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ACADIP PROCURES A TOYOTA HILUX

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I N F O R M A T I O N

ACADIP PROCURES A TOYOTA HILUX !!!

This is to inform the entire Members of ACADIP NIGERIA, that, by Allah’s Mercy, a TOYOTA HILUX has been procured by the Academy of Islamic Propagation, Nigeria for Security Purpose.

We appreciate those whom ALLAH used to achieve this Goal, most especially Members of the ACADIP SUPPORT GROUP (Home & Abroad) and other spirited Muslims who always support us with their wealth and resources.

May ALLAH amply reward you all. Aamiyn.

 

Yusuf Adepoju
(For ACADIP NIGERIA)

 

SACRIFICE

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We all live in life where sacrifice are born to be made,

Sacrifice of love for family or many others,

Many don’t know the power of sacrifice,

At times sacrifice can just be like a small buy dying of thirst,

But when it get some water on his way home he saw a dying flower,

And used little of the water he had to brightened the flower,

Then the second day the kid hurt his leg,

But was told by the mother to look for the same flower he watered as pain reliever,

The little boy made a sacrifice and also gain from it.

Why not sacrifice this Duniya (Worldly life),

For the Akhirah (Hereafter) where there is reward,

Allah loves those who sacrifice their repose,

And arise in the depths of the night to glorify the word of their Lord,

Real love comes with sacrifice

So what have you done for the sake of Allah?

Sacrifices are tough. But when you do it for the sake of Allah,

Knowing that Allah awaits to reward you,

That makes it all the more worth it.

Sacrifice is a merit,

And since man is one of the most perfect created things,

Sacrifice befits him first and being a human necessitates it.

The sacrifice Prophet Abraham made in offering his son,

We called out to him “O Abraham! …

“Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!”

Thus indeed do We reward those who do right.

And We gave him the good news of Ishaq (Isaac) – a prophet,- one of the righteous.

We blessed him and Isaac: but of their progeny are (some) that do right, and (some)that obviously do wrong, to themselves.

There are two distinct good news,

The first one about a forbearing son
and the second one about the good news of Ishaq (Isaac)

Sacrifice your Duniya for the Akhirah,

Sacrifice your time by offering Solat,

Sacrifice your Humanity for good deeds,

For Allah is all hearing…..

 

Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 262:
الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ لَا يُتْبِعُونَ مَا أَنفَقُوا مَنًّا وَلَا أَذًى لَّهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

(As for) those who spend their property in the way of Allah, then do not follow up what they have spent with reproach or injury, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and they shall have no fear nor shall they grieve.

 

 

Bello Nafeesah Omolewa @ knowislam.com.ng

Misgoded reading continued

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The above quotes suggest one of two possible scenarios. In the first, “son of God”
can be understood to mean Messiah, King of Israel, “man of God,” “holy one of God,” or
simply a righteous man, for parallel gospels relate these terms as if synonymous. For
example, the demons identified Jesus as “the holy one of God” in one account and “Son
of God” in another, and the centurion identified Jesus as the “Son of God” in Matthew
and Mark, but as “a righteous man” in Luke. So maybe these terms mean the same thing.
In the second scenario, parallel accounts recording the same events in different
words could represent biblical inaccuracy. In either case, there’s a problem. If the
differing terms are synonymous and a person can’t trust the Bible enough to understand
the meaning of “Son of God” in one instance, how can anybody interpret the same phrase
with confidence elsewhere? And if the disagreements represent biblical inaccuracies, in
which one gospel author got it right and the other(s) got it wrong, then to which account
should we entrust our salvation?
A minor example is that two of the above­referenced gospels tell different stories,
though witnessing the same event. Matthew 8:28­29 records two possessed men in the
tombs and Luke 8:26­28 only one possessed man. Even if a person defends the Bible as
being the inspired word of God—not the actual word, but the inspired word—would God
inspire an error? Even a small one?
Some wonder why Christians smooth over biblical discrepancies. Others take a
more jaundiced view. The Christian world would like to believe that church authorities
are devoted to truth and not deception. But how many people would bend the truth to
gain 10% of the gross income of an entire congregation? Suspicion can be fairly high  that, in the words of George Bernard Shaw, “A government which robs Peter to pay Paul
can always depend on the support of Paul.”100 In other words, a church which tithes the
congregation in order to fund the salary and living expenses of the clergy can always
depend on the support of the clergy.
A follow­up question is, “How many Bible­toting, Sunday school­teaching church
leaders would bend the truth under pressure of wealth?” The person who conceives of
none is either daft, naïve, or lying. Current affairs document countless priests and
ministers who not only bend the truth, but the altar boys as well. Jesus warned about
these false “men of God” in Matthew 7:15­16 when he said, “Beware of false prophets,
who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will
know them by their fruits …”
*
Nonetheless, we find ourselves returning once again to the unanswered question,
namely, what does “Son of God” mean? Would the original Hebrew translate from ebed
to “slave,” “servant” or “son?” Even if the correct translation is “son,” how is this
different from all the other “sons of God” who were clearly nothing more than righteous
individuals or, at most, prophets? Commenting on R. Bultmann’s historical criticism of
the New Testament, The New Catholic Encyclopedia states, “Son of God has recently
been denied a place in theology on the grounds that, as found in NT writings, it is part of the mythological garb in which the primitive Church clothed its faith…. The problem
confronting one constructing an adequate theological idea of Son of God is to determine
the content that the idea expresses.”

 

……continue reading…..

At-Tauhid reading continued

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(Fear of Allah Alone)

Allah the Most Exalted said: “It is only Satan that suggests to you the fear of his ‘AuIiya [supporters and friends (polytheists, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger Muhammad (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) so fear them not, but fear me, if you are (true) believers.” (3:175)

Allah the Almighty stated: “The Mosques of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day; offer prayers perfectly (Iqamat-as-SaIat), and give Zakat and fear none but Allah. It is they who are expected to be on true guidance.” (9: 18)

Allah (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
“Of mankind are some who say: ‘We believe in Allah’, but if they are made to suffer for the sake of Allah, they consider the trial of mankind as Allah’s punishment.”
(29:10)

Abu Sa’id (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated the following Marfu’ Hadith: “It is the weakness of certainty (complete Faith) to seek pleasure of others by displeasing
Allah and to praise others for the livelihood which was provided by Allah and to blame others for the thing not bestowed by Allah. Not even the greediness of the most greedy person can bring the livelihood of Allah, and not even anybody’s aversion can prevent it.”
[Reported by Abu Nu’aim in Al-Hilyah].

`Ai shah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever seeks Allah’s pleasure at the cost of men’s displeasure, will win the pleasure of Allah and Allah will cause men to be pleased with him. Whoever seeks to please men at the cost of Allah’s displeasure, will win the displeasure of Allah, and Allah will cause men to be
displeased with Him.”
[Reported by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih].

 

Important issues of the Chapter

1) Explanation of the verse in Al-‘Imran (3:175).

2) Explanation of the verse in At-Bara’ ah (At- Taubah) (9:.18).

3) Explanation of the verse in Al-‘Ankabut (29: 10).

4) There is a fluctuation in the Faith, it gets weak and strengthens,

5) The signposts of a decline in the strength of Iman. Three of them are mentioned.

6) Devoting fear to Allah only is a duty (in Islam).

7) The reward of a person who fears Allah Alone with utmost sincerity.

8) The punishment of a person who does not have fear of Allah.

 

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Which of the Jesus…..?

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After a lengthy conversation with one of our staff yesterday, He said Jesus will show himself to me.

 

I was like, Wait! Which of the Jesus sir?

*Jesus Christ

*Ba Jesus

*Jesus Barnabas

*Gabriel Jesus or Jesus Navas

 

Like others, He claim Jesus showed himself to him but he can’t tell us how he looks like. Black or White? Tall or Fat? Long or Short?

 

We are in the age of reason so all fake propaganda should beware and ready to prove their claims.

One last thing is that, After his acclaimed meeting with Christ, I said describe how the Jesus you met looks like, what do you think their normal response is? He said, you don’t have any issue about that.

 

What a hoax claims!

Allah says;

Surah Al-Araf, Verse 179:
وَلَقَدْ ذَرَأْنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنسِ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لَّا يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ آذَانٌ لَّا يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا أُولَٰئِكَ كَالْأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْغَافِلُونَ

And certainly We have created for hell many of the jinn and the men; they have hearts with which they do not understand, and they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear; they are as cattle, nay, they are in worse errors; these are the heedless ones.

 

You can listen to the Audios below.

 

Audio 1 

Audio 2 

 

…. towards uncovering their cover-up.

 

 

Johnson Abdulazeez Ayomide

Beware of the Convert Zone – What Not to Say to a Convert

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Recently, I was at a local park with my daughters, attempting to follow their exuberant patterns as they capered joyfully from swing to slide to monkey bars. After several minutes, I became aware of an elderly couple nearby.   Apparently they were observing me and my children with interest. The man had a long, bushy grey beard, and the woman was wearing an abaya and a headscarf. I walked over and offered my salaams and a smile.

They returned the greeting a bit hesitantly, and then the man asked me, with accented English,  “Are you a Muslim?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“But where are you from?”

“From here, the United States,” I answered.

“Do you speak Arabic?”

“Not much,” I admitted.

“But you’re a Muslim?” he pressed on.

“Yes,” I answered, again.  I had to try a little harder to maintain the smile on my face.

“Ah, your husband is a Muslim,” he surmised, with the air of Sherlock Holmes making a brilliant deduction.

“Yes…”

“And you . . . you are Muslim?” he persisted.

Ugh.

At this point I realized I had, once again, stepped unwillingly into the Convert Zone:  that bizarre realm where those of us who have chosen to embrace Islam at some point in our adult lives are subject to dozens of indelicate questions and unfair assumptions made by those who were born into a Muslim family.

For some reason, converts are sometimes treated like rare specimens in a zoo by our brothers and sisters in Islam.  We are scrutinized, questioned, analyzed, doubted, and patronized.  The interrogations we endure might be circumspect, but they all pose the same fundamental questions at their core:   Are you really Muslim?  Do you know “enough” to be Muslim?  Are you sincere?  Can someone who looks like you really be a believer?  Are you one of us, or one of them?

“Maybe the elderly couple was just surprised to see a white American Muslim,” some people might argue.  “Perhaps they hadn’t met one before and weren’t sure if you were genuine.  They’re probably just curious.  They might actually be very happy for you.  Why get defensive?”

Let’s break it all down:

1- I am not a unicorn. Yes, white American Muslims are a minority, but we are not rare, mythical creatures. There are thousands of us.

2- Even though I happen to be caucasian, my Muslim identity is immediately obvious to everyone else, wherever I go in Southern California. In the land of perpetual sunshine, most of the women wear t-shirts and shorts, or sundresses, or skinny jeans. No matter the weather, I dress in loose clothes from head to toe, including a hijab. I might as well wear a neon sign that says, “Muslim!”

3- I greeted the elderly couple with “asalaamu alaykum.” Any doubt they might have had should have been dispelled with that greeting.  So, why did the brother still feel the need to ask me three times if I was a Muslim?!

4- People who are just curious and/or happy for you do not act suspicious or condescending.

Sadly, the park interaction was not a first.  This scenario has played out in various ways over the past 17 years since I took my shahada. It is disheartening that no matter how comfortable I have become in my skin as a Muslim American, there are always some people who will remind me that I am not quite “authentic” in their eyes.  Here are some of the other squirm-inducing questions and comments I have received in the Convert Zone:

1- “Did you convert for your husband?”

Um, no. I love my husband and I would do many things for him, but I would not change my entire life, from the clothes I wear every day, to the way I interact with people, to the food I eat, to the God I worship and my preparations for the eternal fate of my soul.. .  just to make my spouse happy.1436900112981

To suggest that I have transformed my thoughts and identity and inadvertently made myself an outcast in my family and my country just to please my husband is both belittling and insulting.  It implies that I have no intellect or free will. No one should ever ask a female convert this question.

And you know what else, complete stranger who asks this question?  Even if a woman did convert purely for her husband, it is really none of your business.

2- “Oh, yes, Arab men love women with pale skin and light eyes!”

I have heard this unsolicited observation several times over the years, and it never fails to make me sick to my stomach.  There are so many false assumptions at its core.  First of all, the Muslims — yes, Muslims! — who have said this to me did not even know where my husband is from.  They saw my headscarf, immediately assumed that I wore it because I was married to a Muslim man, further assumed he was an Arab, and additionally assumed that he married me because of my appearance! So many misconceptions and prejudices packed into one snide remark!

Please do not objectify any woman in this way. She is much more than skin and eyes and she will not thank you for inferring that her husband’s interest in her is superficial. Also, please do not paint Muslim men as shallow, lustful collectors of Western Barbie-like spouses.

3- “Do you pray? Do you fast?”

For some reason, many people feel entitled to ask very blunt questions about a convert’s ibaada that I am sure they would not ask of non-converts.  We Muslims are supposed to assume the best of each other.  We are not each other’s judges, and even if we have been Muslim for our whole lives, it does not entitle us to feel superior to a newcomer.  In fact, the hearts of brand new converts are so pure that we should all feel humbled in their presence. Their sins were recently wiped away; how numerous are ours?  Unless we are spiritual advisers who have been asked for guidance, we have no business probing each other for details of our worship.

When I was extremely new to Islam, I met a sister who was of Pakistani origin. She immediately asked me, “Do you do namaaz?’

“Namaaz?” I repeated, confused.  I had never heard of the term.

“Namaaz!  Namaaz!” she exclaimed, making the word louder each time, as if that would ease my                    comprehension.

“I don’t know what that is,” I admitted, feeling embarrassed.

Unfortunately, although she was fluent in English, it did not occur to her to substitute the words “prayer,” or “salat,” which I would have recognized. More than that, though:  why did she feel the need to ask me if I prayed? She had just met me!

Perhaps her intentions were good; she wanted to make sure I was off to a good start in my practice of Islam.  In that case, simply saying, “Sister, if you need any help learning to pray, I am happy to help,” would have made all the difference.

4- “Too bad your non-Muslim family members will all be going to hell.”

Yes, that statement seems too horrible to be authentic, but it was actually one of the first things I heard after I embraced Islam. I will never forget it because it wounded and troubled me at a very impressionable and delicate time.

About two days after I took shahada, I was visiting a lovely Muslim family in our neighborhood.  My husband and I had gotten to know them over the past few months, and I had learned to admire the generous, sweet mother and her boisterous, loving children.  The whole chattering group was expressing their happiness and congratulations at the news of my conversion when the ten-year-old boy asked me, out of the blue, if my parents, siblings, and grandparents were still Christians.  When I answered in the affirmative, he said, with sincerity and sadness, “Too bad they will all be going to hell.”

All the joy of the moment disappeared.  I looked to his mother in surprise.  Surely this was a case of a child’s misunderstanding and lack of tact?  But her eyes just filled with sadness, not embarrassment or denial.

“Yes, unfortunately, all nonbelievers will burn in hell,” she confirmed.

Talk about a buzzkill!

Whatever the scholars’ opinions are on whether Christians, Jews, or others can be admitted into Paradise– or whether perhaps they will be given the opportunity to acknowledge Allah SWT and make amends at the moment of death — there are much more diplomatic ways — an appropriate times– to discuss this topic.

My recommendation is that a convert should be knowledgeable in their deen and secure in their Muslim identity before they have to tackle such weighty issues.  Relationships with non-Muslim family members are already difficult, in many cases, for recent converts.  The drastic lifestyle changes and long list of new skills to master — like all the motions of prayer and reciting Qur’an in Arabic — can already be overwhelming to new Muslims, so they should not be burdened unnecessarily.

So, please avoid talk of converts’ relatives burning in hellfire for eternity, particularly when they are celebrating their shahada.

5- “How did your family react to the news?”

This question, when asked by a concerned friend, can be an opportunity for a convert to open up about any difficulties and to seek advice and solidarity.  When asked by a complete stranger, however, the query seems quite intrusive.

The majority of converts I know faced some level of resistance or animosity from family members when they embraced Islam. Some of them actually endured heartbreaking dramas that are still painful to recollect, years later. So don’t be surprised if a convert you just met is hesitant to tell you about his or her family’s reaction to The News. It might be one of the most upsetting and deeply private memories they have.

On behalf of all converts who have experienced the awkwardness of The Zone, I ask all my brothers and sisters to think before you speak.  Please do not use us and our life stories to satisfy your idle curiosity.  Keep your questions relevant and respectful and do not cross lines into private topics.  Please, especially, do not approach us with negative assumptions or gross generalizations. We deserve the same respect and consideration that all of your brothers and sisters do, and perhaps — because of the unique struggles we face as converts — even a little bit more.

First published: April 2017

 

 

Credit : aboutislam.net

Misgoded reading continued

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Pope Gregory IX instituted the Papal Inquisition in 1231, but couldn’t stomach
the sin of torture. It took twenty years for a pope to shoulder the responsibility and, in the
height of irony, that pontiff took the name of Pope Innocent (cough­cough) IV. In 1252
he authorized torture with the papal bull Ad extirpanda. 95 However, some of the clergy
must have wanted to get their hands dirty, up close and personal. To accommodate such
lofty Christian sentiments, “in 1256 Pope Alexander IV gave them the right to mutually
absolve one another and grant dispensations to their colleagues. With this legal and moral
issue circumvented, one inquisitor could torture and his companion then absolve him.”
96
So innate understanding didn’t exactly play a major role in the process.
Sympathizers might take a moment to imagine an ignorant, un­indoctrinated
individual, isolated from civilization. Imagine this individual seeking the reality of God
through a quiet life of contemplation. We can envision the foreign natives of distant
lands, the illiterate masses, the lone individual on a tropical island. How many of them, do you imagine, snapped their fingers and slapped their foreheads in spiritually
awakening and proclaimed the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
The likelihood is slim to none that Augustine’s judgment was based on a
prospective, double­blinded, controlled and randomized study. Should the millions of
“heretic” Unitarian Christians who were executed in intolerant Trinitarian judgment be
asked, they could be expected to have some very reasonable objections. In the modern
day, some of them might even reference the Qur’an: “Let there be no compulsion in
religion …” (TMQ 2:256)
But to return to the “son of God” issue, one more difficulty concerns the
following quotes:
In the Gospel of St. John, twice the title Son of God means nothing
more than Messiah. Thus Nathanael’s confession of faith, ‘Rabbi, thou art
the Son of God, thou art King of Israel!’ (Jn 1:49) regards the two as
equivalent. 97
It is not always clear what the term [Son of God] means when
spoken by the demons; it may mean only man of God. 98 *
Used by the centurion at the Crucifixion, it (Son of God) seems to
have meant only a just man.

 

……continue reading…..

At-Tauhid reading continued

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(Love for Allah) 

 

Allah the Most Exalted said: “And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides Allah as rivals (to Allah).
They love them as they love Allah.” (2: 165)

Allah Almighty said: “Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred; the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight
…are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment).” (9:24)

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said: “None of you becomes a believer till he loves me more than his father, and his children and all mankind.” (Al-Bukhari & Muslim)

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) also narrated that the Prophet (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said:
“Whoever possesses the following three (qualities), will have the sweetness (delight) of Faith:

(1) The one to whom Allah (May Allah be pleased with him) and His Messenger (Muhammad (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) ) are more beloved than anything else;

(2) The one who loves another only for Allah’s sake;

(3) The one who hates to convert to disbelief after Allah has rescued him from it, as he hates to be thrown into the fire.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

In another version the above-mentioned Hadith begins with the words:

“No one will find the sweetness of Iman (Belief) until and unless …”

Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) said: “Whoever loves for the sake of Allah, and hates for the sake of Allah, and befriends for the sake of Allah and shows enmity for the sake of Allah, would get Allah’s friendship. Without abiding by this, no one can get the real taste (sweetness) of Iman (Belief) though he may have been a frequent offerer of prayer (Saifit) and fasts. Today people keep relationship, and love only for some worldly reason but this will not provide them any benefit (on the Day of Judgement).”

[Ibn Jarir (May Allah be pleased with him) mentioned this Hadith.]

In interpreting the verse: “Then all their relations will be cut off from them.”
(2:166)

Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) said it means “love.”

 

Important issues of the Chapter 

 

1) Explanation of the verse in AI-Baqarah (2:165).

2) Explanation of the verse in At-Taubah (9:24).

3) We must love Prophet Muhammad (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) more than ourselves, families, and wealth.

4) Denial of Iman does not mean going out of Islam.

5) Iman has a sweetness that is sometimes tasted by a person and sometimes not.

6) No one can get the friendship of Allah and relish of Iman until and unless he possesses four “actions” of the heart:

(1) Love for the sake of Allah;

(2) Hate for the sake of Allah;

(3) Friendship for the sake of Allah;

(4) Enmity for the sake of Allah.

 

7) The Companions’ understanding of the reality that people in general feel fraternity for worldly reasons.

8) Explanation of the verse: “Then all their relations will be cut off from them”(2:166).

9) Some polytheists do love Allah intensely.

10) The threat of punishment for the person who loves more the “eight” than his religion. The “eight” being: ancestors, descendants, brothers, spouses, clan, wealth, trade and habitat.

11) Whoever takes a partner (to Allah) for whom he has as much love as he has for Allah, has committed major Shirk.

 

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The shield

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My eyeballs capture many sheilas everyday
Ranging from the dark to the fair
Ranging from the slim to the fat
But there is this one I’ve never seen
All I see is her hijab.

Just as the diamond is found underneath
Just as gold can never be easily found
She keeps her beauty behind her veil
She reveals her adornments to the holy dress
All she exposes is her hijab.

She will never shout like others
She will never advertise her voice like others
She won’t even dare to scream in public like they do
She only keeps her voice for the one who deserves it
All she says are the best words.

So proud is he who she accepts his proposal
Lucky is he who has her as a wife
Successful will be the fruits she gives birth to
Blessed are the ones who gave birth to her
The woman who follows her Lord’s injunctions.

How does she look? I don’t know
How does she smile? I can’t say
Is her palm soft? I can’t tell
Is she light or dark? I still don’t know.
That is the beauty of being a Niqobi.

 

Dear sisters let protect our pride.

©Kifayah A. Amobigold

Modern alternative life

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BismilLah

Islam does not allow a Muslim to surrender themselves to lust and desire, as in contemporary ‘civilisation’. Islam recognises the love a man has for women, children, gold, silver, and other possessions. But it provides a limit for the amount of this worldly pleasure which we require, and reminds us of the life in the hereafter.
Allah says:

“Beautified for men is the love of things they desire: Women, Children, much of gold and silver (wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world’s life, but Allaah has the excellent return ( Paradise)”(Quran 3:141).

The inclinations and desires of the Fitrah are not to become the objective in life. Rather they are to be taken in a stabilised manner. The way to deal with them is real and Allaah (The Most High) has given us the detailed descriptions of a levelled approach. This levelled approach gives mankind the perfectly balanced pleasure in this worldly life. The method of maintaining a well-balanced life is not an endurance test to see who lasts the longest. Allah has revealed Islam, to show us how to attain this balance in a real manner. Life is not a spiritual test, where you are ordered to Iive in mountains and trees. Fasting all month or year round is not even allowed. Marriage is permissible and you do not have to beat yourself senseless to purify your soul! Rather as Muslims, we must try to follow the Prophet and his balanced teachings of life and living. As Allah says in the Qur’an:
“Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (saw), you have a good example to follow..” (Quran 33:21).

Islam forbids us to follow many of the rules which are held by western culture and subcultures. Yet people in the west are more than willing to obey them, because they believe that these rules will protect them. How wrong they are! Western society is obsessed with ‘safe sex’, in order to ‘prevent the risk of catching AIDS’. Despite the wide availability of contraceptives, AIDS is still on the increase, and people are dropping like flies from this killer epidemic. Do we think of these rules as being restrictive? If anything you would expect them to bring about a sense of control and order, as well as increasing the pleasure. Without realising, people are ready and willing to accept many man-made rules. Rules that are invented by one group of people and to be obeyed by the rest of society. These rules are not perfect because man is imperfect, yet people accept them and hope and believe that they will benefit from them.

Islam has a Better Offer!

So when the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth is offering a reward which is high, and the Benefit is eternal, shouldn’t we at least see what’s on offer? Allah says:

“You desire the good of this world, but Allaah desires (for you) the Hereafter. And Allaah is Almighty, All Wise”(Quran 8:67). Again
“. . . in a lofty Paradise . Therein will be a running spring. Therein will be thrones raised high. And cups set at hand. And cushions set in rows. And rich carpets (all) spread out” (Quran 88:10-16).

This worldly life has many good things in it. Things that Allah has created for us to utilise. But the reality is all of these luxuries and benefits of the world will come to an end. For example, a person’s good looks may do them many favours during their youth, but will it hold them on good ground when they are 60. Such is the reality of old age.

Likewise with wealth. Islam allows you to gain wealth as long as you do not oppress other people, and transgress the limits set by Allaah (The Most High). An example of this is making people pay back more money than they actually borrow, through usury or interest payments.

However wealth can not benefit you when you die, as it only passes on to your family as inheritance. Such is the civility of modem society, that many people are even killed, just so that inheritance can be gained sooner rather then later!!

Thus, we should see ourselves as travellers on a journey. A traveller is one who is constantly on the move. He will only take essential provisions, and not all his life’s possessions. Likewise, a person must realise that Allah did not design the luxuries of this world to last forever. They only exist to aid our worship of Allah, which will take us to the journey’s end, the hereafter. Being human, we must one-day die, and our worldly benefits and luxuries will also perish. The true wealth is indeed with Allah in the next-life. As Allah says:

“Seeking the perishable goods of the worldly life. There are much more profits and booties with Allah” (Quran 4:94).

So when Allaah (The Most High) revealed the Qur’an and the example of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), all the details about good and bad, or right and wrong, were not left for the limited nature of mankind to define for themselves. Allaah (The Most High) says:

“And I have sent down to you the Book (Qur’an) as an EXPLANATION of EVERYTHING and a GUIDANCE, a Mercy and glad tidings for those who have surrendered (to Allaah as Muslims)”(Quran 16:89). Allahu Akbar.

So What is Islam saying?

The message of Islam fits the Fitrah of man. Allaah (The Most Wise) created man in the best form. He gave his Fitrah the ability to believe in the unseen. Thus, man’s soul and its horizons are broader and more open than that of the rest of creation – like the animals, bird’s and insects. In nature we can see the signs of Allah as Allah says:
“Do they not look at the camels, and how they were created? And at the heavens, how it is raised? And at the mountains, how they are rooted and fixed firm? And at the earth, how it is spread out?” (Quran 88:17-20).

In ourselves we can see Allah’s signs through the diversity of our languages, colours and nationalities. As Allah says:
“O mankind! I have created you from a male and female, and have made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another”
(Quran 49:13).

Having been told this, we must now recognise the Perfect way our Creator has chosen for us to follow, which is: “Indeed, in the Messenger (Muhammad [s.a.w]), you have a good example to follow” (Quran 33:21).

We have been commanded to worship Allah alone without partners. We must recognise and understand that He is the Only True God who deserves to be worshipped;

To help us do this, Allaah (The Most High) sent the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him), to deliver and explain the Final Message of Islam, and to help us recognise and worship our Lord in the best manner. We have been told to form our lives’ according to this Message, by following and imitating the Final Messenger who is our only guide to worshipping our Lord: Allah.

This is what is meant when we say: Laa-illaa-ha il-Allaah, wa Muhammadur Rasool-Allah. “There is no true God worthy of worship except Allaah, and Muhammad is the Final Messenger of Allaah” Alhamdulillah for guiding us to Islam.

May He guide the misguided relatives and friends to Islam. Aameen.

 

Credit: Anonymous

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