Here are a few photos from a fantastic peaceful protest outside 10 downing street and the Israeli Embassay today 31st May 2010.

Bismillah,
Well it has been a while!  I am now on SKYPE you can add me noori821.

I have also deleted my facebook account. Due to privacy and also I was struggling with all the anti islamic groups etc and facebook doing nothing about it. I had also joined a group called the largest Islamic group which i loved as i was able to get in touch with a lot of reverts like myself and then facebook deleted it!

My brother came up to London at the weekend was lovely to see him. I am going to watch him do the BUPA run tomorrow morning.  He has been a fantastic support as always with my revert, nothing seems to faze him at all and was interested in everything i was telling him.

This is a quick update as i need sleep will blog something soon about Science and the Qur'an - something i am reading about at the moment.

Also a talk coming up this Saturday 5th June on Surah Al Fatihah at Hendon Mosque 6pm - will blog then insha'allah.

Wa Salaams

Prayer is the greatest way to help us achieve the blessings of both this world and the Herafter.

The 5 daily prayers I am finding amazing and have really bought a structure to my day and to my life.  Especially now as the understanding of the arabic I am reciting is growing every day. Prayer precludes me from sins, it defends me against diseases, illuminates both my heart and face, it makes me active and in general brings good upon me as i perform it with respect and sincerity.

During prayer my heart and soul are in communication with God.  The closeness to Him, the comfort realised from asking of Him and the spirituality felt from standing in front of Him.  Every part of my body is used in prayer. I feel so peaceful when I pray and only the worthy heart benefits from prayer.

Unfortunately I may not be free due to work committments :-(

But please let me know if you attended and how it went.

I thought I would up date you all on what i am currently up to work wise.  I love my job so much and am so grateful to be working for Salaam.

We are an organisation that provides leisure and play scheme activities for disabled young people within an Islamic environment.
I am in the process of trying to secure more funding so that Salaam can continue with all its exciting activities.  Insha'allah we hope to set up a Parent/Carer support group, residentials and a weekly youth club.

We are also setting up a Salaam Scout group which will be once a month.

Check us out at www.salaamability.co.uk

"High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth! Be not in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation to thee is completed, but say, 'O my Lord! advance me in knowledge.'" [Qur'an[20:114]]

"Our Lord! we have heard the call of one calling
(Us) to Faith, 'Believe ye in the Lord,' and we have believed. Our Lord!
Forgive us our sins, blot out from us our iniquities, and take to Thyself our
souls in the company of the righteous." [Qur'an[3:193]]

"If ye are in doubt as what We have revealed as time to time to Our servant, then produce a Surah like thereunto, and call your witnesses or helpers (if there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true." [Qur'an[2:23]]
"But if ye cannot - and of surety you cannot - then fear the Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones ...- which is prepared for those who reject Faith." [Qur'an[2:24]]

"It is We Who have sent down the Qur'an to thee by stages." [Qur'an[76:23]] "Therefore be patient with constancy to the Command of thy Lord, and hearken not to the sinner or the ingrate among them." [Qur'an[76:24]] "And celebrate the name or thy Lord morning and evening," [Qur'an[76:25]] "And part of the night, prostra...te thyself to Him; and glorify Him a long night through." [Qur'an[76:26]]

Just watched a documentary about Love in Islam and what Islam says about falling in love... is it allowed?

We do not say love is halal or haram because it is a feeling. Maybe it is not under control. You can judge what is under control. But people who fall in love are in many episodes away from the cleansed and pure atmosphere.

Marriages that are usually good and lasting marriages are those that start at the least affection. That affection grows after marriage and maybe it will grow until the couples continue their companionship at the Jannah.

If you have any affection towards a person, you should ask yourself: why do you like that person? If you have good Islamic, reasonable justification, then you need not tell that person of what you feel. However, you can make a serious plan to make him ask for your hand. If you want to know the meaning of fitna, a great part of it is what people nowadays call love or romance.

Islamic ruling on falling in love:

“If we are speaking about the emotion which we call “love” then we are simply speaking of a feeling. What we feel toward a particular person is not of great importance, until our feeling is expressed in a particular action. Now if that action is permissible, then well and good. If it is forbidden, then we have incurred something that Allah does not approve of. If it is love between a man and a woman, the emotion itself is not the subject of questioning on the Day of Judgment. If you feel you love someone, then you cannot control your feeling. If that love prompts you to try to see that person in secret and to give expression to your feelings in actions permissible only within the bond of marriage then what you are doing is forbidden.”

Excerpted, with slight modifications, from: www.islamicity.com

From the words of Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He states:

In Islam, it is not a sin if you feel a special affinity or inclination towards a certain individual since human beings have no control on such natural inclinations. We are, however, definitely responsible and accountable if we get carried away by such feelings and take specific actions or steps that might be deemed as haram (forbidden).

As far as male and female interaction is concerned, Islam dictates strict rules: It forbids all forms of ‘dating’ and isolating oneself with a member of the opposite sex, as well indiscriminate mingling and mixing.

If, however, one does none of the above, and all that he or she wants is to seriously consider marrying someone, such a thing itself is not considered haram. In fact, Islam encourages us to marry persons for whom we have special feelings and affinity.

Islam recommends that potential marriage partners see one another before proposing marriage. Explaining the reason for such a recommendation, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “That would enhance/foster the bonding.”

We are advised against getting carried away by merely the outward appearances of a person; these may be quite misleading. Marriage is a life-long partnership and a person’s real worth is determined not by his or her physical looks, but more so by the inner person or character. A

After having mentioned that people ordinarily look for beauty, wealth and family in a marriage partner, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised us to consider primarily “the religious or character factor” over and above all other considerations.

A fantastic documentary. Something worth praying about.

Imagine today was your last day. How would you spend your day? How much would you remember God? Would you still wear your skinny jeans sisters? Would you still mix with the women brothers? Would you miss your obligatory prayers? Would you cry and weep to Allah for forgiveness? Would you still listen to music instead of listening to the Qur'aan ? Let's change ! Let's live each day like it is our last !

hmm who to vote for?

Personally i am still undecided... i am thinking either Green Party or Lib Dems.

i believe the Liberal Democrats offer fairer policies than either the Labour or Conservative parties.

After 13 years of a Labour government that has helped launch two unpopular wars against Islamic countries and passed counter-terrorism legislation that i feel unfairly discriminates against Muslims, it appears to me that the support for Labour is melting away!

Looking forward to watching it all on thursday evening and i am happy to have been involved working with You Elect (promoting muslim voter and registration) and following the work of MPACUK.

After a few questions from my friend Kate and lots of discussion...

How do i feel now since my revert?

Well the main thing for me is that i feel so much happier! i was in such a bad place over december time, so low and just unhappy with everything in my life. But now i have found something that to me makes sense and is much more "black and white" something i know personally i need in my life for it to make sense to me. Also i have structure to my life and also to my day - which again is something i realised i needed, the 5 compulsory prayers provide this structure and always give me time to reflect on my purpose of life and having that constant reminder of God.

How has my life changed?

Well looking at my past and reflecting on how i was... hmmm i am not drinking alcohol anymore! This is a good think for me as i was so dependent on this drink to feel happier and help me escape from any feelings. I feel as if i have more energy, im looking after myself more, im not laying in and being lazy, i have this drive which is really exciting and i love having. I suppose this drive comes from wanting to do my best in everything i do now and the intentions behind all my actions are very important.

Yes the early starts i do struggle with the morning prayer alarm goes off at the moment around 3.30am - argh yes i do struggle and yes i have to hit myself around the face to get me to wake up, it's not easy but like all things you change and you get into a new routine you have to adapt as we are in an ever changing society.

Food wise i am eating halaal which the food has been blessed and killed in a certain way. i was very excited to find asda has a great range of halaal food - also chicken cottage in high barnet is halaal so i can get my unhealthy fix of take away!! Also i have heard subway is halaal too, need to check this out though. Oh and i dont eat pork anymore - which most of my mates seemed to be concerned about lol "what will you do without bacon sarnies?!?"

It was really hard in regards to covering and wearing the hijab though, i was so scared the first day i was out wearing a hijab and being on a bus, people starring at you etc. But then again who does not stare at everyone. Yes i do get the random comments sometimes from those who are ignorant - but so far my experience has been ok.
I prefer it especially in this cold weather we have had my ears have been covered nicely!!

My friends reactions have been mixed, however the important thing for me and i think them have been the fact that they know i am happy, it has been completely my choice my own free will and Islam just sits so well in my life and it is what my soul has naturally been needing :-)

I love as well how it compliments everything i have always believed in.... a creator, one God... and submitting your life to and for God.

There were loads more questions from Kate and lots of chatting but this is all im gonna write as i would likve a cuppa tea now :)

Islam is based on monotheism.

Tawhid, the oneness of Allah, is an essential belief for all Muslims.

Islam teaches that Allah, the one god, has 99 attributes. Although we can understand some of His attributes, His essence cannot be comprehended by a human's limited mental capacity. Allah has created mankind primarily so that they may know their creator through his creations. Realisation of the supremacy of Allah, although necessary for success in the hereafter, has not been enforced on man - it is a test that is based on the fact that man has beengiven free will. However, man's free will is limited, although he has the freedom to choose between right and wrong, he cannotchange parts of his destiny that Allah has pre-determined. Understanding the nature of Allah is essential as it has a substantial effect on a Muslim's duties to Allah.

The oneness of Allah is the one most important theological principal in Islam. The first of the five pillars, the declaration offaith, which is the first act that one does to embark on Islam, reiterates the necessity of the belief in the oneness of Allah. It begins with the negation of any god other than Allah:

"I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Mohammed is His messenger."

Beginning with negation rather than affirmation, in this case, serves to emphasise strongly the importance of the oneness of Allah.

The Quran, the words of Allah mediated to Prophet Muhammad by the angel Jibril (Gabriel), is full of references to the essential belief in one god:


Say 'He is Allah the One' 112:1

Surely Allah alone is the creator of all things and he is the One, the Most Supreme 13:17

Say 'I am only a Warner, and there is no god but Allah, the One, the Most Supreme. 23:66

Holy is He! He is Allah the One, the Most Supreme 39:5

As well as proving the oneness of god through the Quran, logic too can help prove this as I shall explain. If you ask a believer in god, whether he believes in one god or ten, you will probably find that somewhere in his definition of the term 'God' he rulesout the possibility of god being weak, inferior or compromising. From this, we may say that something that is weak, inferior or compromising cannot be a God. Yet the very fact that there is more than one god suggests two contradictory possibilities; That the Gods are of equal power and therefore are compromising, or that their power is uneven resulting in some Gods being inferior to others. From this ontological argument one can conclude that there can only be one true god.

1. Muslims love Prophet Jesus. We also love Prophet Abraham, Prophet Moses, and Prophet Noah, to name just a few other Prophets Muslims revere. May God's peace be upon all of these great messengers of God.

2. Muslims also love the mother of Prophet Jesus, the Virgin Mary. We believe she was a pious and noble woman chosen over all of the women of the world.

3. Muslims believe that Prophet Jesus was born miraculously of a virgin mother and no father. His birth is miraculous like the birth of Prophet Adam, the first human being, who was created with neither mother nor father.

4. Muslims do not believe that Prophet Jesus was the son of God. God is so powerful and self-sufficient that He does not need a son or any kind of partner.

5. In Arabic Bible the name for God is Allah. Therefore all Arab Christian call God Allah as Muslim do as well.

6. Prophet Jesus did not die on the cross. Rather, God saved him as his enemies were confused about him. Prophet Jesus was taken up by God to Heaven.

7. Prophet Jesus is called Isa (pronounced Eesa) in Arabic and the spirit of God (Roohullah) is his title.

8. Prophet Jesus performed miracles by the Will of God, like healing the blind and those with leprosy.

9. Prophet Jesus prayed to the same God as all Prophets and we Muslims pray to.

10. Prophet Jesus will return before the end of the world during the time of Imam al-Mahdi, the embodiment of the Messiah or the saviour.

Bismillah,

I watched this today and thought i would share it with you, by Abdur Raheem Green.

Insha'allah you watch this and enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckfp4IKAN2M&feature=youtu.be&a

Is there Life after Death?

All the prophets of God called their people to worship God and to believe in life after death. They laid so much emphasis on the belief in life after death that even a slight doubt in it meant denying God and made all other beliefs meaningless. The very fact that all the prophets of God have dealt with this metaphysical question of life after death so confidently and so uniformly - the gap between their ages in some cases, being thousands of years - goes to prove that the source of their knowledge of life after death as proclaimed by them all, was the same, i.e. divine revelation. We also know that these prophets of God were greatly opposed by their people, mainly on the issue of life after death, as their people thought it impossible. But in spite of opposition, the Prophets won many sincere followers.

The question arises: what made those followers forsake the established beliefs, traditions and customs of their forefathers, notwithstanding the risk of being totally alienated from their own community? The simple answer is: they made use of their faculties of mind and heart and realized the truth.

Did they realize the truth through perceptual consciousness? They couldn’t, as perceptual experience of life after death is impossible. God has given Man besides perceptual consciousness, rational, aesthetic and moral consciousness too. It is this consciousness that guides man regarding realities that cannot be verified through sensory data. That is why all the prophets of God while calling people to believe in God and life after death, appeal to the aesthetic, moral and rational consciousness of man.

The Quran very clearly says that the disbelievers have no sound basis for their denial of life after death. It is based on pure conjecture:

«"And they say, “There is not but our worldly life; we die and live (i.e. some people die and others live, replacing them) and nothing destroys us except time.” And they have of that no knowledge; they are only assuming. And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, their argument is only that they say, “Bring [back] our forefathers, if you should be truthful.” Say, “Allah causes you to live, then causes you to die; then He will assemble you for the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt.” But most of the people do not know."» [45:24]

The explanation that the Quran gives about the necessity of life after death is what the moral consciousness of man demands. Actually, if there is no life after death, the very belief in God becomes meaningless or even if one believes in God, it would be an unjust and indifferent God, having once created man and now not being concerned with his fate. Surely, God is just. He will punish the tyrants, whose crimes are beyond count - having tortured and killed hundreds or thousands of innocent people, created great corruption in society, enslaved numerous persons to serve their whims, etc. Because man has a very short life span in this world and because numerous individuals are affected by one’s actions, adequate punishments and rewards are not possible in this life. Could the good and the righteous be equated with the wicked and evil? Moral, aesthetic and rational faculties of man reject this logic and endorse the possibility of the life after death. Allah confirms this truth in the Quran:

«"Then did you think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned?"» [23:115]

Also:

«"And We did not create the heaven and the earth and that between them aimlessly. That is the assumption of those who disbelieve, so woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire. Or should We treat those who believe and do righteous deeds like corrupters in the land? Or should We treat those who fear Allah like the wicked?"» [38:27]

Also:

«"Or do those who commit evils think We will make them like those who have believed and done righteous deeds - [the evildoers being] equal in their life and their death? Evil is that which they judge [i.e. assume]. And Allah created the heavens and earth in truth and so that every soul may be recompensed for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged."» [45:21]

Also:

«"And We did not create the heavens and the earth and that between them in play. We did not create them except in truth, but most of them do not know. Indeed, the Day of Judgment is the appointed time for them all."» [44:38]

The Quran emphatically states that the Day of Judgment must come and that Allah will decide the fate of each soul according to his or her record of deeds:

«"But those who disbelieve say, “The Hour (i.e. the Day of Judgment) will not come to us.” Say, “Yes, by my Lord, it will surely come to you. [Allah is] the Knower of the unseen.” Not absent from Him is an atom’s weight within the heavens or within the earth or [what is] smaller than that or greater, except that it is in a clear register - That He may reward those who believe and do righteous deeds. Those will have forgiveness and noble provision. But those who strive against Our verses [seeking] to cause failure (i.e. to undermine their credibility) - for them will be a painful punishment of foul nature."» [34:3]

The Day of Resurrection will be the Day when God’s attributes of Justice and Mercy will be in full manifestation. God will shower His mercy on those who suffered for His sake in the worldly life, believing that an eternal bliss was awaiting them. But those who abused the bounties of God, caring nothing for the life to come, will be in the most miserable state. Drawing a comparison between them, the Quran says:

«"Then is he whom We have promised a good promise which he will meet [i.e. obtain] like he for whom We provided enjoyment of worldly life [but] then he is, on the Day of Resurrection, among those presented [for punishment in Hell]?"» [28:61]

The belief in life after death not only guarantees success in the Hereafter but also makes this world full of peace and happiness by making individuals most responsible and dutiful in their activities:

«"Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned."» [21:35]

Why are we created?

Those who believe in the Creator can answer the questions: where from? And where to? They know that they have come into existence by being created by the Creator and they also know that there is an eternal life after death. But what about the answer to the third question, that is: why have we been created? If we had been created by the Creator, shouldn’t we expect that He would tell us the purpose of our creation? Shouldn’t He tell us on what basis He is going to judge us on the Day of Judgment?

What is the Islamic view?

Muslims say they know the answers because they have the Quran. But people of other religions also have their own scriptures, so what is so special about the Quran? The Quran is basically a book of divine guidance in areas that cannot be covered by the human senses or intellect, such as faith, acts of worship, a moral code and a code that governs the transactions between people. These are the four basic foundations of religion, an area in which man always needs divine guidance. Muslims contend that the Quran is the last revealed scripture by Allah (Allah is the proper name of God and is not used to denote any other being. Therefore, I shall use the name Allah in preference to the word God). The Quran is the recorded words of Allah Himself dictated verbatim to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) in installments, verse by verse or a group of verses, through the angel Gabriel over a period of 23 years between 610 and 633 AD. It is divided into 114 units, each called a surah. Muhammad (P.B.U.H) received revelation of the Quranic surahs as and when Allah chose to bestow on him new revelation. At times several surahs, particularly the longer ones, were being revealed to him concurrently. Muhammad (P.B.U.H) used to have a group of scribes entrusted with committing immediately whatever was revealed to him to writing. Those scribes used parchment, pottery, date palm leaves, flat stones, tree bark, wood, dried animal skins and even the shoulder blades of sheep or camels to write on; and the revealed verses were memorized by heart as the mere recitation of the Quran is in itself an act of worship, and as Muslims used these verses in their judgments and in their daily five prayers. In this manner, the verses of the Quran were preserved in the hearts of Muslims, as well as written down, during the lifetime of the Prophet. Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was instructed by angel Gabriel where to place every new passage in the surahs. The surahs were named by divine decree, and Muhammad (P.B.U.H) recited the whole of the Quran in front of Gabriel more than once in the last year of his life. Similarly, the arrangement of the surahs in a specific order was given by the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) who indicated it mostly by reading the surahs, particularly in prayer, in a specific order. No revealed book has ever enjoyed the authenticity of the Quran or had the cherishing, reverence, surveillance and care of its followers as the Quran. The whole Quran has been memorized by a large number of Muslims in the lifetime of Muhammad (P.B.U.H).

After Muhammad’s (P.B.U.H) departure, the first Caliph, Abu Bakr, asked one of the original scribes, Zaid ibn Thabit, to be in charge of collecting the original writings of the Quranic revelations and writing down the whole Quran. Zaid produced a whole copy of the Quran written on pages of leather. It was arranged in the order we have today. This was done in the first two years after the Prophet’s death, since Abu Bakr ruled for less than two years. This copy was then entrusted with the second Caliph, Omar, and finally with the third Caliph, Othman. During the reign of Othman, the Arabs came to know the paper industry from China and Othman called on Zaid to head a committee of four Quranic scholars who would take on the task of making seven copies. Those seven copies (written 14 years after Muhammad’s (P.B.U.H) death) were distributed to the various centers of the Muslim state to be the reference copy in each center. At least three of those original copies of the Quran are still intact, one in Tashkent, one in Istanbul, and one in Cairo. They do not differ in one letter from the millions of copies of the Quran that are in the hands of people today. This authentication of the last revelation is in itself miraculous. The Quran is the oldest book within the hands of humanity that has been kept intact in exactly the same language of revelation word for word and letter for letter. That is why the Quran is unique, because it is the word of the Creator in its purest divinity.

Muslims believe in the authentic original revelations given to Prophets Moses, David and Jesus, but none of these original revelations is found intact, and none is found in the original language of revelation, and here the Quran stands unique in its divine purity. Again the Quran is different from any human writings because it is neither prose nor poetry. It came to the Arabs when they were at their peak in eloquence and challenged them to produce one single chapter of it, or similar to it, or to produce ten similar chapters or even a book like it. This challenge still exists today and no challenger is forthcoming. The early scholars of the Quran thought that its miraculous nature was due mainly to its style and beautiful expression. The beauty of expression is really unique and cannot be paralleled by human writings. That is why the early commentators of the Quran concentrated on its eloquence and style. Yet being the word of the Creator, any area that has been covered in the Quran must be unique. If you look at jurisprudence the Quran is unique, in the area of worship, the Quran instructs people how to worship Allah. The concepts of Divinity, prophet hood, and morality are all unique in the Quran. If we look at the narration of history of previous nations, one after the other, and how they received the divine message, their reaction towards it and what their reward or punishment was, at a time when there was no form of regular documentation whatsoever. The Quran talks about these successive nations without a single mistake, and modern archaeological discoveries are a testimony to this.

Is the Quran credible?

Besides religious guidance, the Quran contains hundreds of verses that speak of the universe, its components and phenomena such as the Earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, mountains, wind, running water, plants, embryological animals, and the successive stages of development of the human being. More than 1,000 verses relating to cosmic facts or cosmic phenomena can be counted in the Quran. During the early days of the Quran, scientific knowledge of the universe was limited and it was not easy to elaborate on the verses relating to the universe or its phenomena except within the limitations of the time. However, we now know about the laws of the universe much more than before and that is why reviewing the 1,000 or more verses relating to the cosmos, man and his surroundings can be one of the most obvious miraculous aspects of the Quran. This is because of the precedence of the Quran, which was revealed more than 14 Centuries ago, with many of the scientific facts, at a time when people had no knowledge whatsoever of such facts. The Quran has addressed so many of these facts in a language that is more precise, accurate and concise than scientists have ever been able to do. Nothing in the Quran contradicts any established scientific facts. These cannot be all covered in a short article and hence I have chosen only five verses that can testify to the miraculous nature of the Quran from a scientific point of view:

1) The creation of the universe is explained by astrophysicists in a widely accepted phenomenon, popularly known as the “Big Bang.” It is supported by observational and experimental data gathered by astronomers and astrophysicists for decades. According to the “Big Bang,” the whole universe was initially one big mass (Primary Nebula). Then there was a “Big Bang” (Secondary Separation), which resulted in the formation of Galaxies. These then divided to form stars, planets, the sun, the moon, etc. The origin of the universe was unique and the probability of it occurring by “chance” is zero. The Quran contains the following verse, regarding the origin of the universe:

«"Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were (once) a joined entity, then We separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe? "» [21:30]

The striking congruence between the Quranic verse and the “Big Bang” is inescapable! How could a book, which first appeared in the deserts of Arabia 1400 years ago, contain this profound scientific truth?

2) In 1925 an American astronomer by the name of Edwin Hubble provided observational evidence that all galaxies are receding from one another, which implies that the universe is expanding. The expansion of the universe is now an established scientific fact. This is what the Quran says regarding the formation of the universe:

«"And the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander."» [51:47]

Stephen Hawking, in his book A Brief History of Time, says: “The discovery that the universe is expanding is one of the great intellectual revolutions of the 20th century.” The Quran mentioned the expansion of the universe before man even learnt to build a telescope!

3) Scientists say that before the galaxies in the universe were formed, celestial matter was initially in the form of gaseous matter. In short, huge gaseous matter or clouds were present before the formation of the galaxies. To describe initial celestial matter, the word “smoke” is more appropriate than gas. The following Quranic verse refers to this state of the universe by the word dukhan which means smoke:

«"Then He turned to the heaven when it was smoke... "» [41:11]

Again, this fact is a corollary to the “Big Bang” and was not known to mankind during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H). What then, could have been the source of this knowledge?

4) It was thought that the sense of feeling and pain was only dependent on the brain. Recent discoveries prove that there are pain receptors present in the skin without which a person would not be able to feel pain. When a doctor examines a patient suffering from burn injuries, he verifies the degree of burns by a pinprick. If the patient feels pain, the doctor is happy, because it indicates that the burns are superficial and the pain receptors are intact. On the other hand if the patient does not feel any pain, it indicates that it is a deep burn and the pain receptors have been destroyed. The Quran gives an indication of the existence of pain receptors in the following verse:

«"Indeed, those who disbelieve in Our verses (i.e. signs, proofs) - We will drive them into a Fire. Every time their skins are roasted through We will replace them with other skins so they may taste the punishment. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted in Might and Wise. But those who believe and do righteous deeds - We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide forever."» [4:56-57]

Prof. Tagatat Tejasen, Chairman of the Dept. of Anatomy at Chiang Mai University in Thailand, had spent a great amount of time on research of pain receptors. Initially he could not believe that the Quran mentioned this scientific fact 1400 years ago. He later verified the translation of this particular Quranic verse. Prof. Tejasen was so impressed by the scientific accuracy of the Quranic verse, that at a medical Conference in 1985 he proclaimed in public the Shahadah (Islamic Declaration of Faith), i.e. he embraced Islam.

5) The source of iron (Fe); we read in the Quran:

«"Indeed, We have sent down iron in which there is great (military) might and benefits for the people."» [57:25]

It has recently been proven that all iron, not only in our planet but also in the entire solar system, was obtained from outer space. This is because the temperature of the sun cannot generate iron. The sun has a surface temperature of 6000 degrees Celsius and a central temperature of about 20 million degrees Celsius. There exists much hotter stars, which are known as novae, or super novae where temperatures can reach 100s of billions of degrees Celsius and it is in these stars that iron is formed. When the percentage of iron reaches a certain proportion of the mass of the star it explodes and these exploded-particles travel in space until they are captured by the gravitational fields of other heavenly bodies. This is how our solar system all obtained its iron and it is an established fact today that all the iron in our solar system was not generated or created within the system but has come to it from outer space.

One wonders why the Quran comments on matters like these, things that were not known to anyone at the time of revelation or even for centuries afterwards, unless Allah knows in His eternal knowledge that the time will come when man will then immediately realize that the Quran is the word of Allah and that Muhammad is His last messenger. Allah says in the Quran:

«"We shall show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth."» [41:53]

Prof. Tejasen accepted Islam on the strength of just one scientific “sign” mentioned in the Quran. Some people may require ten signs while some may require hundred signs to be convinced about the Divine origin of the Quran. Some would be unwilling to accept the Truth even after being shown a thousand signs. The Quran condemns such a closed mentality:

«"Deaf, dumb and blind- so they will not return [to the right path]."» [2:18].

Also:

«"The example of those who disbelieve is like that of the one who shouts at what hears nothing but calls and cries [i.e. cattle or sheep] - deaf, dumb and blind, so they do not understand."» [2:171].

And:

«"Then do they not reflect upon the Quran, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?"» [47:24]

What is the Purpose of Life?

So what does the Creator, Allah, tell us about our purpose in life? Allah states in the Quran that He created man to be His Khalefah, His trustee on earth (Quran 2:30). Mankind’s basic trust, our responsibility, is to believe in and worship Allah:

«"And I did not create the Jinn and mankind except to worship Me…"» [51:56-58]

Very simple! The purpose for man’s creation is to worship the Creator. The essence of Allah’s message through all of the prophets also was:

«“O mankind, worship Allah, you have no deity other than Him."» [7:59].

Allah further states that He made this life in order to test man so that every person may be recompensed after death for what he has earned:

«“[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed - and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving."» [67:2]

But in order to worship Him, we have to know Him well otherwise we may form a distorted concept of Him and then go astray. In the Quran Allah tells mankind what He is and what He is not. For example, in response to a question about Allah that was posed to the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H), Allah instructs Muhammad (P.B.U.H) to give the following reply:

«“Say : He is Allah [Who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent."» [112]

It is clear from this that Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is not the author of the Quran otherwise he would not have shown that someone is dictating to him what to say.

Also, Allah has to tell us how He wants to be worshipped, which He does in the Quran. He also tells us in the Quran that all Prophets came with the same identical message to their people - that is to believe in Allah and to worship Him. He also tells us in the Quran that all the people of other religions have deviated from the original teachings of their prophets. This is due to two reasons. The first is that earlier scriptures were not preserved simply because of the absence or scarcity of writing paper and so the teachings were transmitted orally and with time became distorted. The second reason is because the clergy of various religions introduced doctrines that were never there (e.g., the Christian trinity creed was introduced only after the council of Nicea in 325 AD and the Council of Constantinople in 386 AD). Because of the changes that crept into earlier religions, Allah tells us that He sent the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) as the last and final prophet and guidance to mankind with a scripture that He promised would be preserved forever. Allah provides a test to prove that the Quran is from Him. Allah says:

«“Then do they not reflect upon the Quran? (i.e. its meanings and its objective) If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction "» [4:82]

The Quran is available for scrutiny and investigation by any person to try to find even one error or contradiction in it. In fact this test must be applied to any other scripture that claims it is the word of God.

Is there any “blind faith” in Islam?

Islam is not a religion of “blind faith” but is a religion that strongly calls on man to use his logic, reasoning and intellect. Allah in the Quran stresses the importance for people to think, to reason and to use their mind and intellect. The word “mind” or “reasoning” is mentioned 49 times in the Quran (in Arabic Ta’qiloon 24 times, Ya’qiloon 22 times, and A’qal, Na’qil and Ya’qil one time each). Also Allah refers to “people of understanding” 16 times in the Quran (in Arabic Ulu Al-AlBab or Uli Al-Albab). Allah also refers to “those of intelligence” two times in Chapter 20 by the Arabic term Uli Al-Nuha. Allah also refers in many chapters in the Quran to the mind by the Arabic word Al-Fuad. Also in many verses in the Quran, Allah uses the term heart (in Arabic Al-Qalb) in place of the word Al-Fuad (mind) to mean the same thing. In one place in Chapter 89 verses 53 & 54, Allah refers to the mind by the Arabic word Al-Hijr. The Quran also, in tens of verses, strongly calls and emphasizes the need to “contemplate” and to “give thought” (in Arabic Fikr or Tafakkor). Also in tens of verses, the Quran draws attention to the importance for man to “remember” and to “recall” (in Arabic Tazakkor). The significance of the two being: to “give thought” is to increase or acquire new knowledge, whereas to “remember” is to recall and remind oneself of relevant knowledge and events that may have been forgotten, but which are important for one’s faith.

Allah praises people who use their mind:

«"Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding - Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”» [3:190]

About the Quran, Allah Says:

«"[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they (i.e. people) might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded."» [38:29]

In the Quran, the words that can be formed from the term “know” or “knowledge” (root 'elm in Arabic) is to be found 865 times. In one verse Allah says:

«"Are those who know equal to those who do not know? Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding."» [39:9]

Also:

«"And so those who were given knowledge may know that It (i.e. the Quran) is the truth from your Lord and [therefore] believe in it, and their hearts humbly submit to it. And indeed is Allah the Guide of those who have believed to a straight path."» [2:54]

On the other hand, the Quran strongly rejects certain mentalities that are driven by myths, illusions, absurdities, ignorance, blind imitation of others, assumption (conjecture), prejudice, whims and desires. In fact, Allah in the Quran confirms that most people on earth have gone astray because they follow assumption, conjecture and ignorance. Allah says:

«"And if you obey most of those upon the earth, they will mislead you from the way of Allah. They follow not except assumption, and they are not but falsifying (out of ignorance, conjecture and assumption)." » [6:116]

What Is The Purpose Of Life ?

They say that a fool lives to eat and a wise man eats to live. But then the question remains: for what purpose does the wise man live? Living is not an end by itself. There has to be a purpose for man to live for. So what is this purpose?

Where from? Where to? And Why?

Any ignorance, however great, could be forgiven except for man to be ignorant about the secret of his existence, his aim in life and what will be his outcome after death. Some thinkers express these questions in simple words: where from? Where to? And why? Meaning: where did I come from? Where am I going? And why am I here?

Those who only believe in the material world and who do not believe in a Creator- the atheists- only believe in sensory data. They say that this universe and everything in it came by itself. All its order is simply due to blind coincidence. They say that man is simply like an animal or a plant and that he will exist for a short period and then end like any other animal or plant.

An Arab Poet, Elya Abu Madhi (a born-Christian), not long ago expressed his uncertainty about the purpose of life in his Arabic poem Al-Talasim, meaning “puzzles,” which I have translated into English. He says in his poem:

I came not knowing from where, but I came.
And I saw a pathway in front of me, so I walked.
And I will remain walking, whether I want this or not.
How did I come? How did I see my pathway?
I do not know!
Am I new or am I old in this existence?
Am I free and unrestrained, or do I walk in chains?
Do I lead myself in my life, or am I being led?
I wish I know, but…
I do not know!
And my path, oh what is my path? Is it long or is it short?
Am I ascending in it, or am I going down and sinking?
Am I the one who is walking on the road,
or is it the road that is moving?
Or are we both standing, but it is the time that is running?
I do not know!
Before I became a full human, do you see
if I were nothing, impossible? Or do you see that I was something?
Is there an answer to this puzzle, or will it remain eternal?
I do not know ... and why do I not know??
I do not know!

This feeling of doubt and confusion about the presence of a Creator and whether He sent messengers and prophets to guide mankind must be quite painful because it deprives the Atheist and the Agnostic of tranquility, security and peace of mind. The unbelievers do not have credible answers to the purpose of one’s existence. And thus they say that man lives for himself and for the pleasures of this life. So what happens when life turns sour? What happens when one goes through hardships? It is no coincidence then that the largest number of suicides takes place amongst Atheists, Agnostics and people who do not know their purpose in life. Do you know which country has the largest number of suicides? It’s Japan. In the year ending March 2000, there were 33,000 suicides in Japan. That is 91 suicides per day or 1 suicide every 15 minutes! This despite Japan being the second largest economy in the world wherein people do not have to worry about providing a roof over their heads or about food or medical care.

What if you find a Watch in the Sand?

To the Atheist and the Agnostic the Muslim says: “Suppose you find a watch in the middle of a desert. What would you conclude? Would you think that someone dropped this watch? Or would you suppose that the watch came by itself? Of course no sane person would say that the watch just happened to emerge from the sand. All the intricate working parts could not simply develop from the metals that lay buried in the earth. The watch must have a manufacturer. If a watch tells accurate time we expect the manufacturer must be intelligent. Blind chance cannot produce a working watch.

But what else tells accurate time? Consider the sunrise and sunset. Their timings are so strictly regulated that scientists can publish in advance the sunrise and sunset times in your daily newspapers. But who regulates the timings of sunrise and sunset? If a watch cannot work without an intelligent maker, how can the sun appear to rise and set with such clockwork regularity? Could this occur by itself?

Consider also that we benefit from the sun only because it remains at a safe distance from the earth, a distance that averages 93 million miles. If it got much closer, the earth would burn up. And if it got too far away, the earth would turn into an icy planet making human life here impossible. Who decided in advance that this was the right distance? Could it just happen by chance? Without the sun, plants would not grow. Then animals and humans would starve. Did the sun just decide to be there for us?

The rays of the sun would be dangerous for us had it not been for the protective ozone layer in our atmosphere. The atmosphere around the earth keeps the harmful ultraviolet rays from reaching us. Who was it that placed this shield around us?

We need to experience sunrise. We need the sun’s energy and its light to see our way during the day. But we also need sunset. We need a break from the heat, we need the cool of night and we need the lights to go out so we may sleep. Who regulated this process to provide what we need?
Moreover, if we had only the warmth of the sun and the protection of the atmosphere we would want something more - beauty. Our clothes provide warmth and protection, yet we design them to also look beautiful. Knowing our need for beauty, the designer of sunrise and sunset also made the view of them to be simply breathtaking.

The creator who gave us light, energy, protection and beauty deserves our thanks. Yet some people insist that he does not exist. What would they think if they found a watch in the desert? An accurate, working watch? A beautifully designed watch? Would they not conclude that there does exist a watchmaker? An intelligent watchmaker? One who appreciates beauty? Such is God who made us.”

Did people always believe in a Creator?

It is a fact that throughout history and throughout the world, man had been found to worship and to believe in a Creator. Specialists in Anthropology, Civilizations and History are unanimous on this. This led one of the great historians to say: “History shows that there had been cities without palaces, without factories and without fortresses, but there has never been cities without houses of worship.” Since time immemorial, man believed that he was not created simply for this life, for this short period, and he knew that he would ultimately depart to another resting-place. We see this evidence with the early Egyptians, thousands of years ago, when they mummified their dead and built great pyramids (as graves) and even placed the treasures of the dead in their graves in addition to drinks and mummified food! From the earliest recorded history, mankind had been unanimous, with very few exceptions, that there is a Creator and that there is life after death. However, they differed about the essence of this Creator, how to worship Him and the description of the life after death. For example, Hindus believe in reincarnation and that after death one’s soul would then go into a human body or an animal, depending on whether one did good or bad in his life, and that this process would continue without end until the soul reaches perfection and unites into one with its Creator. People of other religions like Jews, Christians and Muslims also believe in life after death, but not in reincarnation like the Hindus. All three - Jews, Christians and Muslims -however have different views about what happens to the soul after one’s death.

The fact that all nations and communities throughout history believed in a Creator (with the exception of insignificant few) made the mission of all prophets in all ages concentrate on guiding their people away from the worship of creations to the worship of the one and only Creator God, i.e. rather than having to prove His existence.

Why did People turn away from God?

The situation now in the world is different because there are now a very large number of people who do not believe in a Creator or in life after death - for example two surveys in the Czech Republic in 2000 found in one only 13% believe in life after death and in the other only 17% believe in God. A major reason for this in the last century was the so-called theory of evolution by Darwin (other reasons include the impact of totalitarian communism rule on people’s faith.) The theory of evolution says that man evolved from the ape, rather than being created by a Creator. Although this theory has no academic or scientific substance, it gained favor with so many people because it appealed to the doubts they had about the God that they were told to believe in. This is not surprising. If you give an educated person a description of a Creator that is illogical and unreasonable and then ask that person to believe in Him as his God, he would refuse. This unfortunately is the situation right now, especially in the west. The Christian Doctrines advocate the trinity, that God manifests Himself in three distinct and equal persons, and that God came down to earth in the form of a man (that is Jesus) and that He was crucified and died as a vicarious sacrifice for the so-called sin of man. So the Christians believe that Jesus was God in human form, God-incarnate. But how can the Creator die?

Some of the most important doctrines of Christianity - the doctrines of the Trinity, the Divinity of Jesus, the Divine-Sonship of Jesus, the Original Sin and the Atonement are neither rational nor in conformity with the teachings of Jesus. These dogmas took shape long after Jesus, as a result of old pagan influence. For example we find in Hinduism, the “Triad” (the trinity): there is Brahma, the creator god, Vishnu, the preserver god, and Shiva, the god of destruction. Modern Hindus take Krishna the son of Divachi, the virgin, as Vishnu incarnate. Krishna is the savior who as a sacrifice for their sin, had to suffer. He was crucified, died and then was raised from death. In Buddhism we find the Buddhist gods: Guatama (the holy spirit), Maya (the virgin mother) and Buddha, the son (who was conceived when Maya was filled by the holy spirit) and who is the savior who died and was raised from death. It may be interesting to mention that the 25th of December is not the birthday of Jesus. It is the birthday of Krishna in Hinduism, and of Nimrod, the divine son (a Babylonian god), and of Mithra, the god of light (one of the gods of the Greeks and the Romans)!

The religion revealed to the prophets of various nations was the same, but in the course of time it had been misinterpreted and become mixed up with superstitions and degenerated into magical practices and meaningless rituals. The concept of God, the very core of religion, had become debased by (a) the anthropomorphic tendency of making God into a being with a human shape, needs and human deficiencies, (b) the association of other persons with the one and only God in His Godhead (as in Hinduism and Christianity), (c) by the deification of the angels (e.g., the Devas in Hinduism, the Yazatas in Zoroastrianism and, perhaps also, the Holy Spirit in Christianity), (d) by making the Prophets into Avatars or incarnations of God (e.g., Jesus Christ in Christianity, the Buddha in Mahayana Buddhism, and Krishna and Rama in Hinduism), and (e) by the personification of the attributes of God into separate Divine Persons (e.g., the Christian Trinity of the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost, the Hindu Timurtri of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and the Amesha Spentas of Zoroastrianism).

Due to major religions distorting the oneness and essence of God, pupils in the West are now being taught in schools to accept, as fact, Darwin’s theory of evo1ution. As a result, more and more students of school and university age are now Atheists. They even ridicule those who believe in God saying: “they are either stupid or lack confidence and so need something to give them security!”

I was recently attending a lecture in a Western country given by a Muslim to a group of retired men and women - more than 65 years of age. The lecturer in the beginning asked the group: which of you believe in God? They all raised their hands except two men. Then the lecturer asked: which of you do not believe in God? The remaining two elderly men then raised their hands. However, one of them paused and immediately interrupted the lecturer. He said: “Tell me what do you mean by God so that I can answer you!” After the session, I said to the lecturer: this man is intelligent because at first he said he did not believe in God, most probably because of the Christian concept of God, but then he was willing to have an open mind and rethink his position based on the concept of God that could be presented by the Muslim.

Allah (God)

Islam is the complete submission and obedience to Allah (God). The name Allah (God) in Islam never refers to Muhammad (peace be upon him), as many Christians may think; Allah is the personal name of God.

What do Muslims believe about Allah?

1. He is the one God, Who has no partner.

2. Nothing is like Him. He is the Creator, not created, nor a part of His creation.

3. He is All-Powerful, absolutely Just.

4. There is no other entity in the entire universe worthy of worship besides Him.

5. He is First, Last, and Everlasting; He was when nothing was, and will be when nothing else remains.

6. He is the All-Knowing, and All-Merciful,the Supreme, the Sovereign.

7. It is only He Who is capable of granting life to anything.

8. He sent His Messengers (peace be upon them) to guide all of mankind.

9. He sent Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the last Prophet and Messenger for all mankind.

10. His book is the Holy Qur'an, the only authentic revealed book in the world that has been kept without change.

11. Allah knows what is in our hearts.

These are some of the basic guidelines Muslims follow in their knowledge of God:

1. Eliminate any anthropomorphism (human qualities) from their conception of Allah. His attributes are not like human attributes, despite similar labels or appellations.

2. Have unwavering faith in exactly what Allah and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) described Allah to be, no more, no less.

3. Eradicate any hope or desire of learning or knowing the modality of His names and attributes.

4. Believe totally in all the names and attributes of Allah; one cannot believe in some and disbelieve the others.

5. One cannot accept the names of Allah without their associated attributes, i.e. one cannot say He is Al-Hayy - 'The Living' and then say that He is without life.

6. Similarity in names (or meanings) does not imply similarity in what is being described (referents). As a robotics arm differs from a human arm, so the "hand" of Allah is nothing like a human hand, His speech is nothing like human speech, etc.

7. Certain words are ambiguous or vague in their meanings, and thus may be susceptible to misinterpretation. Only those meanings that are in accordance with what is specified by Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him) are acceptable.

The Qur'an contains revelation from Allah and the true nature of revelation is to guide mankind from darkness to light:
'A book which we have revealed unto thee in order that thou mightest lead mankind out of the depths of darkness into light - by the leave of they Lord - to the way of (Him) the exalted in power, worthy of all praise' The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 14, Verse 1





The revelation came in the language of the messenger and his people in order that it might be understood:
'We have made it a Qur'an in Arabic that ye may be able to understand ( and learn wisdom).' The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 43, Verse 3

In the process of understanding a message two steps are essential:
- To receive the message correctly and completely, in this case to receive its words correctly and completely.
- To 'decode' it, to grasp the meanings of the message received.
Only the combination of the two elements, i.e. reception and decoding, lead to proper understanding of the message.
It is not correct to assume that understanding the Qur'an in order to take guidance from it depends upon direct knowledge of the Arabic language, since there are numerous Arabic-speaking people who do not understand the message of the Qur'an. Rather the Qur'an tells us that right guidance comes only from Allah: 'This is the guidance of God: He giveth that guidance to whom He pleaseth of His worshippers...', The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 6, Verse 88

However, to understand the language of the Qur'an is a prerequisite to fully grasp its meanings. Hence many Muslims have learned this language. Others, who have not done so, make use of translations, which for them is an indirect means of knowing the language, as in the translations of the meanings of the Qur'an have been rendered into their mother tongues so that they may familiarise themselves with the message from Allah.

This message can be understood by all human beings who are willing to listen, for the Qur'an is not difficult but easy:
'We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to remember: but is there any that remembers it?', The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 54, Verse 17

Considering the compilation and preservation of the Qur'an will address some important questions that might sensibly arise. Even accepting that Muhammad (on whom peace be) was a true Prophet who received revelation from Allah, how do we know that we have this very revelation in our hands today? How can we trust that it was correctly recorded so many centuries ago and that it hasn't gone through additions, deletions and corruptions since then?




These questions are doubly important because of the claims Muslims make concerning the Bible. If we are to say that the Bible contains true revelation but also the work of men, what’s to stop others making equally strong claims about the Qur’an? On one level, we can point out the coherency of the book as we have it today and how its very nature shows that it must be free of alterations.

However, such an approach is not sufficient. We need to examine the way in which the Qur’an came to be written down and collected in one volume and how it has been preserved through the ages. Before we do so, however, it would be sensible to ask whether we have any real reason to suppose in the first place that the Qur’an has been preserved. Could we be doing what people of other religions do and proving something that isn’t internally supported and therefore unnecessary?

In fact we find once again that the Qur’an actually makes a claim of preservation. There are numerous verses that make this claim, the most definitive being:

"We have without doubt, send down the message; and We will assuredly guard it(from corruption)." The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 15, Verse 9

In this verse, Allah promises that He Himself has taken on the responsibility of preserving the Qur’an. Unlike the Rabbis and Priests to whom the responsibility of preserving the previous scriptures was given, Allah is of course free of faults and perfectly able to guard His Word.

"No falsehood can approach it from before or behind it: is sent down by full by One Full of Wisdom, worthy of all praise" The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 41, Verse 42

Of course once we have established this internal evidence, we must consider the external evidence also. Let’s begin this discussion then, by remembering how the Qur’an came to be revealed. The Prophet received the first revelation at the age of 40:


" Read! In the name of your Lord and Cherisher, Who created. Created man out of a clot. Read! And your Lord is most bountiful; He Who taught (the use of )the pen; taught man that which he knew not". The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 96, Verse 1-5

After this first revelation, further parts came one at a time in varying lengths. The whole Qur’an was revealed piecemeal over a period of 23 years, the final revelation, which now appears in Surah 5 verse 3, being revealed shortly prior to the Prophet’s death (peace be upon him).

As we have mentioned, Muhammad was illiterate and therefore could not have written down these revelations himself. Instead, he had appointed scribes to carry out this task. They wrote on whatever materials were available, including pieces of cloth, leather, palm-fibre and even bones and stones. Some companions of the Prophet other than the official scribes also wrote parts of the Qur’an for their own use.

However, we find that the primary method of preserving the Qur’an was not the writing, which did take place, but in fact memorisation. Jamal Badawi explains some of the factors facilitating this memorisation:

The Arabs were known to have excellent memory. Not that writing was not known, but they depended largely on memory. So their lineage was based on memorisation; they used to memorise long poems, sometimes up to a hundred verses: they were very good at that. So Allah (SWT), as He says in the Qur’an, “Allahu a’lamu haythu yaj’alu risalatah”, Allah knows best where to put His message. Why reveal to the Arabs, not others, why in that particular point of time? There are certain qualities in the Qur’an that Allah saw it fit that it would be revealed to those people who can keep it in memory. Nobody in the world had as sharp memory as the Arabs of the time. There are lots of reports on that, even from pre-Islamic days.

Second, the Prophet (pbuh) encouraged people also to memorise it, so it’s not a passive listening to the Prophet. He encouraged people and you know some of the famous ahadeeth, “Khayrukum man ta’allamal-Qur’ana wa ‘allamah”, the best of you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it to others. And people who memorise the Qur’an were regarded very highly in society, in the community. They are the ones who were asked to lead the prayers, so there were lots of incentives and encouragement. And above all, of course, the Prophet (pbuh) said that learning and memorising the Qur’an is immensely rewarded by Allah (SWT).

Number three: the style of the Qur’an itself made it easier to memorise. As the Qur’an says, “Wa laqad yassarnal-Qur’ana lidh-dhikr”, Allah made the Qur’an easy to remember. I’m not saying, easy to think that it’s so simple you can just take the Qur’an overnight and memorise it! Actually it’s hard to keep, they have to keep…But the style of the Qur’an, its beauty and connection and rhyme make it much easier to memorise than memorising a book of law, or sociology or psychology. It’s much easier and flowing, both in meaning and style. Number four: the Qur’an was not only recited once. And that’s a good response to those people who say, “How could we trust the memory of people, no matter how many, to preserve such a huge scripture?” No, they didn’t hear it once! The Qur’an was used on a constant basis: in the prayers; in various acts of worship; whenever people have problems, and they have a ruling, the Qur’an was the reference to that ruling.


[Source: lecture recorded by author]

As well as this, the facts that the Qur'an came gradually over 23 years and its interactive nature made it easier to commit to memory.

During the month of Ramadan each year, the Prophet (on whom be peace) used to recite all of the Qur’an that had been revealed to date in the presence of the Angel Gabriel, or Jibreel, the medium of revelation. This was the ultimate means of checking his own accuracy, which in turn allowed the accuracy of other memorisers to be verified. They could check it from the 3 daily recitations in the congregational prayer, and of course the Imam, while leading the prayer, would be corrected by the congregation if he made the minutest error in the recitation, as is the practice even until today.

In his final year on earth, the Prophet Muhammad (on whom be peace) recited the Qur’an twice before Jibreel to ensure that there were no errors. The chief scribe, Zayd ibn Thabit, was also present. By the time of the Prophet’s death, the whole Qur’an had been committed to writing as well as being solidly established in the memories of several thousands of Muslims, some of whom memorised portions while many knew it in whole. As well as the copies of the official scribes, there were many partial copies of various Surahs in the possession of various Companions of the Prophet, who verified their correctness by reading them to the Prophet.

In summary then, we can see that at this stage the Qur’an had been carefully recorded and verified in a number of ways. We should note, however, that the Qur’an at that point was not in a single volume in the order in which we find it today. The Surahs were still fragmented on the scraps on which they had been written down. Today the Surahs in the Qur’an are not in the order in which they were revealed, but in fact in the order they were later compiled in line with the instructions of the Prophet (on whom be peace).

During the Caliphate of Abu Bakr, two years after the death of the Prophet (on whom be peace), many of the believers were martyred in the Battle of Yamaamah. Most significantly, 70 people who had memorised the whole Qur’an were martyred, which gives an indication of the great number of these memorisers who existed. After this great loss, some of the senior Companions became concerned that if more such events occurred, the Qur’an could become partly lost or corrupted.

Therefore, at the suggestion of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, Abu Bakr set up a committee to compile the Qur’an into one volume. This was headed by the chief scribe Zayd ibn Thabit, who was selected because of his qualities of having a particularly excellent memory and superior knowledge of the Qur’an, and others such as the fact that he was present during the final verification before the Angel Gabriel.

The method of collection was very rigorous. All the materials on which the Qur’anic text had been written by the official scribes were collected and verified by the memories of Zayd ibn Thabit and Umar ibn al-Khattab. There had to be at least two righteous, humble and reliable persons who could certify that the text under scrutiny had been recorded in the actual presence of the Prophet (on whom be peace). These verses were then to be compared with the written records of the Companions.

All this was done in public so there was no chance that any tampering was done behind doors. The Arabs were not a complacent people who would have sat silent while people changed the revelation from Allah. The Qur’an was compiled into manuscripts, each being one Surah, or chapter. These were kept in the possession of the Khalifah, Abu Bakr. Upon his death, they passed to his successor, ‘Umar, who subsequently passed them onto Hafsah, his daughter and a wife of the Prophet (on whom be peace).

During the Caliphate of ‘Uthman, who succeeded ‘Umar, the boundaries of the Islamic state were expanding rapidly into lands where the people did not speak Arabic. The people were converting to Islam in large numbers and learning the Qur’an from the Companions of the Prophet. However, the Companions were teaching in different modes of recitation which although all correct, caused confusion among those with less mastery and understanding of the language. They started branding each other as unbelievers due to a misunderstanding of the allowed differences in recitation. In order to stem the possible conflicts arising from these misunderstandings, ‘Uthman decided to make a standard copy of the Qur’an in a single volume. He obtained the surah manuscripts from Hafsah and appointed a committee of four senior Companions to collate them in order according to the same criterion used for the original task of forming the manuscripts. Dr Badawi states:

Historians agree on at least four copies that were made. One of them was placed with ‘Uthman in Madinah – with the Khalifah [Caliph, leader]; the other two were in Iraq – what is now Iraq – one in Basra and one in Kufa. And of course the most important centre for Islam at the time was Syria, and the fourth one was in Damascus. In fact some historians, of course, add to this that there were also copies sent to Makkah – which would be quite logical – Yemen and Bahrain: but the full agreement is on the first four.

One of the interesting things is that one of the ‘Uthmanic copies, that was placed in Damascus in the Central Mosque, Umayyid Mosque, was seen by two historians. One is Al-Kindi, who died in the year 850 of the Common Era, and later, even several hundred years, in the 14th century of the Common Era, as late as 1372, the year in which Ibn Katheer the famous historian died, he reported to have seen that also in the Central Mosque in Damascus. The Madinan copy is believed – there is some dispute – to be now available in the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul, Turkey. And there is another copy also that many of you might have seen or heard about in the media, ‘Uthmanic copy also, that is found now in Tashkent, in the province of Uzbekistan under the Soviet disunion at the present time. Since then, the Qur’an has remained identical except for a few helpful features for the ease of reading of those who are not as proficient in the Arabic language as the community of Muhammad (on whom be peace). First, there was the addition of diacritical marks, or dots that make it clear which letter is referred to by a single stroke that could otherwise be interpreted as a B, an N, a T or a TH sound, for example. Then there was the addition of vowel sounds to make it clear to non-Arabs to whom the correct rendering is less obvious. As well as this, the whole Qur’an was divided into 30 equal parts for ease of recitation over the period of a month, and 7 equal parts for a weekly recitation.

In summary then, the Arabic text of the Qur’an was meticulously compiled soon after the death of the Prophet (on whom be peace) using the written records made during his life and the sound memorisation of his companions. It has remained unchanged since then, as can be seen by comparing today’s copies with those standardised by ‘Uthman in 646. We can therefore have confidence in the miracle that is the Qur’an.

Excerpted from Astonising Facts of The Holy Qur'an by Sohaib Saeed

(1) Intimate:

It dares you to disprove it. How? It says that humans can not write a book like this even if they pooled all their resources together and got help also from the spirits. The Qur'an said this fourteen hundreds years ago and yet no one has been able to disprove it. Billions of books have been written - but not another one like the Qur'an.




(2) Incorruptible:

It is the only religious sacred writing which has been in circulation for such a long time and yet remains as pure as it was in the beginning. The Qur'an was kept intact. Nothing was added to it; nothing was changed in it; and nothing was taken away from it ever since it was completely revealed 1400 years ago.

(3) Unsurpassable:

The Qur'an is God's final revelation to humankind. God revealed the Torah to Moses, the Psalms to David, the Gospel to Jesus, and finally the Qur'an to Muhammad. Peace be upon all of them. No other book will come from God to surpass his final revelation.

(4) Indisputable:

The Qur'an withstands the test of time and scrutiny. No one can dispute the truth of this book. It speaks about past history and turns out right. It speaks about the future in prophecies and it turns out right. It mentions details of physical phenomena which were not known to people at the time; yet later scientific discoveries confirm that the Qur'an was right all along. Every other book needs to be revised to accord with modern knowledge. The Qur'an alone is never contradicted by a modern discovery.

(5) Your Roadmap for Life and Afterlife:

The Qur'an is the best guidebook on how to structure your life. No other book presents such a comprehensive system involving all aspects of human life and endeavor. The Qur'an also points out the way to secure everlasting happiness in the afterlife. It is your roadmap showing how to get to paradise.

(6) God's Gift of Guidance:

God has not left you alone. You were made for a reason. God tells you why he made you, what he demands from you, and what he has in store for you. If you operate a machine contrary to it's manufacture specification you will ruin that machine. What about you? Do you have an owner's manual for you? The Qur'an is from your function for success lest you fail to function. It is a healing mercy from God. It satisfies the soul, and cleans the heart. It removes doubts and brings peace.

(7) Your Calling Card to Communicate with God:

Humans are social creatures. We love to communicate with other intelligent life. The Qur'an tells us how to communicate with the source of all intelligence and the source of all life- the One God. The Qur'an tells us who God is, by what name we should address God, and the way in which to communicate with God.

Are these not seven sufficient reasons for reading the Qur'an?

Our Creator Says,


“And upon the earth are Signs visible to all who have faith with certainty, just as there are Signs within your own selves. Will you not then see?”

(The Noble Qur’aan)

“But how do I know that God exists?”


Either you were created by nothing, which is impossible because all things come into existence by something, or you created yourself, or the Creator of all brought you into existence:


“Were they created by nothing, or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay, they have no firm belief.” (The Holy Qur’aan, Chapter 52, Verses 35-36)


“But how can I be sure?”


You can be sure by reflecting upon His Signs within His creation. Just as tracks in the snow point towards a person who had previously traveled there before, Allah’s signs within the creation point to a Most Wise Creator:


“And upon the earth are Signs visible to all who have faith with certainty, just as there are Signs within your own selves. Will you not then see?” (The Holy Qur’aan, Chapter 51, Verses 20-21)


“Why are you so serious about God?!”


“Surely, all that is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah. Certainly Allaah’s Promise is true. But most of them know not.” (The Holy Qur’aan, Chapter 10, Verse 55)


“Why do we need someone to interfere in our lives, allowing this and prohibiting that, when we can decide for ourselves?”


“Say (to them, O Muhammad): ‘Do you not see what Allaah has sent down to you for sustenance? And you have made of it some things lawful and some things unlawful.’ Say (to them, O Muhammad): ‘Has Allaah permitted you (to do so) or do you invent a lie against Allaah?” (The Holy Qur’aan, Chapter 10, Verse 60)


“We should follow the consensus of the people. Let the people decide what is best for mankind…”


“And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allaah’s Path. They follow nothing but conjecture, and they do nothing but lie.” (The Holy Qur’aan, Chapter 6, Verse 116)


“I don’t think God needs to be reached by one particular way. There are many ways leading to Him…”


“And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This He has ordained for you that you may become of those who fear and obey Him.”

(The Holy Qur’aan, Chapter 6, Verse 153)


“Anyone could write a holy book. People get brainwashed by it, reverting back to the Stone Age…”


“And when Our Verses are recited to them, they say: “We have heard this (the Qur’aan); if we wish we can say the like of this. This is nothing but the tales of the ancients.” (The Holy Qur’aan, Chapter 8, Verse 31)


“I have my own way of worshipping God. I don’t need somebody else to tell me how to obey Him…”


“Or have they partners with Allaah, who have instituted for them a religion which Allaah has not given permission for?” (The Holy Qur’aan, Chapter 42, Verse 21)


“I’m not really into religion. All this talk about the hereafter is for people who can’t deal with the realities of this life!”


“Verily, those who hope not for their meeting with Us, but are pleased and satisfied with the life of the present world, and those who are heedless of Our Signs;


Those, their abode will be the Fire, because of what they used to earn.


Verily, those who believe [in the Oneness of Allaah and what this necessitates], and do deeds of righteousness, their Lord will guide them through their Faith; under them will flow rivers in the Gardens of delight (Paradise).” (The Holy Qur’aan, Chapter 10, Verse 9)


“There are things I like about Islam and believe in myself, but there are other things I don’t agree with. Why don’t you adapt your message a bit more to contemporary values?”


“And when Our Clear Verses are recited unto them, those who hope not for their meeting with Us, say: ‘Bring us a Qur’aan other than this, or change it,’ Say (to them, O Muhammad): ‘It is not for me to change it on my own accord; I only follow that which is revealed unto me. Verily, I fear if I were to disobey my Lord, the torment of a Great Day.” (The Holy Qur’aan, Chapter 10, Verse 15)


“I’m into independent reasoning. I don’t need to follow any set religion, because I’m a humanist. I believe mankind has the ability to discover what is right and wrong…”


“And most of them follow nothing but conjecture. Certainly conjecture can be of no avail against the truth. Surely, Allaah is All-Aware of what they do.” (The Holy Qur’aan, Chapter 10, Verse 36)


“Your understanding of God seems very strict. Does your God only punish?”


“Why should Allaah punish you if you have thanked (Him) and have believed in Him. And Allaah is Ever All-Appreciative (of good), All-Knowing. (The Holy Qur’aan, Chapter 4, Verse 147)


“I believe that Muhammad was a Prophet from God, but I follow Jesus and Moses.”


“Verily, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers and wish to make distinction between Allah and His Messengers saying, ‘We believe in some but reject others,’ and wish to adopt a way in between;


They are in truth disbelievers. And We have prepared for the disbelievers, a humiliating torment.


And those who believe in Allah and His Messengers and make no distinction between any of them (Messengers), We shall give them their rewards; and Allaah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (The Holy Qur’aan, Chapter 4, Verse 152)


“I don’t really believe that God sends Prophets anyway…”


Surely the one who continually orders the affairs of the universe is also capable of sending prophets who would inform us about how He wills to order our lives:


“They did not estimate Allah with an estimation due to Him when they said: “Nothing did Allaah send down to any human being (by inspiration).’ Say to them (O Muhammad): ‘Who then send down the Book which Moses brought, a light and a guidance to mankind which you (Jews) have made into (separate) papersheets, disclosing (some of it) and concealing (much). And you (believers in Allaah and His Messenger Muhammad), were taught (through the Qur’aan) that which neither you nor your fathers knew.’ Say (to them): “Alaah (sent it down).” Then leave them to play in their vain discussions.” (The Holy Qur’aan, Chapter 6, Verse 91)


“All this stuff about submitting yourself completely to a God that would require this of mankind… sounds doubtful to me…”


“Is there a doubt about Allaah, Creator of the heavens and the earth?” (The Holy Qur’aan, Chapter 14, Verse 10)


“Sorry, I’m not convinced…”


“And even if We had sent down unto them angels, and the dead had spoken unto them, and We had gathered together all things before their very eyes, they would not have believed unless Allaah willed; but most of them behave ignorantly.” (The Holy Qur’aan, Chapter 6, Verse 111)

I invite you to become a Muslim.

The fastest way to prove that this is completely false is to state the fact that only about 15% to 20% of the Muslims in the world are Arabs. There are more Indian Muslims than Arab Muslims and more Indonesian Muslims than Indian Muslims!

Believing that Islam is only a religion for Arabs is a myth that was spread by the enemies of Islam early in its history. This mistaken assumption is possibly based on the fact that most of the first generation of Muslims were Arabs, the Qur'an is in Arabic and the Prophet Muhammad was an Arab. However, both the teachings of Islam and the history of its spread show that the early Muslims made every effort to spread their message of Truth to all nations, races and peoples. Furthermore, it should be clarified that not all Arabs are Muslims and not all Muslims are Arabs.

An Arab can be a Muslim, Christian, Jew, atheist - or of any other religion or ideology. Also, many countries that some people consider to be "Arab" are not "Arab" at all -- such as Turkey and Iran (Persia). The people who live in these countries speak languages other than Arabic as their native tongues and are of a different ethnic heritage than the Arabs. It is important to realize that from the very beginning of the mission of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), his followers came from a wide spectrum of individuals -- there was Bilal, the African slave; Suhaib, the Byzantine Roman; Ibn Sailam, the Jewish Rabbi; and Salman, the Persian, Since religious truth is eternal and unchanging, and mankind is one universal brotherhood, Islam teaches that Almighty God's revelations to mankind have always been consistent, clear and universal. The Truth of Islam is meant for all people regardless of race, nationality or linguistic background. Taking a look at the Muslim World from Nigeria to Bosnia and from Malaysia to Afghanistan is enough to prove that Islam is a Universal message for all of mankind - not to mention the fact that significant numbers of Europeans and Americans of all races and ethnic backgrounds are reverting to Islaam in greater and greater numbers.

God does not forbid you to treat kindly and act equitably toward those who neither fought you in the matter of religion nor driven you out of your home. Indeed, God loves the just. The Holy Qur’an, Chapter 60, Verse 8

Antagonism toward Islam has been a permanent fixture in Europe since the time of the Crusades. In the past, the enemy par excellence , the Arab heathen, was in a distant land. However, in this century, with a large immigrant and "converted" population, the West must confront this "enemy" in its own land. With more than SIX (6) million Muslims in America, xenophobia reveals itself often in an extremely virulent manner.



The media have been primary contributors to an erroneous image of Islam by stereotyping all Muslims as being fundamentalists or terrorists. For example, after the February 26, 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, the media depicted American Muslims in general as the cause of disaster. With circumstantial evidence, the media accused, indicted, tried, and found the alleged fundamentalists, thus all American Muslims, guilty.

Decide yourself how much of a threat Muslims pose to you.

The "fundamental" beliefs of a Muslim are the belief in only one God and the Prophethood of Mohammed, prayer, fasting, charity tax and pilgrimage. Thus, if a Muslim believes in these fundamentals, he or she is a fundamentalist.

However, most media reports use the term fundamentalist to imply extremism revealing a complete ignorance by the media since Islam explicitly prohibits extremism. Prophet Mohammed said, "Those persons who go to extremes (in practicing their religions) were cursed (by God)".

Another misconception about Islam involves jihad. Jihad, literally meaning struggle, can include anything a Muslim does for the sake of God. Everything from getting an education to simply eating or sleeping can be considered jihad. Therefore, the popular notion that means holy war is highly inaccurate.

The central dogma in Islam is the absolute oneness of God. In fact, a person becomes a Muslim after testifying that there is no deity worthy of worship except God and that there is no deity worthy of worship except God and that Mohammed is the messenger of God. Deity can mean material possessions, prophets, presidents, etc. The second point in the declaration is the Prophethood of Mohammed , who was the last in the lineage of prophets starting with Adam and including such Prophets as Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. In fact, the Quran mentions Jesus more times than Mohammed.

Furthermore, a Muslim must perform five daily prayer - one each at sunrise, midday, mid-afternoon, sunset and night. These prayers are significant in that throughout the day a Muslim is constantly aware of the Creator and the prescribed duties. The media regularly portray "fundamentalists" prostrating themselves in prayer. In the October 4 issue of Time, Muslims were shown performing prayers with guns with caption that read "guns and prayer go together in the fundamentalist battle." What was omitted was that these Muslims were praying on a battlefield in Afghanistan. Common sense dictates that with the very real possibility of an ambush, at any time, soldiers should remain armed at all times.

Fasting, the third pillar, is prescribed during the month of Ramadan. A Muslim cannot eat and drink during the daylight hours - from sunrise to sunset. It must be noted that a Muslim cannot interrupt daily routines while fasting. Through this action, a Muslim learns to persevere through hardships and gains a better understanding of others less fortunate. Therefore, even the Muslim leader understands the feelings of hunger and thirst experienced by the poor.

The charity tax is also compulsory to every financially capable Muslim. Every year, Muslims must pay 2.5 percent of their capital. The collected funds are then distributed to the less fortunate throughout society. How can a religion that promotes such well-being of people be responsible for killing of innocent lives? The Arabic word for this charity is zakat - which means both purification and growth. Therefore, in Islam, the giving of charity purifies one's income, while laying the foundation for future growth.

The annual pilgrimage to Mecca is the last pillar of Islam and is only obligatory for those who are physically and financially able. This pilgrimage is derived from Abraham tradition. Imagine millions of Muslims, regardless of age, sex, race or economic status, converging to one central point for the sole purpose of worshipping God. During this pilgrimage, every Muslim dresses the same, eliminating any material extravagance so commonly found throughout the world.

Now judge for yourself what type of threat Islam poses to you. There is no resemblance between "Media Islam" and "true Islam". Every religion has its zealots. But to stereotype a whole group based on the actions of a minuscule minority is to propagate the same type of message the Nazis delivered before the Holocaust. To blame Muslims as a whole for the scattered acts of violence throughout the world is to perpetuate the centuries old myth about Islam that it is a violent religion waiting to take over the West.

Learn about the various perspectives in the world, because misunderstanding only leads to hatred.

A bomb goes off in a marketplace in Jerusalem. A suicide bomber launches himself into a bus full of women and children in Tel Aviv. Foreign tourists get massacred at a holiday resort in Luxor, Egypt. Villages upon villages get annihilated in Algeria. The list of events worldwide which have come to symbolise the 'Islamic terror' are endless. From the times in the 70's and 80's when Pan Am and TWA aeroplanes would be highjacked, to the mid 80's in war torn Lebanon where Americans and Europeans would be held as hostages for years; all such incidents have come to be identified with the religion of Islam. Such incidents from past and present have undoubtedly affected Muslims worldwide and more so in the West.

Any Muslim, who wants to practice his/her religion and expresses the pious desire to live under the banner of Islam, is labelled a fundamentalist or extremist. Any Muslim man who walks down a busy street in London or Paris (and Paris moreso) with a beard and a skull cap on his head, is looked upon as being a terrorist who's probably got an AK47 stashed somewhere on his person. Muslim women who are veiled can't go anywhere in the Western world without being taunted as being oppressed or being mad (for covering up). However, are such beliefs and opinions about Islam really justified?

Exploding the myth

One of the many short comings which has arisen in the West, is judging Islam by the conduct of a minority of its people. By doing this, segments of Western society have deliberately played off the desperate actions of many Muslims, and have given it the name of Islam. Such behaviour is clearly not objective and seeks to distort the reality of Islam. For if such a thing was done Judge a religion by the conduct of its people) then we too could say that all Christianity is about is child molesting and homosexuality [1] whilst Hinduism was all about looting and breaking up mosques [2]. Generalising in such a manner is not seen as being objective, yet we find that the Western world is foremost in propagating this outlook on Islam. So what is the reality of Islam? How does one dispel the myths which have been created and spread so viciously? The only way to examine Islam is to simply examine its belief system. Look at its sources, the Qur'an and Sunna, and see what they have to say. This is the way to find the truth about what Islam says about terror, terrorism and terrorists. One who is sincerely searching for the truth, will do it no other way. The very name Islam comes from the Arabic root word 'salama' which means peace. Islam is a religion which is based upon achieving peace through the submission to the will of Allah. Thus, by this very simple linguistic definition, one can ascertain as to what the nature of this religion is. If such a religion is based on the notion of peace, then how is it that so many acts done by its adherents are contrary to peace? The answer is simple. Such actions, if not sanctioned by the religion, have no place with it. They are not Islamic and should not be thought of as Islamic.

Jihad

The word jihad sends shivers down the spines of many Westerners. They readily equate this term with violence and oppression. However, it must be said that the meaning of jihad, as a 'holy war', is something which is totally foreign and not from Islam. If anything, such a description belongs more so to Christianity and its adherents. It was terms like this which were used to justify the slaughter and pillage of towns and cities during the crusades by the Christians. By simply looking into the sources of Islam, one is able to know that the true meaning of jihad is to strive/make effort in the way of Allah. Thus striving in the way of Allah can be both peaceful and physical. The Prophet Muhammed (saws) said: "The best jihad is (by) the one who strives against his own self for Allah, The Mighty and Majestic" [3]. In the Qur'an, Allah also says:

"So obey not the disbelievers, but make a great jihad (effort) against them (by preaching) with it (the Qur'an)" The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 25, Verse 52.

By controlling and fighting against ones desires, the Muslims can then also physically exert themselves in the path of Allah. It is this physical or combative jihad which receives so much criticism. Because of the sheer ignorance of this type of jihad Islam is regarded as terror, and Muslims are regarded as terrorists. However, the very purpose of this physical jihad is to raise the word of Allah uppermost. By doing this, it liberates and emancipates all those who are crying out for freedom all over the world. If the likes of the pacifists of this world had their way, then the world would indeed be full of anarchy and mischief. The combative jihad seeks to correct this as Allah says in the Qur'an:

"And if Allah did not check one set of people by means of another, the Earth would be full of mischief. But Allah is full of bounty to the worlds" The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 2, Verse 251.

Such would be the corruption on this Earth if there had never been a combative jihad that Allah says:

"For had it not been that Allah checks one set of people by means of another, monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is mentioned much, would surely have been pulled down. Indeed Allah will help those who help His (cause). Truly Allah is All strong, All mighty" The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 22, Verse 40.

This combative jihad being both defensive and offensive, is something which is commanded by Allah upon the Muslims. Through this command the oppressed and weak are rescued from the tyranny of the world:

"And what is the matter with you that you do not fight in the cause of Allah and for those weak, ill treated and oppressed among men, women and children whose only cry is; 'Our Lord, rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors and raise for us from you one who will protect and raise for us from you one who will help"' The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 4, Verse 75.

Anyone who knows the early history of Islam, will know that all those nations and empires which came under the fold of Islam were indeed previously oppressed. When the companions of the Prophet Muhammed (saws) went out for the offensive jihad against the Egyptians, the Persians and the Romans, we find that the people did not resist against them at all. Rather, they accepted Islam on such a scale, that it is inconceivable that the jihad of Islam could be anything other then a liberation for these people; a liberation from centuries of tyranny. In fact, with the Byzantine Egyptians and the people of Spain, the Muslims were even beckoned to come and liberate these lands from the oppression of their kings. This is the glorious track record of the Muslim jihad Compare this with the brutal track record of warfare in the Western world over the centuries. From the crusades against the Muslims to the days of colonial warfare, the Western world has killed, destroyed and plundered everything which has come in its way. Even today this merciless killing goes on by the Western nations. While claiming to be about world peace and security, Western nations are ready to bomb innocent civilians at the drop of a hat. The classic example of this is the recent bombings of Sudan and Afghanistan. Whilst claiming that Sudan and Afghanistan were havens for Islamic terrorists, the bombings of these two nations could not have come at a better time for the American president Bill Clinton. The destruction of innocent lives which were a result of these bombings clearly seem to have been an attempt by Clinton to avert attention away from his sexual misdemeanours; [4] something which he so often gets caught up in. Without doubt this was the reason for such terror from the American military upon innocent people. This is the same American military which claims to enter the worlds trouble spots under the guise of being peace keepers. But

"… when it is said to them; 'Make not mischief on the Earth', they say; 'We are only peace makers'. Indeed they are the ones who make mischief, but they perceive it not" The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 2, Verse 11-12.

The hypocrisy of the West is indeed astounding.

By looking at the rules and regulations of this combative jihad it will be clear to any sincere person that this is indeed the religion of truth. When fighting an unjust enemy, no matter how unjust they are, it is forbidden by Islam that their retreating forces are mutilated, tortured or slaughtered. The treacherous violation of treaties and carrying out assassinations after a cease fire, are also prohibited. Allah says in the Qur'an:

"And fight in the way of Allah those who fight you. But do not transgress the limits. Truly Allah loves not the transgressors" The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 2, Verse 190.

Not transgressing the limits means not to kill women and children, for the Messenger of Allah (saws)"forbade the killing of women and children" [5]. Not transgressing the limits means that the elderly, the sick, monks, worshippers and hired labourers are not attacked. Not transgressing the limits means not killing animals wantonly, burning crops and vegetation, polluting waters and destroying homes, monasteries, churches and synagogues:

"Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion, nor drove you out of your homes. Indeed, Allah loves those who deal with equity" The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 60, Verse 8.

After reading such passages from the Qur'an and knowing about what Islam commands and prohibits in jihad, the rules of warfare are given a new meaning; a meaning of justice. How sad it is then, that whilst Islam is condemned for striking terror into the hearts of the people, the likes of the Serbs, the Indian army in Kashmir and the Israeli soldiers in Palestine are left untarnished for the atrocities they have committed in the name of warfare. So what about suicide bombing, is this too a part of jihad in Allah's path? From what has already been stated above, it can be deduced that this is not from the religion. However, unfortunately many Muslims have taken suicide bombing as being a virtuous act by which one receives reward. This could not be further from the truth. The Prophet (saws) said: "Those who go to extremes are destroyed" [6]. Suicide bombing is undoubtedly an extremity which has reached the ranks of the Muslims. In the rules of warfare, we find no sanction for such an act from the behaviour and words of the Prophet Muhammed (saws) and his companions. Unfortunately, today (some misguided) Muslims believe that such acts are paving the way for an Islamic revival and a return to the rule of Islam's glorious law. However, we fail to bear in mind that the Prophet (saws) said: "Do not be delighted by the action of anyone, until you see how he ends up" [7]. So, for example what is the end of a suicide bomber in Palestine?, a leg here, an arm there. Massive retaliation by the Israeli's in the West Bank and Gaza. More Muslims killed and persecuted. How can we be delighted with such an end? What really hammers the final nail in the coffin of this act, is that it is suicide; something which is clearly forbidden in Islam. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "He who kills himself with anything, Allah will torment him with that in the fire of Hell" [8]. Some are under the misconception that by killing oneself for an Islamic cause, one commits an act which deserves Paradise. Once when a man killed himself, the Prophet (saws) said:"He is a dweller of the Fire". When the people were surprised at this, the Prophet (saws) said: "A person performs the deeds which to the people appears to be the deeds befitting the dweller of Paradise, but he is in fact one of the dwellers of the Fire" [9]. The taking of ones life which Allah has given as a trust to the human, is a great sin. Likewise the taking of other lives (which is so often the case with suicide bombing) is also forbidden, as human life is indeed precious:

"...If anyone killed a person not in retaliation for murder or to spread mischief in the land, it would be as if he killed the whole of mankind. And (likewise) if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the whole of mankind" The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 5, Verse 32.

Thus, all other types of extremities such as hostage taking, hijacking and planting bombs in public places, are clearly forbidden in Islam.

The Media

By going through the teachings of Islam, it is clear that such a religion has only come to benefit mankind -not to destroy it. So why is there so much hatred for this noble religion in the West? The answer is simple, the media. It is the Jewish influenced media of the West which has portrayed Islam to be something that it is not. During the 70's and 80's when the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organisation) were carrying out daring highjacks on the worlds airways, the media in the West portrayed it as being Islamic. When the Shi'ite suicide bombers of the 80's were causing so much havoc in the Lebanon and in the Gulf region, the media in the West portrayed it as a part of Islam. However, it is known by the heads of the media that the likes of the PLO were not an Islamic organisation, and that according to Islam, Shi'ites are outside the fold of Islam [10]. Yet such facts are never portrayed by a media which seeks to cover the truth of this religion. A number of years ago, when the Oklahoma City bomb went off, a headline in one of the newspapers, 'The Today' [11], summed up this attitude. With a picture of a fire fighter holding a dead child in his arms, the headline read: "In The Name of Islam" Time has of course proven that this bigoted assumption was incorrect, as Timothy McVeigh, a right wing radical now faces the death penalty for the crime [12]. Likewise the bombs which went off in the Paris metro in 1995, were also blamed on Muslim fanatics. It has now emerged that the Algerian secret service who having routinely bribed many European journalists and MPs, were actually behind it. The desire to throw a veil over Islam is immense by these people:

"They intend to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will complete His light even though the disbelievers hate (it)" The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 61, Verse 8.

Whilst trying to destroy Islam through this instrument of the media, the Jews clearly try to portray an image of themselves as being the oppressed people. Every year, we are reminded as to how many Jews perished under the Nazis in World War II. We are made to feel sorry for these same people who have gone on to commit so many crimes upon the Palestinian people. Some may say that this is a racist and biased viewpoint. But we say; If this media was not run and orchestrated by the Jews and was truly neutral, then why are Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir, two former Israeli prime ministers, not held aloft as being terrorists? Anyone who knows about the history of the Palestinian occupation will tell you that these two men were members of the Stem Gang and Irgun, two notorious Jewish terror groups who killed many innocent people [13]. If this media was truly impartial, then why does it not tell about the extent of the Israeli bombardment and illegal occupation of Southern Lebanon and its people? [14] And if this media really had nothing against the religion of Allah, then why does it not inform the people that every day hundreds are entering the religion of Islam? Such things will never be highlighted in the Western media, simply because to do so would be against their very interests.

With such immense pressure against it, it is indeed a blessing from Allah that Islam goes from strength to strength. It continues to grow faster then any other religion in the Western world, conquering the hearts and minds of thousands. All this should not even surprise us though, for Allah has promised us that this religion will prevail:

"It is He who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, so that He may make it victorious over all other religions, even though the disbelievers detest it" The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 61, Verse 9.

It is a must that humanity comes towards the religion of Islam. Without it, we will continue to slip down the road of inequity and darkness. With it we can establish a society of justice and peace. Religion of terror? ... no. The way forward? ... yes.

"There is no compulsion in religion. The right path has indeed become distinct from the wrong. So whoever rejects false worship and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is All Hearing, All Knowing" The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 2, Verese 256.


Footnotes

1 By using the many cases of child abuse and homosexuality by priests, Such a generalisation about Christianity could be made

2 By using the incident of the destruction of the Babri mosque in Ayodya, India in December 1992 by Hindu zealots, such generalisations could be made about Hinduism