attempt to further confirm his statement, one might even try to watch (ACADIP) CDS to see the Chief Lecturer, Mallam Yusuf Adepoju with a rope to tie down Christians that are not willing to embrace Islam or the security crew preventing non-Muslims from leaving because they are not willing to embrace Islam.

 

I wonder how someone like Mallam Yusuf Adepoju who is so much about convincing a Christian would quote a verse like,

 

Surah Al-Bayyina, Verse 6:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ شَرُّ الْبَرِيَّةِ

Those who reject (Truth), among the People of the Book and among the Polytheists, will be in Hell-Fire, to dwell therein (for aye). They are the worst of creatures.
(English – Yusuf Ali)

Should he not be so diplomatic and try to romance non-Muslims with sweet words as regards the concept of Hell, not dying except as a Muslim being that he is so much about who gets more convert?

 

As regards relationship with Jamiu Adegunwa, the distant relationship is not due to competition but someone’s hatred for people on the Qur’an and Sunnah based on the understanding of the pious predecessors. So, imagine being grouped with someone who constantly attacks you because you agree with ‘Eesa was not crucified and He is coming back just because who thinks he has so much knowledge about Islam did not take his time to research but concluded that it is a competition. He wrote again,

 

“But all of them – the Yusuf group and Risaalatul –Haqq – have many things in common: they all seek to win as many Christians as possible to Islam. Thus banking on numbers of converts has become a selling tag of recent. Four hundred people embraced Islam in Ibadan, seventy in Modakeke, one hundred in Akure, etc, are the sprawling headlines on their several media outlets.”

 

Please, what should they write? 1000 Muslims leave Islam? 200 sunni become Shittes? One would think that he got a revelation to have been so sure of his unfounded claims! How clairvoyant!

 

This mischievous, lying, cunning individual wrote,

 

” Another common phenomenon is the fact that many of them know more of the Bible than the Qur’aan – if they know the latter at all. When you hear them sparingly and incorrectly quote the Qur’aan it sickens your heart, but let them quote the Bible, the Pope himself will have his mouth agape. How many times have they dealt with the best of the pastors such that the latter wee in their trousers!”

 

I laughed when someone said (in response to this), that it is an admonition. I cannot bring myself to understand how this is an Admonition, not even the type of criticism permissible. These are pure lies, hatred, total condemnation, unresearched claims, speculations, unhealthy guesses and product of a corrupt mindset.

 

Again, we don’t need to dabble into what we know almost nothing about. When I read that, “When you hear them sparingly and incorrectly quote the Qur’aan it sickens your heart, but let them quote the Bible, the Pope himself will have his mouth agape”, I started to imagine brothers we recite Qur’an together and wonder if it is so sickening like he claimed. Would that not mean he is a better reciter than Sheikh Hussary or Minshawi or Abdulbasit Abdulsamad. Yes! Not everyone engaging in comparative religion knows how to properly recite the Qur’an, but is that supposed to be a Comparative problem?

 

The reason why many comparators are  really failing is because they know so much of the Bible than the Qur’an not knowing that to compare two things, one needs proper knowledge of the two. The question is, “what calls for the generalization or what calls for crucifying everyone based on the lapses of some people. How is this writer different from those who are into comparative religion but do not know much about Islam when he makes a general declaration not taking his time to make proper research?

 

For those who still call it an Admonition from him, they should ask who he called (in ACADIP) to admonish privately or is the below really an Admonition?

“They think they follow the righteous way. By Allaah, their methodology is evil and misleading.”

 

His brothers, the Jabatas already made tekfeer of the reverts and comparative lectures, we wait for him to declare them as sects so we can be sure the ticket of the gate of Jahannam is their inheritance!

 

This person wrote again, ” The crux however is the fact that they give little or no attention to the Islamic learning. The converts they make are made to follow them about in selling their wares. They don’t encourage them to go in the path of learning.”

 

As much as I wished to ask Allah to break his back for this seeming authoritative claim is false and that maybe he be rewarded if it is true, I will simply ask Allah to rectify him and rectify us. SubhanAllah!!! How can people lie so confidently! That comparative organizations do give little or no attention to Islamic learning is not a fact but a false assumption and speculation. One would think that people like him who know so much about Islam will request that they teach reverts. I pray that no revert falls into the hands of people like this so they are not taught to tell lies and proudly spread propaganda. So, if all comparative lecturers are to be blamed for a revert’s ignorance little or no knowledge of Islam, shall we blame the scholars for the shenanigans we see amongst Muslims today. If he is so much concerned about teaching Islam and no other intention, shall we blame him for or ask what he has done to help;

 

* The several Imams (may Allah preserve them on khayr) that cannot recite Suratul Fatiha with proper Tajweed?

 

* The several number of Muslims who go for Jummu’ah on Friday and Church on Sunday. Those who have no problem with praying in Jesus’ name.

 

* The mothers, grandmothers, sisters that do not use the Hijab but scarfs. Who is he blaming?

 

* The sons and daughters of  many Imams who do not appear to be Muslims even from their looks, club and drink!

 

* Those who bear Lasisi, Muri, Rasaki and married to more than 4 wives yet in the name of Islam.

 

* The several ìyá lojas when the Adhan is being called, they do not hasten to pray.

 

* The Muslims  in Ilorin (just saying as this is everywhere) that during Dhur, ‘Asr, Maghrib and ‘Ishaa, you see more Muslims on the road, shops than you see in the mosque.

 

 

If comparative lecturers need to be crucified because many reverts are not too good in Islam, can we get a statistic of the number of Muslims from birth against Reverts that know about Islam the less? I fear that soon, a group will arise, build their own Masjid and you can’t pray in the Masjid except you wear a Niqob because it is not a house of those who have flaws but of angels. In their Manhaj, Admonition based on Adab and Hikmah would be missing but just Crucifixion.

 

Meanwhile, at knowislam.com.ng, we done, still doing and will continuing to do our best. We just finished reading, Kitab At-Tauhid and we will pick another book on Tawheed soon, In shaa Allah.  As regards learning online, there are many things one can gain though online teaching platforms should not and cannot replace going to the Madrasah. It is just important to know that many reverts are out there that are being victimized at home that they cannot even attempt to attend a Madrasah, will they then not learn?

 

For this who called me based on the last article I write about a revert, let me state that I cannot make an independent decision hence I had a discussion with those that should be discussed with, we have not reached a conclusion, we’re working towards a system that will really work for seeing to reverts’ psychological, spiritual and financial problems.

 

To finally shut this great liar, these are the courses we have at Acadip online Institute Of Comparative Religion Studies (AICOS)

 

Islamic Religion Knowledge

Islamic Da’wah Methodology

Comparative Religion

 

The first two are prerequisites for Comparative Religion because we are well aware that someone who engages in Comparative Religion without Islamic Knowledge or Da’wah Methodology, his utterances would be a Fitnah to people and a trial for him. With the above courses, is it not going to surprise those who came up with something like that when they read that they are accused of studying the Bible than that Qur’an?

 

It is also worthy to state that we are not perfect and as humans, we have flaws. We ask Allah to rectify us and make us better Muslims, same for the ‘Ummah. Also worthy to note that this is not an attempt to defend all Comparative Lecturers in the world, I have written to make clarifications and affirm that most of what he included ACADIP Nigeria in are strange not just to me but the Chief Lecturer and those who are a part of ACADIP NIGERIA.

 

We ask Allah to rectify our brother and if he so much thinks that he is now a sure candidate of Jannah, let him ask for death to be saved from the “Fitnah” of Comparative Religion.

I’m a Muslim on the Qur’an and Sunnah based on the understanding of the pious predecessors. You didn’t invite me to Islam nor to be on the path of the Salafs so your delusion does not and will not take me away from the path. I swear by Allah, whoever embraces Muslims and not Islam will definitely become disappointed.

Bashir Lucas Samson Lukman is the CEO, Knowislam.com.ng and member of ACADIP NIGERIA.

SMALL BUT BIG BY SANNI KAY YUSUF

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There are several grievous sins in the sight of Allah that are deeply, routinely rooted in people’s daily attitudes. One of such is tale bearing – talking ill of someone behind him.

If a neighbour or a friend had a baby last year and she is carrying another pregnancy this year, of what disadvantage is that to madam talebearer – the tattler of the century? She goes about tattling her neighbour or friend as if she had something at stake with the coming of the baby. Ofofo o gbe’gbaa, ibi ope lo mo.

Telltales are idle. That’s why shaytan usually easily plays sudoku with their brains. Even those who have jobs among them have been overridden by their wageless work of calumniation. Awon alainironu!

No one can be legitimately rich – acquires a land, a house or a car – without being tagged a ritualist or a thief. At the slightest progress of anyone, their assembly of devils is instantly conveyed to invoke satire and vilification. Awon k’eni ma ni, eranko!

Tale bearing is sometimes done to bring people down so as to level up to their positions or grow above them. In order to achieve this ungodly feat, tattlers go the extra mile in falsifying innocent, guiltless people, all in the name of journeying to the ladder top, forgetting that nemesis (atubotan) beats much more than the cane. It is no hyperbole, therefore, that the posts occupied by some persons today were attained having successfully brought down some other persons by the way of tale bearing. Hmm! Esan m bo!

Tale bearing, rumormongering, gossiping, tattletale or calumniation is considered a small, trivial sin by the doers, but apparently, it is big in the sight of Allah. Any act that may land one in hell isn’t in any way trivial. It is a serious matter.

“He will not enter the Paradise, a talebearer,” so expressly said by the holy Prophet.

It’s disheartening that the evil of tale bearing thrives so easily in the mosque where matters and activities are supposed to be decorously handled. What a pity!

Some people became so addictive to this unwholesome, disuniting mess that they successfully desecrated the house of Allah – the masjid! Subhaanallah! They scandalise for only God knows why. There is nothing done by the leadership of the mosque that is not greeted by antagonism, not criticism. A critic addresses issues objectively, and with remedies, while an antagonist condemns decisions with no solutions proffered. The antagonist- talebearer sees what is good as bad, and of course, what is bad as good. He is a foe, not a friend. He may pretend to be a friend, but he is a foe

Those who make the evil of the talebearers flourish are the dogmas, the acquiescent ninnies who take tales from their bearers hook, line and sinker; those who do not verify matters before onward dissemination; those who are pathologically gullible that accept anything that enters their ears as veracious – the zombies.

Allah says:

“O you who have believed, when a talebearer comes to you with a piece of information, do verify, so that you do not abuse a people ignorantly, after which you regret your actions.” Q49 V61.

Mr, Madam talebearer, it is never too late to repent from your ungodly act. Remember, the grave is calling.

Misgoded reading continued

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Isaiah 40:8 claims that “the word of our God stands forever.” This assertion
doesn’t excuse copying errors, or any other error, regardless how slight. In fact,
according to Isaiah 40:8, any “word” which has not “stood forever” is disqualified as
having been from God.  Which should make us question the authorship.
If “the word of our God stands forever,” and the “word” of Ahaziah’s age doesn’t
stand the test of time, whose word is it? God’s or Satan’s?
Don’t look now, but even the Old Testament seems uncertain on this point.
2 Samuel 24:1 reads, “Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel,
and He moved David against them to say, ‘Go, number Israel and Judah.’” However,
1 Chronicles 21:1 states, “Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to
number Israel.”
Uhhh, which was it? The Lord, or Satan? There’s a slight (like, total) difference.
Talk about identity theft.
But seriously, the mistake is understandable. After all, it’s pretty hard to know
who you’re talking to, when you can’t put a face to revelation. And, as God said in
Exodus 33:20, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”
So there we have it.
No man can see God’s face, and live.  Well, except for Jacob, of course. As Genesis 32:30 states, “So Jacob called the
name of the place Peniel: ‘For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.’”
And we mustn’t forget Moses, as per Exodus 33:11: “So the LORD spoke to
Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.”

So no man can see God’s face, and live.
Except for Jacob and Moses.
But God didn’t mention that exception, did He?
So maybe He changed His mind.
And then again, maybe not.
On one hand, Genesis 6:6­7 suggests that God makes mistakes for which He
repents, as follows: “And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and
He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created
from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I
am sorry that I have made them’” (italics mine).
On the other hand, Numbers 23:19 records, “God is not a man, that He should lie,
nor a son of man, that He should repent.”
The point, if not already obvious, is that the Old Testament is fraught with errors.
Perhaps the simplest errors are numerical, and these are plentiful. For example, 2
Samuel 8:4 speaks of David taking seven hundred horsemen and 1 Chronicles 18:4,
describing the exact same event, makes it seven thousand.
Big deal.
Seven hundred in one verse, seven thousand in another—obviously some scribe
flubbed a zero.  Wrong.
The Old Testament doesn’t have zeros. Nor, for that matter, does it have
numerals. In the time of the Old and New Testaments, the Arabic numerals we are all familiar with weren’t in common use. The clumsy Roman numerals were the language of
mathematics, and the earliest evidence of the zero dates from 933 CE.
In ancient Hebrew, numbers were written longhand. Seven hundred was sheba’
me’ah and seven thousand was sheba’ eleph. So this scriptural difference may indeed
represent a scribal error, but it’s not a simple error of a zero. Rather, it’s the difference
between me’ah and eleph.
Similarly, 2 Samuel 10:18 speaks of seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand
horsemen, and 1 Chronicles 19:18 speaks of seven thousand charioteers and forty
thousand foot soldiers. 2 Samuel 23:8 records eight hundred men, 1 Chronicles 11:11
numbers them at three hundred. And in case the reader suspects they are speaking about
different events, Josheb­Basshebeth and Jashobeam are cross­referenced, clarifying that
both passages describe the same person. 2 Samuel 24:9 describes eight hundred thousand
men “who drew the sword” in Israel and five hundred thousand in Judah;
1 Chronicles 21:5 puts the numbers at one million one hundred thousand in Israel and
four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah. 2 Samuel 24:13 describes seven years of
famine, 1 Chronicles 21:11­12 states it was three. 1 Kings 4:26 numbers Solomon’s horse
stalls at forty thousand, 2 Chronicles 9:25 numbers them at four thousand. 1 Kings 15:33
teaches that Baasha reigned as king of Israel until the twenty­seventh year of Asa, king of
Judah; 2 Chronicles 16:1 states Baasha was still king of Israel in the thirty­sixth year of
Asa’s reign. 1 Kings 5:15­16 speaks of 3,300 deputies to Solomon, 2 Chronicles 2:2
records 3,600. In 1 Kings 7:26 we read of two thousand baths, but in 2 Chronicles 4:5 the
number is three thousand. 2 Kings 24:8 states “Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when
he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months.” 2 Chronicles 36:9 records, “Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three
months and ten days.” Ezra 2:65 writes of two hundred men and women singers,
Nehemiah 7:67 states they were two hundred and forty­five.
Now, are these differences important?
Answer: Yes, and no. For the most part, we could care less how many baths,
singers and foot soldiers there were, or whether one scribe made a slip of the stylus while
another rounded numbers off to the nearest hundred. From the point of conveying useful
information, these discrepancies are insignificant. However, from the point of validating
the Old Testament as the inerrant word of God, these discrepancies are highly significant.
Furthermore, there are numerous discrepancies which are not numerical in nature.
For example, Genesis 26:34 tells us Esau’s wives were Judith and Basemath;
Genesis 36:2­3 records his wives as Adah, Aholibamah and Basemath. 2 Samuel 6:23
states that Michal was childless until the day she died; 2 Samuel 21:8 attributes five sons
to Michal. 2 Samuel 8:9­10 speaks of Toi as king of Hamath, and Joram as an emissary
of King David; 1 Chronicles 18:9­10 records the king’s name as Tou, and that of the
emissary as Hadoram.
Again, not a big deal.
But here’s something that is:
2 Samuel 17:25 tells us Jithra (a.k.a. Jether; both names are cross­referenced, so
we know these two passages speak of the same individual) was an Israelite, whereas
1 Chronicles 2:17 identifies him as an Ishmaelite. Now, if Old Testament authors
couldn’t get this straight, we might wonder how much more inclined they might have
been, being Jewish, to calculated lineage­switching in the case of Abraham sacrificing his “only begotten son,” Isaac. In the “Jesus Begotten?” chapter earlier in this book, I
discussed the fact that at no time was Isaac the only begotten son of Abraham. And we
find here that Old Testament authors substituted “Israelite” with “Ishmaelite” when there
was no obvious motivation. How much more likely would they have been to have
switched lineages when their birthright and covenants with God were at stake?

 

 

……continue reading……

Illustrious Son of Ilobu – Mallam Yusuf Adepoju

32

He is a very young man, very-very intelligent, loaded with innate ability to score very high marks in whatever he ventures into. I remember many things that he did excellently well in those good old days. When he was in love with music, he was excellent with the mimicking of many foreign songs. When he went into graphic design to make ends meet, he was superb. I remember how he taught me some skillful ways of beautifying cardboards meant for the production of greeting cards. His exploit in GNLD, a networking business further confirms that he is always the best in whatever he ventures into. With the GNLD business, he was on top of the world at a very tender age. No doubt, his success story today in the Academy of Islamic propagation, ACADIP speaks volume about him being a special creation, destined to rule the world and be the very best at whatever he is doing.

Yusuf Olatunde Oladimeji Adepoju was born on the 10th of February, 1975 to the family of Alhaji Jamiyu Adeniyi Isola Adepoju and Alhaja Amdalat Ibidunni Adepoju of Akeyo’s compound, Ilobu. His father and mother are both retired Principals. He attended L. A. Gbobamu Primary School from 1981 to 1986, ADS Grammar School, Erin-Osun from 1987 to 1990 before proceeding to the Government College, Ibadan and he finally completed his secondary education at Fakunle Comprehensive High School, Osogbo in 1994. He studied Physics Electronics at the Federal University of Technology, Akure and graduated in 2001.

It was at FUTA, that he met some talented youths with whom he formed a dawah group with the sole aim of checkmating the alarming rate at which Muslims were fast drifting away from the path of the believers as a result of ignorance and lack of knowledge. The Islamic propagation initially took off at FUTA, later to Akure township, Ondo State generally and today he has stood for what he believes in and has defended it in virtually all the states of the federation with thousands of converts and reverts to Islam. He has also taken this Dawah to 15 different countries; Germany, England, Belgium, United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Rwanda, Morocco, Ghana etc. In the course of propagating Islam he has developed strong working relations with some great world Islamic Comparative preachers like Shiekh Ahmed Deedat, Professor Jamal Badawi, Dr, Dawood Amoo Alaga, Professor Buniyamin Banire, Late Alhaji Yunus Akewewugbajesu and many others.

After 21 solid years of open-air lecture series in the nooks and crannies of Nigeria and beyond, he is very proud to announce that ACADIP has displayed a new order of dynamic and captivating Evangelism, projecting Islam in its natural and undiluted perspective, strengthening the faith of practicing Muslims and also awakening those unwary, lukewarm or rather, the so called nominal Muslims from their slumber.

Yusuf Olatunde Oladimeji Adepoju is currently the Managing Director of Islamic Cultural and Enlightment Centre founded by his father in 1965. He has positioned Ilobu elegantly on world map with his Islamic preachings. He has also succeeded in refining and engaging many Ilobu youths in his Islamic organizations. The security outfit of ACADIP alone parades about 200 officers both native and non-natives.

He is indeed a special breed, showcasing his talents with the mastery of the Bible and the Quran off hand. His command of the Arabic , English and Yoruba languages is enough to arrest his listeners. He is one out of the very many finest young brains that Ilobu is blessed with.

In recognition of his invaluable uplift of Ilobu community and her natives via his Islamic Comparative lectures around the globe, I therefore present Alhaji Yusuf Olatunde Oladimeji Adepoju as an illustrious son of Ilobu asake.

 

 

Dare Alabi,
Project Director.

FORCEFUL TOLERANCE

0

FORCEFUL TOLERANCE
BY
SANNI KAY. YUSUF

She visited the hospital for her fortnight antenatal routine checkup. It was her first time to enjoy the NHIS package – in the hospital – courtesy of her hubby’s workplace.

Together with women of her condition carrying the fruits of the womb, she was requested to go up for counselling. As an enlightened person who understood the significance of such an exercise, she eagerly mounted the staircase – uneasily.

Counselling they were told, but singing and dancing it was turned into. Not Yoruba (abiyamo/oloyun) songs, but christian-oriented songs. She wondered but bothered less, as she thought the deed would take no length of time. As a muslimah faithful to her faith, she sat down apathetically.

After the singing and buttock-rolling, came up prayers – in Jesus’ name. She wondered but bothered less, with the thought that observations and corrections would be done later. She never wanted to truncate or interrupt the flow of the oppression so as not to be tagged as usual – extremist, fanatic, fundamentalist, terrorist – the list is inexhaustible. With her mouth mute, the christian prayers went on untill it got to its tail.

At the lapse of prayers was the trumpeted counselling. That beamed a sigh of relief for the ummu from the seemingly inescapable cage. But lo and behold, it was just the start of the oppression! What was supposed to be counselling turned out to be preaching in the christian way. Madam Counsellor started making quotations from the Bible to adduce her special counselling. The ummu couldn’t take it any longer. So, she voiced out her worries:

“Is this not supposed to be a counselling session? Why christian songs, prayers and preaching in a hospital that is privately general? Or is the hospital only meant for Christians?”

“That’s our usual practice here,” said the preacher-nurse.

“You should have made us know that your hospital is run on the precepts and principles of the Christendom.” She said as she quietly left the gathering.

What could be more oppressing, terrorising than this – when you are forced to tolerate where your right is unapologetically trampled upon? Why would people met out to others what they cannot tolerate of them?

It’s a country of multi-religion. Constitutionally, everyone has the right, not only to practise, but manifest his religion; however, not to the peril or detriment of others.

A muslim is disallowed to do so, just as he should not take such from anyone. “There is no compulsion in the religion,” so says Allah – Q2 V256. Nigeria belongs to all, not to some.

“To you be your religion, and to me my religion.” Q109 V6.

DA'WAH OF A MUSLIMAH

0

DAWAH OF A MUSLIMAH By Nafeesah Bint Yakub

Let’s not consider or judge what we hear or read through medias like CNN, ABC, BBC, FOX and the rest, let not ask a non Muslim what and how the Muslim women feel, how they live, their challenges and their responsibilities, if we wish to be fair and conscious of our environment, ask the Muslim women about their ordeal.

We now live in a world where Muslim women can’t do what they like doing either because of their appearance or faith they profess, a typical example is one of our sisters when she was denied the call to bar on account of her Deen as a Muslimah, this not the only example where Muslim women are oppressed, also the popular case of Sherifat Yunnus whose Niqob(veil) was yanked off at an exhibition comes to mind.

If you wish to be fair, ask a Muslim woman who struggled to get to where she is, for a Muslim woman who practice her religion and is still able to stand on her feet in such a bias and an unstable society.

Why are Muslim women been discriminated owing to differences in faith? If others are free to reveal their bodies at will, why is it difficult for a Muslim woman who nurtures an ambition of becoming a medical doctor, use it as a Da’wah tool for the Ummah(humanity) after going through the rigorous study to merit and earn her certificate only to eventually get denied a job because she wears the HIJAB. How does the hijab affect her profession?

No one is really ready to ask the Muslim women, our long gone professors, we have women amongst them, not one nor two, Muslim women have and are excelling in various professions around the world, why are Muslim women underrated, oppressed and denied their rights? Why is the Nigeria community allowing its human resources in Muslim women waste away out of hatred? If we select 100 Muslim women between the ages of 17-40, 60% will be, are graduates of higher institutions both local and abroad with good employable grades, with very appealing potential and socially endowed but are mostly denied the opportunity to showcase their knowledge, skills or talent.

Many are times, ‘people’, especially non-Muslims say “Look! with her level of education, she still wears that ….., Mr., Miss, Mrs., it’s not called that ….. but a HIJAB, MODESTY, FREEDOM … Muslim women aren’t cowards, dull, antisocial, vague or stale, rather they are mothers, teachers, role models, professionals whom have been denied because they are Muslimah.

Mr., Miss, Mrs., I’ve questions for you; Why are Muslim women exploited, oppressed, maltreated, denied because they don’t share same faith with you while you tolerate others who are non Muslims? Are we been fair?

A young Muslimah going for an interview find it hard using her hijab purposely because she will be denied the job especially because of her identify as a Muslimah, what a biased world we live, even in psychology and sociology, there are aspects that mentioned individual differences, there is a constitutional provision for religious differences.

Islam raised the status of women, and made them equal with men in most rulings. So women, like men, are commanded to believe in Allaah and to worship Him. And women are made equal to men in terms of reward in the Hereafter. Women have the right to express themselves, to give sincere advice, to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and to call people to Allaah. Women have the right to own property, to buy and sell, to inherit, to give charity and to give gifts. It is not permissible for anyone to take a woman’s wealth without her consent. Women have the right to a decent life, without facing aggression or being wronged. Women have the right to be educated; in fact it is obligatory to teach them what they need to know about their religion, other forms of knowledge and provide enabling environment to exhibit what they’ve acquired in terms of knowledge and skills.

Muslims must rise to the occasion to defend Muslim rights especially the women. Doing so will not only entrench women’s right but also encourage Muslim women to pursue their God granted dream profession.

BROTHERHOOD AND SUNNAH

0

MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD IN THE QURAN AND SUNNAH

BismilLaahir Rahmaanir Raheem.

Brotherhood in Islam is a comprehensive concept that is based upon good character with others, treating others the way we want to be treated, and uniting together upon common values. It has three levels of degree: religion, family, and humanity. Each of these levels has a set of rights and duties that a Muslim must uphold with others.

The strongest level of brotherhood is the sense of community, friendship, and common purpose in Islam for the sake of Allah. At this level, the believers work together towards fulfilling the goals of the religion and living out its divine values.

Allah says:
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

The believers are but brothers, so make reconciliation between your brothers and fear Allah that you may receive mercy. Surat al-Hujurat 49:10
And Allah says:
وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا
Hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. . Surat Aali Imran 3:103. Unfortunately today, we are divided and hate each other even because of political parties we follow ignorantly. We fight and hate each other because two non Muslims are convincing us to vote for them to cause corruption on the land of Allah with no respect to the Sharia or rules of ALLAH. We have created our own suffering as such we must stop sympathising with the suffering Muslims are going through and step up our efforts to get Muslims to unite and love each other for ALLAH sake and fill up our masjids each day enjoying good and forbidden evil if we want Allah to have mercy on us. These humiliation by the kuffar will continue till we return to the path of the QUR’AN and Sunnah. That’s the prophesy of our beloved messenger of ALLAH not my sayings.

Although we use the word “brotherhood,” what we really mean is a faith-based community that includes both men and women as brothers and sisters in religion.

Allah says:
وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ اللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give charity and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will have mercy upon them, for Allah is Almighty and Wise. Surat al-Tawba 9:71

Most importantly, this level of brotherhood involves purifying the heart of all animosity, hatred, and malice for those who have faith, including for the righteous predecessors of Islam (al-salaf al-ṣālihīn), those who believed in the previous prophets, and the general masses of believers throughout all of history. If we want to succeed in this life and the afterlife, it’s important we become United in each community and in each family. Disunity is a source of destruction and hardship in life. To be continued in shaa Allah. _May Allah keep guiding us all and unite us under Quran and Sunnah_. Aameen.

Credit: Anonymous

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