Friday, May 28, 2010

The Quran and Economy

From: http://quranicteachings.co.uk/economy.htm

What is Zakat?
What is Sadqa?
What is Infaaq (spending in the cause of Allah)?
Economy and pleasant life
The rights of orphans, widows, etc.(yatama)
The rights of the indigent (masakeen)
Standard of setting salaries
No making of illegal money in an Islamic economy
No hoarding of money in an Islamic economy - I
No hoarding of money in an Islamic economy - II
What to do with the surplus?
Circulation of Wealth
Qarooniat: Characteristics of an Exploitative Capitalist
Wealth without work
Fruit of capitalism: Inequitable distribution of wealth

Blogger Comment:

There is no limit to wealth as indicated by God in the Quran. You can get whatever wealth you can, provided you play the market fairly and participate in social justice. There is no Communism in Islam. There is free capital but we all get a piece of the cake not mainly those who are in power and the connected ones who own the capital. In Islam politicians are answering to God and the people and not to the owners of the capital.

Advice For New Muslims from Abdul-Lateef Abdullah (Steven Krauss)

From: http://www.convertstoislam.org/introduction/advice_to_from_newmuslims.htm

Assalamualaikum new brother or sister! Alhamdulillah that Allah has guided you to our blessed deen. Islam is trulya blessing and we should all feel overwhelmed with gratitude to Allah forguiding us to the straight path, the path of real success and peace.My advice to you as a new Muslim is to find a teacher. In my year and a halfof being Muslim (I’m 28 years old), one of the most important experiencesfor me has been the guidance and support of a very knowledgeable and piousteacher. Islam is a not a religion of self-interpretation. It is a straightpath based on knowledge that must be acquired. It is a lifestyle that has tobe adhered to, and is unfortunately being influenced by many negativeelements, both within and outside Islam. Without a guide, it is difficult todifferentiate the truth of Islam from the created falsehoods that are beingpropogated as Islamic teachings.Although many new Muslims, especially in the US, choose to teach themselvesIslam through books, lectures and videos, there are many pitfalls to doingthis that should be avoided. Without a teacher or a guide, one armed withthe combination of knowledge and experience, the pitfalls of the ego anddesires can confuse and lead us astray quite easily. Self-teaching is awestern phenomenon, and because many of us are brought up in the west, weassume we can apply our cultural norms to Islam as well. However, Islam isnot of the west, thus, these western norms cannot be applied to it with muchsuccess.For centuries, classical Islamic education was taught through direct contactwith teachers. This is how wisdom, not just knowledge, was acquired. Youcannot gain wisdom just from reading. Anyone can read and parrot, but howmany can read and apply in the way Allah intends? One of the problems withthe Muslim Ummah today is that there are too many of us reading andparroting, but not enough applying in the way truly put forth by Allah andHis Messenger (SAW). Put simply, we have stopped learning from those withknowledge and wisdom. We have stopped becoming students. One of the firstattributes Jabril (AS) (archangel Gabriel) said he would take from the worldby Allah’s command toward the end of time would be humility. This is a signof what Jabril (AS) was talking about. It takes humility to be a student andto give our trust over to someone to teach us, which is why fewer and fewerare willing to do it.The easiest way to know the true akhlaq (character) of a teacher is to lookat how he lives. How does he live his life? Does he live the deen or justtalk about it? Does he say one thing and do another? Does he invite you intohis home and show you how to practice Islam, not just tell you? Does he makefive solats a day? These are some ways of knowing the authenticity andgenuineness of a teacher. Unfortunately, in this day and age, many peopleclaim to be sheikhs and imams, yet have very little knowledge or wisdom ofIslam. So don’t be fooled by titles in your search for a teacher.I don’t mean to put fear into anyone’s heart on this matter. I have seen,however, the importance of having guidance and the consequences of whathappens without it. How we learn and are indoctrinated into Islam willgreatly effect our appreciation for it, our love of it, our devotion to it,and most importantly, our ultimate success or failure with Allah. Knowledgewith wisdom will make you LOVE Islam, not just blindly follow it. So I urgeyou to go out and find a good teacher to help you along the path to Allah.May Allah bless you and guide you further in your journey. Assalamualaikum!

Reasons attributed by new Converts to Islam

From: http://www.iqrasense.com/uncategorized/what-drives-people-to-convert-to-islam.html

Some of the reasons attributed by people who convert to Islam are listed below. We can see that most of these reasons can only be attributed to the process of critical thinking and intellectual reflection.

Eloquence of Quran’s language – The uniqueness and beauty of Quran’s text has been marveled by the best of Arab linguists and scholars from the days it was revealed until today. The more knowledgeable people are in the language, the more they appreciate the wonders of the textual fluency of the Quran.

Overwhelming scientific evidence and proofs – The Quran, revealed more than 1400 years ago has numerous scientific facts that are being validated by science only in this era.

Divine wisdom behind various social issues – The Quran provides a solution to numerous social issues, a deviation from which has known to cause societal chaos at all levels.
Arguments rooted in intellectual reasoning – Quran is the only known religious text that challenges mankind to think, reflect and ponder over the creation at large, social issues, God’s existence, and more. Quran in many instances challenges people to reflect and think on their own rather than heeding to the lose talk of those whose criticism is based on baseless foundations.

A confident assertion of a supreme being – Quran is the only known religious book that has a confident assertion of a supreme being on all issues ranging from the creation of the universe to social issues.

Divine Text – Quran’s language and prose is very different from the language in the hadith (Porphet’s sayings) thus proving that Quran is not the “imagination” or words of Prophet Muhammad, as many doubters have alleged in the past and do so even today.

Quran’s challenge to people on thinking and reflection
The Quran on numerous occasions challenges humanity at large to think, reflect and ponder over their affairs. Here is some of what the Quran states:
Thus do We explain the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, laws, etc.) in detail for the people who reflect. (Yunus, Chapter #10, Verse #24)
Do they not think deeply (in their ownselves) about themselves (how Allah created them from nothing, and similarly He will resurrect them)? Allah has created not the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, except with truth and for an appointed term. And indeed many of mankind deny the Meeting with their Lord. (Ar-Room, Chapter #30, Verse #8)
He it is Who has appointed for you the night that you may rest therein, and the day to make things visible (to you). Verily, in this are Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) for a people who listen (i.e. those who think deeply). (Yunus, Chapter #10, Verse #67)
Does man think that he will be left Suda (neglected without being punished or rewarded for the obligatory duties enjoined by his Lord (Allah) on him)? (Al-Qiyama, Chapter #75, Verse #36)
Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?” (Al-Mumenoon, Chapter #23, Verse #115)
To the rejecters of truth the Quran states: Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are only like cattle; nay, they are even farther astray from the Path. (i.e. even worst than cattle). (Al-Furqan, Chapter #25, Verse #44)
Do they not reflect? There is no madness in their companion (Muhammad). He is but a plain warner. (Al-Araf, Chapter #7, Verse #184)
Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rending asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect . (Al-Hashr, Chapter #59, Verse #21)

When studying the many cases of new Muslim converts, we see that engaging in critical thinking and intellectual reasoning have led people to change their non-Islamic faiths – the same faiths that earlier supposedly could have moved mountains, get diluted by the voices of reason easily heard in the roots of Islam. A mere process of thinking and reflection brings so much to the limelight that otherwise remains veiled by distractions and forces of the anti-Islam pundits. Those who are bent to see only the negative, fail to see the light of truth and instead engage in a never ending superficial analysis to unsuccessfully prove their misguided philosophies.
There are many statistics in the media that highlight the phenomenal rate at which people are converting to Islam. Although, the authenticity of all these sources has not been validated for the purpose of this post, some of them include the following:
According to “The Almanac Book of Facts”, the population increased 137% within the past decade, Christianity increased 46%, while Islam increased 235%.
100,000 people per year in America alone, are converting to Islam. For every 1 male convert to Islam, 4 females convert to Islam
TV Report: 4000 Germans Convert To ISLAM Each Year
About 25000 people convert to Islam every year in the UK alone
…many more examples exist.

Blogger Comment:
A lot of people converted to Islam through reading my blog.
You are the next, just kidding.

The Quran On Astronomy

The Quran was revealed in the seventh century. Many statements pertaining to physical phenomena are dispersed throughout the Quran. These are there in the Quran to draw the attention of people to the wonders of God’s creation. Any other seventh century book making statements about the physical universe would surely contain mistakes. Our knowledge of physical sciences in the 20th century is far advanced beyond the imagination of people living in the seventh century. What will come as a surprise to many people is that of all the numerous statements about scientific matters found in the Quran, not one of those have proved contrary to the established facts of science. On the other hand, many of those statements have already been verified by modern scientific studies, and we confidently expect that as various fields of knowledge advance, other Quranic statements will likewise prove true. Let us look at some of the statements which science has already verified.

THE FUSING AND SEPARATING OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH
How do modern scientists explain the formation of the universe? Dr. Maurice Bucaille explains it in his book, “The Bible, the Quran and Science”, as follows: "The basic process in the formation of the universe . . . lay in the condensing of material in the primary nebula, followed by its division into fragments that originally constituted galactic masses. The latter in their turn split up into stars that provided the subproduct of the process, i.e. the planets" (p. 149).” Does the Quran say anything about this condensing and separation of the primary material to result in the formation of our universe? Let's have a look. The creator, God, says in His final book: "Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were fused together, then we separated them . . ." (Quran 21:30). Dr. Bucaille sees this as "the reference to a separation process of a primary single mass whose elements were initially fused together" (p.143). Thus the Quran gives an accurate account of the formation of the universe to call upon humankind to recognize the power of their creator. This raises an interesting question: How could a man (Muhammad) living in the seventh century invent these ideas, which could not be confirmed until modern times? And how could he in so doing avoid the mythical and fanciful ideas prevalent in human history? Dr. Bucaille mentions some of these myths for contrast: "When, as in Japan, the image of the egg plus an expression of chaos is attached to the above with the idea of a seed inside an egg (as for all eggs), the imaginative addition makes the concept lose all semblance of seriousness. In other countries, the idea of a plant is associated with it; the plant grows and in so doing raises up the sky and separates the heavens from the earth. Here again, the imaginative quality of the added detail lends the myth its very distinctive character" (p. 152). In contrast to those myths, the Quranic statements are "free from any of the whimsical details accompanying such beliefs; on the contrary, they are distinguished by the sober quality of the words in which they are made, and their agreement with scientific data" (p. 152).

It must be that the Quran is not the product of any human or humans, but a revelation from God. The Quran says: "The revelation of the scripture whereof there is no doubt is from the Lord of the Worlds" (Quran 32:2). The sun is a star that is roughly 4.5 billion years old, according to experts in astrophysics. It is possible to distinguish a stage in its evolution, as one can for all the stars. At present, the sun is at an early stage, characterized by the transformation of hydrogen atoms into helium atoms. Theoretically, this present stage should last another 5.5 billion years according to calculations that allow a total of 10 billion years for the duration of the primary stage in a star of this kind. It has already been shown, in the case of these other stars, that this stage gives way to a second period characterized by the completion of the transformation of hydrogen into helium, with the resulting expansion of its external layers and the cooling of the sun. In the final stage, its light is greatly diminished and density considerably increased; this is to be observed in the type of star known as a 'white dwarf'. The above dates are only of interest in as far as they give a rough estimate of the time factor involved, what is worth remembering and is really the main point of the above, is the notion of an evolution. Modern data allow us to predict that, in a few billion years, the conditions prevailing in the solar system will not be the same as they are today. Like other stars whose transformations have been recorded until they reached their final stage, it is possible to predict an end to the sun. The second verse quoted above (Surah 36, verse 38) referred to the sun running its course towards a place of its own. Modern astronomy has been able to locate it exactly and has even given it a name, the Solar Apex: the solar system is indeed evolving in space towards a point situated in the Constellation of Hercules (alpha lyrae) whose exact location is firmly established; it is moving at a speed already ascertained at something in the region of 12 miles per second. All these astronomical data deserve to be mentioned in relation to the two verses from the Quran, since it is possible to state that they appear to agree perfectly with modern scientific data.

FROM A GASEOUS MASS TO THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH

Concerning the creation of the heavens and the earth, the Quran says that prior to the creation, the Heaven was smoke. God then commanded it and the earth to come into being and they came willingly (see Surah 41:1 1). How does that compare with modern scientific explanations? Let us hear a scientific explanation and then judge for ourselves. The French scientist Dr. Maurice Bucaille in his book called “The Bible, the Quran and Science” explains: "At the earliest time it can provide us with, modern science has every reason to maintain that the universe was formed from a gaseous mass principally composed of hydrogen and a certain amount of helium that was slowly rotating" (p.147, Big Bang Theory) Didn't the Quran say that the Heaven was smoke before its creation? Dr. Bucaille explains the connection between his description and that of the Quran as follows: "Smoke is generally made up of a gaseous substratum, plus, in more or less stable suspension, fine particles that may belong to solid and even liquid states of matter at high or low temperature" (p. 143). He therefore sees no contradiction of the Quranic use of the Arabic word dukhan (translated smoke) and a modern interpretation of that word as a gaseous mass with fine particles, when speaking of the formation of the universe.

We notice here two remarkable features of the Quran. The first feature is that it expresses scientific truths that will be verified many centuries later. The second feature is that the Quran expresses those truths using terms and expressions that would avoid confusing its first readers in the seventh century. The seventh century reader of the Quran can easily relate to the image of smoke, and the twentieth century scientist can easily interpret the word as a gaseous mass.

For the extended article:
http://www.beconvinced.com/archive/en/article.php?articleid=0063&catid=04&subcatname=Miracles%20Of%20The%20Quran

Blogger Comment:
Some people in the west found out from old scriptures that humans were contacted by other beings, possibly UFO's (Angels in the Bible and Quran). They tried in this way to found explanation for religion, particularly the majestic Quran. They know that Muhammad (PBUH) could not come with this book himself and the evidences are overwhelming. However, they still can not explain to us prophecies how UFO's would know the future. Jesus (PBUH) told the Jews that the temple will be destroyed in 72 years and it did happen. The Quran as well has many prophecies. We have to humble ourselves to God. See how our minds get lost, no-God, a God who does not connect with us, many Gods, Idols, UFO's, the nature,....... As you see anything but God. For God our worst sin is against him, then come our sins among ourselves.

The Power Of Allah

From: http://miracle-of-islam.blogspot.com/2010/02/power-of-allah.html

The Power Of Allah

"Oh men! Here is set forth a parable? listen to it! On those whom, besides God, ye call, can not create (even) a fly, if they all met together for the purpose! the fly, and if should Snatch away anything from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly. Feeble are those who petition and those whom they petition!” (Quran 22:73).

Have you studied or at least consider how an insect can flap their wings 1000 times per second?, how a flea can leap (jump) a hundred times his size?, have we noticed a butterfly flying forward while flapping their wings up and down?.We can take a simple example of one of the animals mentioned in the Holy Quran, "A Fly" to notice the power of Allah which very large and infinite. For any human strength, height and title of any degree of human education, as much as any man possessed of knowledge, and sophisticated technology owned by any man, no one could make a fly with a variety of advantages even though they all join and work together to create the fly. Why?, Because Allah has given limited knowledge to man as a warning to the man himself that has always recognized the unity and power of Allah that they would bow and worship God as the creator of the universe and all creatures in it.Allah has created all creatures with flawless calculating and without revision or correction. There are no insect including flies that fell due to a tangled wings when it moves it’s wing at high speed and can not be seen by human eyes directly. Are all these animals are able to think to make the leap angle, thrust and speed of flying?,

Clearly God (Allah) has given to His creation of organs are equipped with various sensors and a perfect breakfast for a flight, jump, and other activities.Allah has created the insects on earth approximately 10 million not including the unknown man. By considering the millions of creatures he had created with the privileges they have, people who thought it would be increasingly amazed at the greatness of God's infinite.

Everything that God created nothing in vain. Among other of God's creation that special is the bees. These insects occupy an important position in the appeal other insects. In the Qur'an: "And thy Lord taught the Bee to the build its cells in hills, on trees, and in (men's) habitations' (Quran 16:68). Bees have given many benefits and enjoyment to mankind. Privilege of honey produced by bees who delivered in the Qur'aan has been scientifically proven. "Then to eat of All the produce (of the earth), and find with skill the Spacious paths of its Lord: there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colors, wherein is healing for men: verily in this is a Sign for those who give though "(Qur'an 16:69).

In the interpretation of al-Quran, Sayyid Qutb expresses, honey as a healing medicine disease has been scientifically proven by medical experts. This is one proof of the truth of al-Quran verses to believe the human race. There are even alternative medicine is proven to be quite potent with a bee sting.Honey is also a part of the enjoyment of heaven as a reward for those faithful and devoted as revealed in the Quran "(Here is) a Parable Of The Garden which the righteous are promised: “...in it are rivers of water incorruptible; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear. In it there are for them all kinds of fruits; and Grace from their Lord. (Can those in such Bliss) be compared to such as shall dwell forever in the Fire, and be given, to drink, boiling water, so that it cuts up their bowels (to pieces)? "(Quran 47:15).

Hopefully all this information can make people think clearly and positively about the weaknesses of human owned and possessed the power of God's infinite, so we as his creation can be subject to, and recognize the oneness of Allah and to perform all the tasks given by Him as a sign of obedience.

The Scientific Evidence That God Exists and the Holy Qur'an Is His Message to Humanity

From: http://www.aljazeerah.info/Islamic

By Hassan Ali El-Najjar *

At the beginning of the 21st Century, a lot of people in the world no longer believe in God. Even some of those who profess such belief are not sure. Others have a distorted belief, which makes them behaving in misguided and dangerous ways. In brief, there is a lot of ignorance on this planet, at this time, about the Creator of life and about His message to humanity, which has been told in the religious Holy Books.

But before addressing the problem of misguided believers, it is more essential to address the question of atheism, or the belief that God does not exist in the first place. This belief has developed as a result of lack of scientific evidence in teaching about God. Many world religions involve illogical myths and weird rituals that belittle the human mind, leading to the disbelief that these myths and rituals are from a Supreme Being, who is supposed to be more intelligent than humans worshipping Him.

A more important reason for atheism is that leaders of many religions, including the major ones, put themselves in a collision course with science. This has alienated the most educated and most intelligent people and made them susceptible to atheism, indifference, or at least not taking religion seriously.

So, how can this problem of God’s existence be resolved?
To convince the most intelligent beings on this planet that there is a God and that He does exist, scientific evidence supporting this fact has to be brought to the discussion.
The Holy Qur’an is full of such evidence. Actually, the Islamic Holy Book can be broadly divided into two parts. The first involves scientific evidence that it’s ultimate author is the Creator of life Himself, in order to convince humans that He exists and that the Holy Qur’an is His message to humanity. The second part involves His teachings, which if followed by humans will lead them to happiness in this life and in the everlasting hereafter.

The story of life on planet Earth, including human life, is told in the Holy Qur’an in a way that would light up the eyes of scientists if they read it. It’s the same story, which is told to students of biology. It leaves no doubt about the fact that life started in a very simple way a long time ago and kept evolving ever since (See: Creation and Evolution in the Holy Qur'an).

The scientific story of creation of life is just one example of how the Holy Qur’an convinces its readers that no human on this planet could have authored this Book. Many of the scientific facts revealed became known only in the last century or so. The Messenger of God, Prophet Muhammed (Peace and blessings of God be upon him) was an illiterate man. It was impossible for him or for any other human being 1428 years ago to know about such facts.
Some of the Qur'anic verses explain facts about Earth, humans, and other creatures. For example, there is an invitation for humans to fly, indicating the possibility of flying, more than 1428 years ago.**
In Surat Al-Rahman (Chapter 55), Verse 33 states:***
O You jinn and men, if you can penetrate zones of the heavens and the earth, then penetrate! You will never penetrate them except with the power (of science).
يَـٰمَعۡشَرَ ٱلۡجِنِّ وَٱلإنسِ إِنِ ٱسۡتَطَعۡتُمۡ أَن تَنفُذُواْ مِنۡ أَقۡطَارِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلأَرۡضِ فَٱنفُذُواْ‌ۚ لا تَنفُذُونَ إِلاّ بِسُلۡطَـٰن.

The Holy Qur'an tells us that there is intelligent life in outer space, where Allah (Praise to Him) is also worshipped and glorified.
In Chapter 30, Verse 26, Allah (Praise to Him) says:
To Him belongs every being that is in the heavens and the earth, all are devoutly obedient to Him.
وَلَهُ ۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلأرۡضِ‌ۖ ڪُلٌّ۬ لَّهُ ۥ قَـٰنِتُونَ

In Chapter 3, Verse 83, Allah (Praise to Him) also tells us about life in outer space saying:
Do they seek for other than the Religion of Allah? While all whoever in the heavens and the earth have willingly, or unwillingly, bowed to His Will (submitted to His Will as Muslims do), and to Him shall they all be returned.
أَفَغَيۡرَ دِينِ ٱللَّهِ يَبۡغُونَ وَلَهُ ۥۤ أَسۡلَمَ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلأرۡضِ طَوۡعً۬ا وَڪَرۡهً۬ا وَإِلَيۡهِ يُرۡجَعُونَ


In Chapter 19, Verse 93-95, Allah (Praise to Him) also says:
There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes to the Most Gracious (Allah) as a worshipping servant. (93)
He does take an account of them, and has counted them exactly. (94)
إِن ڪُلُّ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلأرۡضِ إِلآّ ءَاتِى ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ عَبۡدً۬ا لَّقَدۡ أَحۡصَٮٰهُمۡ وَعَدَّهُمۡ عَدًّ۬ا


In Chapter 24, Verse 41, Allah (Praise to Him) also says:
Do not you see that it is Allah is praised by whoever in the heavens and the earth, and the birds flying in lines? Each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise. And Allah knows well all that they do.
أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ ۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلأًرۡضِ وَٱلطَّيۡرُ صَـٰٓفَّـٰتٍ۬‌ۖ كُلٌّ۬ قَدۡ عَلِمَ صلاتَهُ ۥ وَتَسۡبِيحَهُ ۥ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمُۢ بِمَا يَفۡعَلُونَ


Earth is described as egg-shaped (pointed at the poles, not a perfect circular globe), a fact which was discovered recently in the human history.
In Chapter 79, Verse 30, the Holy Qur'an mentions that:
And the Earth, after that, He made it egg-shaped.
وَٱلأًَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ ذَٲلِكَ دَحَٮٰهَآ


Other translators missed the meaning of the verb (dahaha, َ دَحَٮٰهَآ) translating it into "extended." The noun "dahya" is used by North African Arabs in reference to an "egg." The author heard it by himself in the early 1970s in Libya.

One verse explains that it is the female bee that makes honey, a very recent bit of knowledge for humans, which is another evidence that the author of the Holy Qur'an could never be a human being about 1428 years ago. Rather, He is the All Knowledgeable One.
"And thy Lord taught the (female) Bee to build its cells in hills, on trees, and in (men's) habitations" (The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 16, Verse 68).
وَأَوۡحَىٰ رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلنَّحۡلِ أَنِ ٱتَّخِذِى مِنَ ٱلۡجِبَالِ بُيُوتً۬ا وَمِنَ ٱلشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعۡرِشُونَ

Yusuf Ali did not pay attention to the feminine form of the Arabic verb ( ٱتَّخِذِى), which refers to female bees in particular, not bees in general.

Another verse mentions the female ant speaking to other ants, which is also a recent bit of knowledge. We know now that male ants die after mating and only female ants survive to be the workers. This bit of knowledge could never be known to humans before the invention and use of microscopes.
" ... one of the female ants said: "O you ants enter your dwellings" (The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 27, Verse 18).
قَالَتۡ نَمۡلَةٌ۬ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّمۡلُ ٱدۡخُلُواْ مَسَـٰكِنَڪُمۡ
Other translators, also in this verse, did not pay attention to the feminine form of the Arabic noun ( ۡ نَمۡلَة), which refers to "a singular female ant."

The Holy Qur'an also provides us with an accurate description of deep waters in the ocean, where darkness prevails. Nobody could dive deep enough in the ocean 1428 years ago and come back to tell about what he saw there. Only the One who has created Earth and its oceans could know. For us, Philippe Causteau and his crew showed us some videos about only some parts of the ocean depth, in the 1980s.

In Chapter 24, Verse 40 of the Holy Qur'an, Allah (Praise to Him) says:
Or (the Unbelievers' state) is like layers of darkness in a vast deep ocean overwhelmed with waves topped by waves, topped by clouds: Layers of darkness, one above another, if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! For anyone to whom Allah does not make light, he has no light.
أَوۡ كَظُلُمَـٰتٍ۬ فِى بَحۡرٍ۬ لُّجِّىٍّ۬ يَغۡشَٮٰهُ مَوۡجٌ۬ مِّن فَوۡقِهِۦ مَوۡجٌ۬ مِّن فَوۡقِهِۦ سَحَابٌ۬‌ۚ ظُلُمَـٰتُۢ بَعۡضُہَا فَوۡقَ بَعۡضٍ إِذَآ أَخۡرَجَ يَدَهُ ۥ لَمۡ يَكَدۡ يَرَٮٰهَا‌ۗ وَمَن لَّمۡ يَجۡعَلِ ٱللَّهُ لَهُ ۥ نُورً۬ا فَمَا لَهُ ۥ مِن نُّورٍ

In Chapter 24, Verse 43 of the Holy Qur'an, Allah (Praise to Him) vividly describes the water cycle, from winds to clouds, then to rain. He says:
Do not you see that Allah makes the clouds move gently, then joins them together, then makes them into a heap? Then, you will see rain coming out of it. And He sends down from the sky mountain masses (of clouds), which include hail. He strikes with it whom He wills and He turns it away from whom He wills. The vivid flash of its lightning is close to blinding the sights (of people).
أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُزۡجِى سَحَابً۬ا ثُمَّ يُؤَلِّفُ بَيۡنَهُ ۥ ثُمَّ يَجۡعَلُهُ ۥ رُكَامً۬ا فَتَرَى ٱلۡوَدۡقَ يَخۡرُجُ مِنۡ خِلَـٰلِهِۦ وَيُنَزِّلُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مِن جِبَالٍ۬ فِيہَا مِنۢ بَرَدٍ۬ فَيُصِيبُ بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَصۡرِفُهُ ۥ عَن مَّن يَشَآءُ‌ۖ يَكَادُ سَنَا بَرۡقِهِۦ يَذۡهَبُ بِٱلأًَبۡصَـٰرِ

In Chapter 30, Verse 48, Allah (Praise to Him) also says:
It is Allah Who sends the Winds, and they raise the Clouds. Then, He spreads them in the sky as He wills, and break them into fragments, until you see rain-drops coming out from the midst of it. When He makes them reach whoever He wills of his servants, then they rejoice!
ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى يُرۡسِلُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابً۬ا فَيَبۡسُطُهُ ۥ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ كَيۡفَ يَشَآءُ وَيَجۡعَلُهُ ۥ كِسَفً۬ا فَتَرَى ٱلۡوَدۡقَ يَخۡرُجُ مِنۡ خِلَـٰلِهِۦ‌ۖ فَإِذَآ أَصَابَ بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِۦۤ إِذَا هُمۡ يَسۡتَبۡشِرُونَ

The Holy Qur'an tells us in several verses that Allah (Praise to Him) has created plants in pairs (male and female) in order for plant reproductive activities to happen leading to giving us the fruits we enjoy on this planet.
In Chapter 20, Verse 53, Allah (Praise to Him) also says:
"... and (God) has sent down water from the sky. With it We have produced diverse pairs of plants.
وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً۬ فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا بِهِۦۤ أَزۡوَٲجً۬ا مِّن نَّبَاتٍ۬ شَتَّىٰ


In Chapter 13, Verse 3, Allah (Praise to Him) also says:
"and all fruits, He made in them pairs, two each (a male and a female).
وَمِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٲتِ جَعَلَ فِيہَا زَوۡجَيۡنِ ٱثۡنَيۡنِ‌ۖ


In Chapter 31, Verse 10, Allah (Praise to Him) also says:
We send down water from the sky, (so) We cause goodly pairs (of plants and animals) to grow out.
وَأَنزَلۡنَا مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً۬ فَأَنۢبَتۡنَا فِيہَا مِن ڪُلِّ زَوۡجٍ۬ كَرِيمٍ


In Chapter 36, Verse 36, Allah (Praise to Him) also says:
Glory to Him, Who created all pairs, of what the earth produces, of themselves (humans), and of others unknown to them.
سُبۡحَـٰنَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلأًَزۡوَٲجَ ڪُلَّهَا مِمَّا تُنۢبِتُ ٱلأَرۡضُ وَمِنۡ أَنفُسِهِمۡ وَمِمَّا لا يَعۡلَمُونَ
***


More of this scientific evidence is found in the following article and four books.
Creation and Evolution in the Holy Qur'an By Hassan El-Najjar
***
* Dr. Hassan Ali El-Najjar has a Ph.D. in Sociology and a Master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Georgia, USA. He is also a native speaker of Arabic.
** Yahiya Emerick mentioned some of the above verses on pages 24-27 of his educational book, "What Islam Is All About." (1997). New York: IBTS.
*** The author’s translation of the meanings of the verses mentioned in this article is solely his responsibility though he consulted with three other translations of the Holy Qur’an, namely those of Yusuf Ali, Mohsin, and Picthal, found in www.quranexplorer.com . The author also made use of the famous Bin Katheer’s interpretation of the Holy Qur’an.
Readers are advised that it is the meaning of the verses which is translated and interpreted here. It is a human effort that may be fallible and erroneous. Further, there are differences between a translator and another and between an interpreter and another due to differences in their linguistic, scientific, and cultural backgrounds. There is no claim of ultimate accuracy in the translation, as verses of the Holy Qur'an can be best understood through the Arabic text of revelation.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Quran: Chapter 25. El Criterio (Al forcán)

From: http://www.isna.net/Islam/pages/Quran-Archive-Spanish-Translation.aspx

Revelado antes de Higrah. Este capitulo tiene 77 versos.
¡En el nombre de Alá, el Compasivo, el Misericordioso!
1. ¡Bendito sea Quien ha revelado el Criterio a Su siervo a fin de que sea monitor para todo el mundo.
2. Quien posee el dominio de los cielos y de la tierra, no ha adoptado un hijo ni tiene asociado en el dominio, lo ha creado todo y lo ha determinado por completo!
3. En lugar de tomarle a Él, han tomado a dioses que no crean nada, sino que ellos mismos son creados, que no disponen, ni siquiera para sí mismos, de lo que puede dañar o aprovechar, y no tienen poder sobre la muerte, ni sobre la vida, ni sobre la resurrección.
4. Dicen los infieles: «Esto no es sino una mentira, que él se ha inventado y en la que otra gente le ha ayudado». Obran impía y dolosamente.
5. Y dicen: «Patrañas de los antiguos que él se ha apuntado. Se las dictan mañana y tarde».
6. Di: «Lo ha revelado Quien conoce el secreto en los cielos y en la tierra. Es indulgente, misericordioso».
7. Y dicen: «¿Qué clase de Enviado es éste que se alimenta y pasea por los mercados? ¿Por qué no se le ha mandado de lo alto un ángel que sea, junto a él, monitor...?
8. ¿Por qué no se le ha dado un tesoro o por qué no tiene un jardín de cuyos frutos pueda comer...?» Los impíos dicen: «No seguís sino a un hombre hechizado».
9. ¡ Mira a qué te comparan! Se extravían y no pueden encontrar un camino.
10. ¡Bendito sea Quien, si quiere, puede darte algo mejor que eso: jardines por cuyos bajos fluyen arroyos, palacios!
11. Pero ¡no! Desmienten la Hora y hemos preparado fuego de la gehena para quienes desmienten la Hora.
12. Cuando les vea, lejos aún, oirán su furor y bramido.
13. Cuando, atados unos a otros, sean precipitados en un lugar estrecho de él, invocarán entonces la destrucción.
14. «¡No invoquéis hoy una sola destrucción sino muchas destrucciones!»
15. Di: «¿Vale más esto que el Jardín de inmortalidad que se ha prometido a los temerosos de Alá como retribución y fin último?»
16. Inmortales, tendrán cuanto deseen. Es una promesa que obliga a tu Señor.
17. El día que Él les congregue, a ellos y a los que servían en lugar de servir a Alá, dirá: «¿Sois vosotros los que habéis extraviado a estos Mis siervos o ellos solos se han extraviado del Camino?»
18. Dirán: «¡Gloria a Ti! No nos estaba bien que tomáramos a otros como amigos, en lugar de tomarte a Ti. Pero les permitiste gozar tanto, a ellos y a sus padres, que olvidaron la Amonestación y fueron gente perdida».
19. «Os desmienten lo que decís. No podréis escapar al castigo ni encontrar quien os auxilie. A quien de vosotros obre impíamente le haremos gustar un gran castigo».
20. Antes de ti no mandamos más que a enviados que se alimentaban y paseaban por los mercados. Hemos puesto a algunos de vosotros como prueba para los demás, a ver si tenéis paciencia. Tu Señor todo lo ve.
21. Los que no cuentan con encontrarnos, dicen: «¿Por qué no se nos han enviado de lo alto ángeles o por qué no vemos a nuestro Señor?» Fueron altivos en sus adentros y se insolentaron sobremanera.
22. El día que vean a los ángeles, no habrá, ese día, buenas nuevas para los pecadores. Dirán: «¡Límite infranqueable!»
23. Examinaremos sus obras y haremos de ellas polvo disperso en el aire.
24. Ese día los moradores del Jardín gozarán de la mejor morada y del más bello descansadero.
25. El día que se desgarre el nubarrón del cielo y sean enviados abajo los ángeles.
26. ese día, el dominio, el verdadero, será del Compasivo, y será un día difícil para los infieles.
27. el día que el impío se muerda las manos diciendo: «¡Ojalá hubiera seguido un mismo camino que el Enviado!
28. ¡Ay de mí! ¡Ojalá no hubiera tomado a fulano como amigo!
29. Me ha desviado de la Amonestación, después de haber venido a mí». El Demonio siempre deja colgado al hombre.
30. El Enviado dice: «¡Señor! ¡Mi pueblo ha cobrado aversión a este Corán !»
31. Así hemos asignado a cada profeta un enemigo de entre los pecadores. Pero tu Señor basta como guía y auxilio.
32. Los infieles dicen: «¿Por qué no se le ha revelado el Corán de una vez?» Para, así, confirmar con él tu corazón. Y lo hemos hecho recitar lenta y claramente.
33. No te proponen ninguna parábola que no te aportemos Nosotros el verdadero sentido y la mejor interpretación.
34. Aquéllos que sean congregados, boca abajo, hacia la gehena serán los que se encuentren en la situación peor y los más extraviados del Camino.
35. Dimos a Moisés la Escritura y pusimos a su hermano Aarón como ayudante suyo.
36. Y dijimos: «¡Id al pueblo que ha desmentido Nuestros signos!» Y los aniquilamos.
37. Y al pueblo de Noé. Cuando desmintió a los enviados, le anegamos e hicimos de él un signo para los hombres. Y hemos preparado un castigo doloroso para los impíos.
38. A los aditas, a los tamudeos, a los habitantes de ar-Rass y a muchas generaciones intermedias...
39. A todos les dimos ejemplos y a todos les exterminamos.
40. Han pasado por las ruinas de la ciudad sobre la que cayó una lluvia maléfica. Se diría que no la han visto, porque no esperan una resurrección.
41. Cuando te ven, no hacen sino tomarte a burla: «¿Es éste el que Alá ha mandado como enviado?
42. Si no llega a ser porque nos hemos mantenido fieles a nuestros dioses, nos habría casi desviado de ellos». Pero, cuando vean el castigo, sabrán quién se ha extraviado más del Camino.
43. ¿Qué te parece quien ha divinizado su pasión? ¿Vas a ser tú su protector?
44. ¿Crees que la mayoría oyen o entienden? No son sino como rebaños. No, más extraviados aún del Camino.
45. ¿No ves cómo hace tu Señor que se deslice la sombra? Si quisiera, podría hacerla fija. Además, hemos hecho del sol guía para ella.
46. Luego, la atraemos hacia Nosotros con facilidad.
47. Él es Quien ha hecho para vosotros de la noche vestidura, del sueño descanso, del día resurrección.
48. Él es Quien envía los vientos como nuncios que preceden a Su misericordia. Hacemos bajar del cielo agua pura,
49. para vivificar con ella un país muerto y dar de beber, entre lo que hemos creado, a la multitud de rebaños y seres humanos.
50. La hemos distribuido entre ellos para que se dejen amonestar, pero la mayoría de los hombres no quieren sino ser infieles.
51. Si hubiéramos querido, habríamos enviado a cada ciudad un monitor.
52. No obedezcas, pues, a los infieles y lucha esforzadamente contra ellos, por medio de él.
53. Él es Quien ha hecho que las dos grandes masas de agua fluyan: una, dulce, agradable; otra, salobre, amarga. Ha colocado entre ellas una barrera y límite infranqueable.
54. Él es quien ha creado del agua un ser humano, haciendo de él el parentesco por consanguinidad o por afinidad. Tu Señor es omnipotente.
55. Pero, en lugar de servir a Alá, sirven lo que no puede aprovecharles ni dañarles. El infiel es un auxiliar contra su Señor.
56. A ti no te hemos enviado sino como nuncio de buenas nuevas y como monitor.
57. Di: «No os pido a cambio ningún salario. Sólo que, quien quiera, ¡que emprenda camino hacia su Señor!»
58. Y ¡confía en el Viviente, Que no muere! ¡Celebra Sus alabanzas! El está suficientemente informado de los pecados de Sus siervos.
59. Él es Quien ha creado en seis días los cielos, la tierra y lo que entre ellos hay. Luego, se ha instalado en el Trono. El Compasivo. ¡Interroga a quien esté bien informado de Él!
60. Cuando se les dice: «¡Prosternaos ante el Compasivo!», dicen: «Y ¿qué es 'el Compasivo'? ¿Vamos a prosternarnos sólo porque tú lo ordenes?» Y esto acrecienta su repulsa.
61. ¡Bendito sea Quien ha puesto constelaciones en el cielo y entre ellas un luminar y una luna luminosa!
62. Él es Quien ha dispuesto que se sucedan la noche y el día para quien quiera dejarse amonestar o quiera dar gracias.
63. Los siervos del Compasivo son los que van por la tierra humildemente y que, cuando los ignorantes les dirigen la palabra, dicen: «¡Paz!»
64. Pasan la noche ante su Señor, postrados o de pie.
65. Dicen: «¡Señor! ¡Aleja de nosotros el castigo de la gehena!» Su castigo es perpetuo.
66. Sí es mala como morada y residencia.
67. Cuando gastan, no lo hacen con prodigalidad ni con tacañería, -el término medio es lo justo-.
68. No invocan a otro dios junto con Alá, no matan a nadie que Alá haya prohibido, si no es con justo motivo, no fornican. Quien comete tal, incurre en castigo.
69. El día de la Resurrección se le doblará el castigo y lo sufrirá eternamente humillado.
70. No así quien se arrepienta, crea y haga buenas obras. A éstos Alá les cambiará sus malas obras en buenas. Alá es indulgente, misericordioso.
71. Quien se arrepienta y obre bien dará muestras de un arrepentimiento sincero.
72. No prestan falso testimonio y, cuando pasan y oyen vaniloquio, prosiguen la marcha dígnamente.
73. Cuando se les amonesta con los signos de su Señor, no caen al suelo ante ellos, sordos y ciegos.
74. Dicen: «¡Señor! ¡Haznos el regalo de que nuestras esposas y descendencia sean nuestra alegría, haz que seamos modelo para los temerosos de Alá!»
75. Éstos serán retribuidos con una cámara alta porque tuvieron paciencia. Se les acogerá allí con palabras de salutación y de paz.
76. Eternos allí... ¡Qué bello lugar como morada y como residencia!
77. Di: «Mi Señor no se cuidaría de vosotros si no Le invocarais. Pero habéis desmentido y es ineludible».

http://207.241.230.181/3/items/Spanish-meal/

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

One visitor from Egypt to my blog only!!!

By: Maged Taman

If you see the flags of the visitors that indicating were they came from to my blog you will find only one person from Egypt visited my blog. Given there are over 100 million Egyptians and this visitor chose me it means a lot to me. First I want to be sure he is a real Egyptian and not a tourist. If he is a real Egyptian we have to find out first where he came from, a man or a woman or a little child. The second question where are the rest of Egyptians they supposed to be excited that Al Mahdi Al Muntazer could be an Egyptian. If I were a singer or succor player they may had given me more attention. You would find millions Egyptians following me.

I invite this single Egyptian who stood up to what he believes in and decided to listen to a revolutionary guy like me to contact me. I will be pleasure if he can e-mail me at magedtaman@yahoo.com

Another possibility is a lot of Egyptians are really visiting and the counter is not working please let me know so I can fix it. E-mail me if you think there are a lot of people are visiting from Egypt to my blog. The elites want to make you think I have no or only few followers, that fact is I have millions who are ready to start a peaceful revolution. Other millions who are thinking about it, call them, contact them and tell them about my website.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Quran in Spanish

From: http://www.isna.net/Islam/pages/Quran-Archive-Spanish-Translation.aspx

1. Exordio (Al fatíha)
El capitulo de apertura del Sagrado Corán. Revelado antes de Higrah. Este capitulo tiene 7 versos.
1. ¡En el nombre de Alá, el Compasivo, el Misericordioso!
2. Alabado sea Alá, Señor del universo,
3. el Compasivo, el Misericordioso,
4. Dueño del día del Juicio,
5. A Ti solo servimos y a Ti solo imploramos ayuda.
6. Dirígenos por la vía recta,
7. la vía de los que Tú has agraciado, no de los que han incurrido en la ira, ni de los extraviados

Al Azhar is Standing up Against Oppression and Injustices

جبهة علماء الأزهر تندد بالإجراءات القمعية ضد الإعلامى حمدى قنديل

نددت جبهة علماء الأزهر بالإجراءات القمعية ضد الإعلامى المعروف بمناهضة سياسة الحكومة المصرية فى الداخل والخارج، وتحويله للنائب العام للتحقيق معه فيما نسب إليه من وزير الخارجية احمد أبو الغيط من إهانته و"الحط من شأنه".

نص البيان
إن لعنة الله على الظالمين كلعنته تعالى على الخاذلين

يقول الحق جل جلاله ( ألا لعنة الله على الظالمين *الَّذِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَ يَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجاً وَهُمْ بِالْآخِرَةِ كَافِرُونَ) هذه في سورة (الأعراف:45)


وفي سورة هود يقول جل جلاله أيضا ( وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِباً أُولَئِكَ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَى رَبِّهِمْ وَيَقُولُ الْأَشْهَادُ هَؤُلاءِ الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا عَلَى رَبِّهِمْ أَلا لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الظَّالِمِينَ) (الَّذِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجاً وَهُمْ بِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ كَافِرُونَ) (هود 18 : 19 ).

إن من أخص خصائص الظالمين إذا حكموا أنهم على الدوام يطلبون العِوَج في كل شيء، فلا يريد ون الاستقامة ولا يقبلون بالخطة المستقيمة ، إنما يريدون الحياة كلها عِوجاً؛ والتواءً، وانحرافا،ولهذا كان أهون الأمور عليهم هي الأخلاق؛ ينتهكونها، ويستبيحون حرماتها، ويتآمرون جميعا عليها وعلى أصحابها بغير حياء من الله ولا خشية من الناس، وهم لذلك ينفرون بل ويحاربون الاستقامة في كل شيء حتى إنهم ليصل بهم الحال على ما قال المستشار طارق البشري في حديثه لصحيفة الأسبوع القاهرية بحق النظام القائم " يفككون جهاز الدولة؛ جهاز إدارة المجتمع ،ولا ترعى الحكومة فقط إلا الأمن السياسي، أمن النظام والجماعة الحاكمة "، وهنا يكون هؤلاء في الجريمة مثل غيرهم من أعداء الأمة على الأمة سواء بسواء، يستعبدون كما استعبدوا أو أقبح ، ويظلمون كما ظلموا أو أشد، ويستبيحون كما استباحوا، وكما استبيحوا، وتكون النتيجة في أخلاق الشعوب واحدة ، فعبودية الناس لغير الله سبحانه - سواء كانت لدولة مغيرة أو لحزب طال عليه الأمد حتى صار محتلا – هذه العبودية تنشئ في النفوس الذلة وقد أراد الله لها الكرامة، وتنشئ في الحياة الظلم والبغي وقد أراد الله أن يقيمها على القسط والعدل، وتُحَوِّل جهود الناس إلى عبث في تأليه الأرباب الأرضية والطبل والزمر حولها، والنفخ فيها دائما لتكبر حتى تكون على غير ما هي عليه أمينا وهو الخائن ،أو أمينا مساعدا، أو ما شاكل ذلك من ألقاب كاذبة، ثم حمل الأعضاء مع الناس على تأليهه بدعوى الالتزام الحزبي وما شاكلها، وذلك كله حتى تملأ مكان الرب الحقيقي الذي يحتالون على دينه ليل نهار هذا الدين الذي جعلوا نهاية أمره أنه شأن من شؤون الدولة تفعل فيه ما تشاء وتختار وليست الدولة شأنا من شؤونه، فهو عندها وبكرها محكوم وليس حاكما.

يقول المستشار طارق البشري "إن مصر بلد هو الآن محتل بجيش الدولة التي تهدف إلى كسر إرادته ، ذلك لأن استخدام عنف الدولة بات هو الحل السريع لمشاكلها، وأن دائرة الحزب– المحتل – الحاكم مستمرة في تفكيك جهاز الدولة .. جهاز إدارة المجتمع بما فيه من مرافق التعليم، والصحة، - والقضاء، والدعوة ، والاقتصاد- .. وهلم جرا" الدستور العدد 269 في 28 من جمادى الأولى 1431هت الموافق 12 من مايو 2010م.

وإنه لما كانت هذه الأرباب الفاسدة المفسدة في ذاتها صغيرة هزيلة لا يمكن أن تملأ فراغ الرب الحقيقي فإن عُبَّادها المهازيل يظلُّون في نصَبٍ دائم ؛وهمٍّ مقيم؛ ينفخون فيها ليل نهار،ويسلطون عليها الأضواء والأنظار،ويضربون حولها بالدفوف والمزامير، والترانيم، والتسابيح ولو بسبِّ دين خصومها الذي هو غير دينها، ورمي كل مخلص بالنقائص، وصناعة فخاخ القوانين وشراكها حتى يستحيل الجهد البشري كله نهبا مستباحا لهم .

وبهذا يكون الدور قد جاء على الأستاذ " حمدي قنديل" الذي نذر نفسه – فيما ظهر - لأمته مع إخوانه في تلك الوهدة الأليمة المهينة التي سقطت فيها الأمة و لم نجد لها سابقة فيما حضر أو غاب من معالم السقوط للأمم والجماعات،هذا السقوط المزري الذي استحلت به حقوق الأمة بل وجميع معالم حياتها حتى بلغ به قيمة ما نُهب من كل مصري حيًّا وميتا مما عُرف من الأموال المنهوبة والتي بلغت "ترليون" و272 مليار جنيها بلغ نصيب كل مصري منها ستة عشر مليونا من الجنيهات على ما قدرت الكاتبة الفاضلة سكينة فؤاد ، ولا يزال المنهوبين خائفين وجلين من لصوصهم الذين أنزلوا بهم ما لم ينزله فرعون بأعدائه؛ يقيمون لهم الاعتبارات، ويمنحونهم السكوت عليهم ، والتصويت لهم إذا أرادوا، ويرمقونهم بالأبصار، هذا عدا ما لم يكشف عنه حتى اليوم من الترليونات المنهوبة [ يراجع الدستور العدد 269 المصدر السابق أيضا من مقال للكاتبة الفاضلة السيدة سكينة فؤاد ] .

هذا السقوط الذي صارت به الوظائف غنائم للموظفين كبارا وصغارا حتى بلغ أن أحد كبار اللصوص من كبار موظفي هذه الدولة يبلغ به فجوره أن يستبيح الكذب في حق زميلة له وزيرة سابقة عليه ،يستبيح الكذب عليها على رؤوس الأشهاد أكثر من مرة بعد أن قامر بأموال المعاشات في البورصات العالمية وخسر من أموال الضعفة والمساكين أصحاب المعاشات الذين قامر بأموالهم وأضاع عليهم في قماره الذي لا يفارق مجالسه 225 مليارا من الجنيهات [ الدستور العدد 265 في 29 من ربيع الآخر 1431هـ 14 من إبريل 2010م، ويراجع كذلك صحيفة المصري اليوم في 25 يناير 2010م وحديث السيدة ميرفت التلاوي لقناة المحور مع الإعلامي سيد علي بشأن كذب هذا الوزير البطرسي وحقارته عليها ]، كل ذلك بلا حسيب من دولة ولا رقيب من مجالس أو حكومة ، الأمر الذي فرض شرعا على الأمة أن تُخرج من بينها أمثال " حمدي قنديل " ليفضح خائنيها لو لم يكن مع إخوانه قد بادروا بالخروج لذلك الأمر من غير طلب منها ، ولو لم يكن الأستاذ " حمدي قنديل " والذين معه قد تقدموا لحمل الأمانة على ما فعلوا لأثمت والله الأمة جميعها في حق الله، وحق أنفسهم، وحق الملة والدولة ، يقول الحق جل جلاله (إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلائِكَةُ ظَالِمِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ قَالُوا فِيمَ كُنْتُمْ قَالُوا كُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ قَالُوا أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَةً فَتُهَاجِرُوا فِيهَا فَأُولَئِكَ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيراً) (النساء:97)

فلذلك كان من رحمة الله تعالى بالأمة أن يخرج منها على غير طلبٍ مَنْ نذر نفسه لها و للحق الذي تآمر عليه الأمناء عليه، و هذا الصنيع من هؤلاء المجاهدين هو أشرف معالم الجهاد الآن، فإن الذين يُضَحُّون بأرواحهم وراحاتهم في معركة الحق دفاعا عن المستضعفين هم عادة غن شاء الله أكرم القلوب، وأزكى الأرواح، وأطهر النفوس، نسأل الله لنا ولهم التثبيت علي ما اختارنا له، وأقامنا فيه استنقاذا لهذه الأمة المهيضة بأحزابها، المنكوبة بزعمائها وساستها وكبرائها، فإنه ليس أشد إفسادا للفطرة من الذل الذي ينشئه الطغيان الطويل، هذا الطغيان الذي يحطم فضائل النفس البشرية، ويحلل مقوماتها، ويغرس فيها المعروف من طباع العبيد استخذاءً تحت سوط الجلادين ، وخنوعا ذليلا لذوي الدرجات والألقاب، وهمما ضائعة في ميادين اللهو واللعب، وقلوبا ميتة ، وتمردا حين يرتفع السياط، وبطرا عند النعمة ،واستكبارَ الضعفاء على الضعفاء أمثالهم، الأمر الذي يشتد على سيقانه معالم النفاق ويقوى سيف الدمار.

لقد تكلم الأستاذ طارق البشري ومن قبله ومعه تكلمت وكتبت الأستاذة سكينة فؤاد كما تكلم ويتكلم غيرهم في الصحف وغيرها وصرخوا وصرخ معهم الصارخون أصحاب القلوب النابضة والعقول النظيفة من الكتاب والمؤلفين والدارسين والباحثين، حتى إذا جاء الأستاذ "حمدي قنديل" ليعيد على مسامع الأمة ما سبق وأن قرأته من غيره أو سمعته من سواه اقتيد دون غيره إلى غياهب وغابات القوانين التي صُنعت على أعين اللئام وعنايتهم تحذيرا وترعيبا.

ففي كتاب "جذور الفساد الإداري في مصر" يقول مؤلفه الأستاذ عبد الخالق فاروق "لقد صار الانتهاك الذي تقوم به الدولة للدستور وللقانون انتهاكا منظما" ص38 دار الشروق.

مع هذا لم يجدوا غير الإذاعي الشهير الذي كان لأمته ناصحا أمينا لم يجدوا طلبتهم اليوم في غيره ليلقوا به بين براثن الذئاب كما كان يفعل الرومان في ساحات المجتلد مع العبيد ليرووا ظمأهم بالدماء الجارية؛ والأشلاء الممزقة ، فاليوم حمدي وغدا حبل المجرمين الظالمين على الجرَّار.

فماذا قال حمدي قنديل غير هذا حتى تجتمع عليه إرادات السوء اليوم قبل غيره وتسن له السكاكين؟

لم يزد الإعلامي الشهير على أن كان فيما كتب شارحا لما جاء في كتابات غيره ممن سبقوه على الدرب من الكاتبين والناصحين ! وقد كان بوسعه أن يلوذ بالصمت كما لاذ ويلوذ الكثيرون ، ولو أنه فعل واختار الراحة كما اختار غيره وهم كثير لكان واحدا من الهالكين، فماذا قال؟

تحت عنوان " هوان الوطن وهوان المواطن" الذي نشر له بصحيفة "الشروق الجديد" بالعدد 457 ليوم الإثنين 3 من مايو كتب يقول:

" فاض الهوان بالمواطن إلى الحد الذي دفع جرَّاح القلب الشهير د. مجدي يعقوب إلى القول بان قلوب المصريين هي الأكثر ألماً ومرضا بسبب القهر والظلم" ثم قال الكاتب:

أصدقه، ونحن والعالمون معه نصدقه، لأننا كما قال الكاتب "أضحينا نلاقي القهر والظلم عند كل منعطف ، ثم دلل على تصديقه له وتصديقنا معه بما يلي:

· 40% من المصريين ينفقون ألف جنيه سنويا، أي أقل من 3 جنيهات في اليوم الواحد في حين تغدق الحكومة مليونا من الجنيهات راتبا شهريا لألف – حقير وساقط - من الأزلام .

· مياه شرب نعبئها مخلوطة بمياه الصرف، وغذاء- كما يقول - كالسم الهاري مروي بالمجاري، ومئات من المواطنين عرضهم معروض على رصيف مجلس الشعب – وأعضاء الأغلبية يأكلون في البهو الفرعوني المشمر والمحمر من نواب الأرياف ، والجمبري والاستاكوذا من نواب السواحل ، ومزة البصارة لزعيمهم على ما جاء في صحيفة الشروق وبعض الصحف السيارة الشروق العدد 471 في 17 مايو.

· مستشفيات خارج الخدمة وسبعون ألفا من المصريين يموتون كل عام بالسرطان ، وأربعون ألفا بفيروسات الكبد – تلك الفيروسات التي أتى بها لنا وزير الزراعة الأسبق أخوهم يوسف والي من قبل ولما صرخ عليه الكاتب الأسير مجدي حسنين قضي عليه بالسجن عامان قضاهما على التمام والكمال ولا يزال المجرمون يمرحون في جنباتها وهم آمنون -

· ألف عشوائية تحيط بالقاهرة بحزامٍ متفجرٍ يسكنه عشرة ملايين بائس غير مليونين يسكنون المقابر.

· 35% من حملة المؤهلات العليا والماجستير والدكتوراه دون عمل ، بخلاف مئات ألوف أخرى من العاطلين ،يدفع العشرات منهم للموت كل عام غرقا في قوارب الهجرة، وقد صفهم مفتي الجمهورية بأنهم " طماعين" !!!

· مقامرة بأموال أرباب المعاشات وتأميناتهم ، ومغامرة بسندات تنذر بإغراق مصر في الديون – أكثر مما هي فيه من الغرق، فقد بلغ حجم الفوائد المسماة بخدمة الديون المحلية والأجنبية عام 2001، / 2002 م ما قارب الأربعين في المائة من حجم الميزانية العامة آنئذ [ جذور الفساد الإداري في مصر ص 172] .

· مواطنون عاديون يتحملون 60% من الضرائب في حين تسدد الشركات الكبرى 8% فقط من ضرائبها المستحقة عليها .

· كبار الحيتان يُعْفَوْن من ديون بالمليارات في حين يطارد بالحبس صغار المدينين.

· خدمات واجبة لا تُقْضَى إلا بالرشوة، وحقوقٌ لا تصل أصحابها سوى بالواسطة.

· فروق فاجعة بين ملايين البسطاء الذين لا يجدون حتى الفتات؛ وبين قلة فاجرة من المنتفعين بالحكام من محتكرين ولصوص أراض وصيادي مشروعات بالأمر المباشر وحرامية خصخصة على ما ذكر ووصف زكريا عزمي .

· قانون طوارئ نعيش تحت رحمته ،فنعتقل دون إذن، ونُحاكم أمام محاكم عسكرية، ونُعذَّبُ في أقسام الشرطة، ونُمنع من حقنا في التظاهر، ونُهدَّدُ بضرب النار، ويُسحلُ شبابنا وتُعرَّى بناتنا في الشوارع . [ ونُغَرَّقُ ونُحَرَّقُ في العبارات والقطارات]

· حكام يعاملون المواطنين كعبيد من خليفة ولي الأمر الذي يأمر سكان قرية دماص – مركز ميت غمر- بإغلاق نوافذ بيوتهم عشر ساعات أثناء زيارته لها، إلى رئيس مدينة أخميم الذي يمنع الأهالي من دفن موتاهم في الجبانة المشهورة.

· نُبَاح في برامج الفضائيات كل ليلة بغير مجيب ، وتنصت على خصوصياتنا دون رخصة، وتضييق على أحزابنا دون مسوغ ، وتزوير لإرادتنا في الانتخابات دون رادع.

· يدفع القهر والظلم معظم فئات المواطنين للاحتجاج والتظاهر؛ والاعتصام حتى قالت فينا جريدة " نيويورك تايمز" " إن الكل في مصر يعتصم إلا قوات الأمن" حتى وصل الأمر أن اعتصم سكان عقار في حي عابدين تظلما من فاتورة المياه التي فرضت عليهم بتقدير جزافي بلغ 86 ألف جنيه- ستة وثمانين ألف جنيه فاتورة مياه منزل متواضع .

· إن الوطن الذي زُعِم فيه أنه ينعم بالعزة والكرامة قد قال عنه الأستاذ طاهر مكي أستاذ الأدب الشهير إنه يشبه الأندلس قبل سقوطها. ثم أردف الأستاذ حمدي قنديل قائلا :" أصدقه.

ثم قال:
· فقبل السقوط تُصِرُّ إسرائيل على تَغَوُّل المستوطنات ،وتقتحم الأقصى، وتقرر ترحيل 70 ألف فلسطيني من الضفة الغربية؛ فلا نقابل هذا الصلف الإسرائيلي بغير الخطب والبيانات – التي لا تجيء لغير رفع العتب كما قال الكاتب الكبير فهمي هويدي الشروق العدد 403 في 10مارس 2010م-

· قبل السقوط يتسلل إلى أراضينا إسرائيلي مسلح فنعيده إلى الحدود سالما في ذات اليوم الذي تصدر فيه أحكام بالسجن المؤبد في قضية خلية حزب الله فتطالب منظمات دولية بإعادة النظر فيها.

· قبل السقوط نقيم سورا فولاذيا بمساعدة أمريكا لنُحكِم مع إسرائيل الحصار على أهل غزة، ونُفَجِّرَ الأنفاق بيننا وبين القطاع، في حين تُعد تركيا سبع سفن لنجدة المحاصرين.

· قبل السقوط تحذر دراسة لمجلس الوزراء من فجوة خطيرة في إمدادات الغاز في عام 2020 فنستمر في ضخ الغاز لإسرائيل بأقل من تكلفة استخراجه.

· قبل السقوط ترسل رئاستنا إلى إسرائيل تهنئها بعيد قيامها يوم نكبتنا ،ثم نستقبل –المجرم- نتنياهو في شرم الشيخ بدلا من أن نقدمه ووزراءه للمحاكمة.

هذا مجمل ما جاء في مقال الإذاعي الغيور الأستاذ "حمدي قنديل" الذي استحق ان يساق به إلى دهاليز وغابات القوانين التي أعدت ليُحَادَّ ويُحَاَربَ بها الله ورسوله ويُستعبدُ خلق الله ويذلون ، وكانت العبارة التي لأجلها استحق العذاب الأليم وإحالته إلى النائب العام هو قوله " قبل السقوط يؤكد سفير مصر في إسرائيل أنه لا يقيم في دولة أعداء، نافيا بذلك تصريحا لوزير الخارجية وصف فيه إسرائيل بالعدو، وما كان لينفي إلا لأن التصريح سقط سهوا من فم الوزير ......." وما تلا ذلك من لفظ غاية ما يقال فيه أنه لفظ خشن استحقه المقام فإذا بالقوم يجهزون للرجل عدة الظلم والإجهاز على المجاهدين التي تبدأ بالإحالة إلى النيابة ولا تنتهي بغير أحكام الإدانة من القضاة الظالمين " يراجع مقالة الإذاعي الشهير بصحيفة الشروق الجديد العدد 457 في 3 مايو 2010م

إننا ونحن لا نزال نتجرع مرارة الخُذلان نقول للكاتب والإذاعي المجاهد " حمدي قنديل" ألا لعنة الله على من يخذلك أنت والذين معك".

ثم نُذَكِّرُ الأمة بحق هذا المجاهد عليها وحق إخوانه، هذا الحق الذي صار بموضوعه حقا من حقوق الله تعالى، الله الذي لعن ويلعن كل قوم يضيع الحق بينهم ، وقد أخرج أبو داود في السنن وأحمد في المسند عن جابر بن عبد الله وأبي طلحة بن سهل الأنصاري قالا: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " ما من امرئ يخذل امرأً مسلما في موضع تُنْتَهك فيه حرمتُه، ويُنتقصُ فيه من عِرْضه إلا خذله الله في موطن يحب فيه نصرته، وما من امرئ ينصر مسلما في موضع يُنتقص فيه من عرضه، وينتهك فيه من حرمته إلا نصره الله في موطن يحب نُصرته" .

فإلى علماء الأمة وكتابها ومثقفيها ومفكريها، وكل ذي شأن من أصحاب الأقلام بل والأقدام؛ والأقدار والألقاب؛ اجعلوا من قضية ومقالة "حمدي قنديل"مادة لأحاديثكم، ومقالاتكم، وخطبكم، ومجالسكم، انشروها بكل سبيل ممكن؛ ولا تتركوا خصمه حتى تجعلوا منه سلفا ومثلا للآخرين، لعل الله أن يرفع عنا وعنكم ما نزل بنا من هوان، وحتى يعلم الظالمون أن لهم اللعنة ولهم سوء الدار كما قضى الحق جل جلاله (وَسَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنْقَلَبٍ يَنْقَلِبُونَ) (الشعراء: من الآية227)

صدق الله العظيم وخاب كل جبار عنيد.

صدر عن جبهة علماء الأزهر في الثامن من جمادى الآخرة 1431هـ الموافق 22 مايو 2010مAl Azhar

Blogger Comment:
After Tantawy death God do not forgive him the Azhar is standing tall and strong to Islam amd Muslims. Tantawy God curse him and Some of the Scholars in both Sunni and Shia who would not talk to me back and wanted to have people do not know someone could be Al Mahdi as obeying their masters in the west. The west told them not to talk to me which should made them suspicious I could be Al Mahdi. I presented myself as a new fresh air a third way not with the oppressive tyrants or extremists and not working through the west which would earn me my people respect. However the elites would like the oppressive tyrants to be in power if they to follow their agneda. See there is nothing about Christ or morals but pure tyranny and corruption. I say the words of truth that is why I earn a lot of respect from many Christians and Jews.

http://www.islamreligion.com/videos/3679/

Fundamental Principles of Understanding Hadith

From: http://www.islamicity.com/

By: Amin Ahsan Islahi

We study and ponder over ahaadith (sayings and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad ) to fully benefit from the prophetic knowledge transmitted to humanity in the form of traditions. Proper investigation and contemplation on ahaadith requires that the researchers in this discipline follow certain fundamental principles. If a researcher attempts studying ahaadith ignoring these principles he will face perplexing questions at every step in this exercise and would be at risk of arriving at the an incorrect conclusion. Those intending to steer clear of the danger of losing the true prophetic knowledge will find the following principles helpful in avoiding these dangers.

Those taking help from these principles will find the road to understanding ahaadith quite easy. There are five fundamental principles of understanding ahaadith. A detailed discussion on each follows.1. The Quran is the Measure of TruthThe first and the foremost principle is that the Quran is the real measure of truth regarding ahaadith. In fact, it is the only criterion of truth in all religious matters. The Quran and Hadith (singular of ahaadith) are interrelated as the root is related to its branches or a text is to its explanation. The Quran gives the core guidance forming the religion and the shari'ah. This Quranic guidance is the basis and foundation of the religion while ahaadith explain and detail it.The Quran has many characteristics. It has many names and attributes of which one name, given to it by the Almighty Himself, is mizan (the criterion or the measure). The Quran is the measure of judgment. This means that it works as a judgment over the differences and disputes between the people. It establishes the truth firm and makes it distinct from the untruth. This is the greatest purpose the Quran was revealed to fulfill. It is only the Quran which measures the ideas and views on the divine scale and decides over the validity of what people ascribe to God. It determines what part of the current religious ideas is the truth from God and what part of these is a human addition mixed with the pure divine guidance. The Quran says:It is God Who has revealed the Book with decisive truth, and the balance (al-mizan). (Q 42:17) Certainly We sent our messengers with clear arguments, and sent down with them the Book and the balance (mizan) that men may conduct themselves with equity. (Q 57:25)

Considering this very quality of the Quran, it has been given the name muhaymin (guardian). In order to establish justice and equity, we need a balance and a criterion. Almighty God has referred to these two qualities of the Quran in the following verse as well:And to you we have revealed the Book with the truth, in confirmation of the [prophesies of] the earlier Scriptures, and a guardian (muhayman) over it. So judge between them by that which God has revealed, and do not follow their desires setting aside the truth which has come to you. (Q 5:48)

Everything concerning the religion and the shariah has to be measured by this criterion. This is a general principle which covers all the religious matters and sources. When we find a hadith which goes against the religion and admits of doubt we have to measure it by the Quran, for the Book rules over it. Someone may consider hadith independent of the measure of the Quran. He may assume that it is not subject to the Quran and it is a judge for itself. He would, however, be forced to adopt as the part of the religion even the narratives which clearly contradict the Quranic teachings. He would be including in the religion that which does not belong to it. I believe that every such hadith as is proven unsound when measured in light of the Quran, is either a fabrication or a distortion. It is, therefore, incumbent upon us to keep the religion of God safe from the onslaught of such narratives. It is unperceivable, on the scale of reason as well as revelation, that the Messenger negates or contradicts the commands of the Almighty God. The scholars of the religious sciences unanimously hold that any hadith that contradicts the Quran is a false narrative and must be rejected. I quote a leading scholar of the Prophetic tradition, Imam Aḥmad Ibn Ḥanbal in this regard. Faḍl Ibn Ziyad reports:I heard Aḥmad Ibn Ḥanbal respond to a question regarding the traditions which say that the Sunnah overrules the Quran (qaḍiyatan 'ala al-Quran) in the following words: "I do not dare say that. However, the Sunnah explicates the Book, defines and explains it."1 This means that, according to him, no hadith can abrogate the Quran. We acknowledge the status of hadith. We do not deny it. However, we hold that the claim that it overrules the Quran is baseless.

2. Collating the Narratives on a Single TopicJust like the Quran, Hadith too have an overall order and arrangement. We cannot properly understand and interpret a hadith without considering the overall structure of hadith. The second most important principle of understanding hadith is that every hadith has to be considered a part of the collective system of the narratives. A part, it is clear, has to be in accord with the overall structure of the whole. Every hadith that is not in assonance with the overall structure of ahaadith should be rejected. In solving the problems of opposing and mutually contradicting ahaadith, the collective order of ahaadith will be of immense help to us. Some people present their statements as ahaadith and ascribe them to the Prophet even though these statements neither correspond to the fundamental teachings of the Quran nor accord with the general prophetic teachings. Such baseless traditions, though limited in number, have found their way into the major hadith works. It is extremely necessary to analyze and separate them from the true prophetic knowledge.3. Language of AhaadithThe original language of the hadith literature is the standard Classical Arabic even though, unlike the Quran, most of the ahaadith have not been transmitted verbatim; ideas have been transmitted rather than words. Nonetheless, the language of ahaadith maintains a high standard. The quality of the language of ahaadith is superior to many other earlier sources. It is extremely important to consider this aspect of the language of the prophetic sayings while pondering over them. By the grace of God, there are many hadith collections. Recorded in an early period of oral tradition, the language of ahaadith is nearer to that of the prophetic times. Having acknowledged that language keeps changing and evolving, we need to prefer the traditions whose language is more approximate to that of the time of the Prophet and the Companions . In the syntactic and morphological analysis of ahaadith, the judgments of the expert grammarians, lexicographers and acknowledged authorities in the field always prevail. Therefore, while deciding on meanings of difficult words and explaining the complex sentence structures, their interpretations and views have to be preferred over one's personal understanding. For the serious student of the hadith literature, expertise and competence in the language spoken during the time of the Prophet and Companions as well as a taste and flavor for this language are crucial. This can help him differentiate the language of the prophetic time from that of the later times. If a person, engaged in the hadith study, fails to understand this difference, it is very likely that he confuses non-prophetic statements with ahaadith of the Prophet . He can even be led to accept the non-Quranic words as the part of the Book of God. A famous hadith ascribed to 'Umar claims that the Quran once included the verse al-shaykh wa al-shaykhatu idha zanaya farjumuhuma al-battata (When an old man and old woman commit extramarital sex, stone them to death). The truth of the matter is that, far from being part of a verse of the Quran, these words do not even match the prophetic language. It is, at best, the language of the non-Arab jurist of the later times.

4. Specification and Generalization, Situation and Context, and Nature of Address Understanding ahaadith requires proper understanding of the instances of specification and generalization, situation and context, and the nature of address. A proper understanding of the instances of specification and generalization requires that, while explaining the hadith narratives, one appreciates that an apparently general statement can actually deal with a specific case. Similarly, one has to appreciate the points in the text where a seemingly specific command is used in a general sense. Muḥaddithun (scholars of ahaadith) have discussed these questions in detail. However, this issue is very delicate and one has to remain alert to these facts. Likewise, understanding the hadith literature requires that the student is able to fully appreciate the implications of the textual context as well as context of situation. This is extremely important to understand. Failure to appreciate the proper textual context as well as context of situation gives rise to grave and complex questions leading to unending disputes. Take, for example, the famous hadith which says:
Rulers shall be from among the Quraysh. (Musnad Aḥmad, No: 19792)The majority of the scholars of the third and the later generations committed serious errors in determining the true context of this hadith. Literal interpretation of the narrative led them to believe that only the Quraysh could validly rule the Muslims. Evidently, this view puts Islam and Brahmanism on equal ground as far as the political system is concerned. This view clearly ignores that Islam is the first religion aiming to purify the political systems from the evil of Brahmanism. The primary cause of this error is that the scholars failed to understand the proper context of this prophetic statement. This hadith does not give a universal directive governing the political system of Islam. It does not establish the political superiority of the Quraysh for all times. It is, on the contrary, a prophetic judgment on a political dispute that was buried in the minds of a group of the Anṣar (helpers) of Madinah. This group expected that, after the Prophet's demise, it was they, not the Quraysh, who truly deserved to be the rulers of the Muslim ummah. They based this view on their services to the religion of God. This dispute remained latent in the minds of only a group among the Anṣar during the lifetime of the Prophet . Yet it found expressions in various ways even during his lifetime. The Prophet feared that, after his demise, the dispute might cause a great divide within the ummah. Sensing this danger, the Prophet decided to settle the issue during his lifetime. Seen in this light, the prophetic statement means that at that time the people of Arabia would not accept the leadership of any tribe other than the Quraysh. Therefore, immediately after him, the rulers should be elected from the Quraysh. This prophetic decision settled the dispute that arose between the immigrants of Makkah and the Anṣar of Madinah right after the death of the Prophet . In the famous meeting of the Saqifah of Bani Sa'idah, the Anṣar put forward this claim. True nature of the words of the Prophet , therefore, is that it was a decision on an implicit dispute on the question of the political leadership of the Muslims. The Prophet gave his verdict before the dispute clearly manifested itself. He based his decision on the established political superiority of the Quraysh. He did not adduce eternal racial superiority of the Quraysh over the other nations of the world as is entailed by the usual interpretations of the narrative.One example of errors resulting from incorrect identification of the context of this prophetic saying follows. The leader of a contemporary Islamic movement, on the basis of this hadith, issued a legal opinion (fatwa) to the effect that an inexpedient shariah directive can be altered and suspended. In the support of this view he cited the hadith above mentioned. He held that though Islam affirms equality as an established moral principle, yet, in the case of the candidacy for caliphate, the Prophet found this principle inexpedient. He cancelled this principle and declared that rulers shall be from among the Quraysh.2 Take still another example. Some tradition contain following words of the Prophet : I have been commanded to fight the people until they profess there is no God but Allah. (Bukhari, No: 385)Apparent and literal meaning of the narrative, disregarding its true context, validates the Orientalists' view that Islam was spread by the sword. It also entails that the war against unbelief that the Prophet started has to go on till the whole mankind embraces Islam and declares Allah to be the only deity. This is plainly wrong. History falsifies this interpretation. We know that the Prophet accepted jizyah from the People of the Book as well as the Magians (al-majus). He did not force them to say that there is no God but Allah. Similarly all such people who contracted treaties with Muslims, before their subjugation (mu'ahid/ahl al-ṣulḥ), were allowed to follow their religion. They too were not forced to convert. We must, therefore, try to discover the true meaning of this narrative. If we consider the word "the people" in the narrative specifically referring to the children of Isma'il, based on obvious textual indications, the ḥadith narrative conforms to the teachings of the Quran. I have explained in my commentary on the Quran the Divine law regarding the Messengers (rusul) and their direct addressees. I have explained that sometimes God sends a Prophet (nabi) as a Messenger (rasul) to a nation. The Messenger makes his message plain. He establishes his claim by a number of portents and removes all possible doubts on his claim to be a Divine Messenger. If his addressees reject him and his message even after the itmam al-ḥujjah (making the truth obvious in a conclusive manner), the rejecters are either struck by God's cosmic punishment and destroyed or, otherwise, punished at the hands of the believers. It is this way (sunnah) of God which this hadith explains. It is a historical fact that the Prophet was primarily sent to the Children of Isma'il, who were his direct addressees. Therefore, after the itmam al-ḥujjah was accomplished by the Prophet , they were left to choose between death and faith. They were not held in bondage nor were they offered to pay jizyah and follow their religion.Similar problematic narratives bearing upon issues of great importance abound in the hadith literature. It is, therefore, very important to learn the context of situation of the reported acts and statements of the Prophet . Failure to understand the true context of such narratives has perplexed most of our renowned scholars who badly failed to explain such problematic narratives. They either adopted apologetic attitude with regard to these narratives or came to hold clearly unfounded views.5. Mutual Harmony of Religion, Human Nature and Reason The fifth and the last guiding principle in this regard is that the religion does not contradict the dictates of reason and fiṭrah (human nature). God has indeed based the teachings of religion on the dictates of fiṭrah (human nature). Fiṭrah of God upon which He has modelled the humans. (Q 30:30)The religion highlights the dictates of reason and fiṭrah, shapes them in the form of principles and bases the entire system of human life on it. Hence, it cannot contradict fiṭrah. It follows from this that everything that is against reason and fiṭrah would definitely contradict the religion.Just as the entire call of the Quran is based on reason and intellect; and the Book pleads to it in the support of its claims; similarly, ahaadith penetrate our hearts through reason and fiṭrah. It does not contain something opposed to reason and fiṭrah. If we find any such hadith we must investigate and ponder over it in more depth. We shall either appreciate that, previously, we were misinterpreting the hadith or learn that the narrative is not sound.We must also appreciate that, at times, we fail to grasp all aspects of a stated fact. If we fail to fully understand a prophetic statement and we realize that the reason of our failure lies in the limitations of human intellect, we should not hastily brand the narrative as against reason and fiṭrah. It entails that if we see that a statement contradicts reason and fiṭrah, we should continue contemplating on it till we are able to grasp its meaning or conclude that it lies out of the scope of human mind. If, however, repeated investigation proves that the narrative contradicts reason and fiṭrah and there is no way we can reconcile between the two then it must be boldly rejected.I also want to emphasize that, in this discussion, I do not mean to refer to the understanding and reasoning of those who do not use intellect and reason properly. Nor do I refer to those who make their reason hostage to the desires of their flesh. Their issue should be referred to God for judgment.6. ConclusionThe religion and the shariah are not trivial affairs. They command serious consideration. The prophetic sayings form part of the religion of God. To declare that a particular statement is a genuine prophetic saying is a grave judgment. It is a matter of great responsibility. Not everyone is able to discharge this duty. There are no doubt other principles of hadith investigation. They too are important for us. However, the ones which I have mentioned above are fundamental. They provide firm and foundational rules to guide the student. It is not possible for one to properly understand and explain ahaadith without taking them into consideration.
Translated from Mabadi Tadabbur-i Hadith by Tariq Mahmood Hashmi. Amin Ahsan Islahi (1904 - 1997) was an Islamic scholar from the Indian Sub Continent. He is widely known for his Quranic commentary "Tadabbur-i-Qur'an"
Notes:
1. Khaṭib Baghdadi, al-Kifayah fi 'Ilm al-Riwayah (Haiderabad Deccan: Da'irah al-Ma'arif al-'Uthmaniyah, 1938), 15. 2. The author refers to the viewpoint of Abu al-Aa'la Mawdudi. See Abu al-A'la Mawdudi, Rasa'il-o Masa'il, 22nd ed., vol. 1 (Lahore: Islamic Publications, 1990), 64-68.
Source: Renaissance

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Saturday, May 22, 2010

Freedom of Expression?

From: http://www.islamicity.com/

By: Khalid Baig

With the latest in-your-face act of the Facebook, the issue is once again attracting headlines. Should Muslims react? How should they react? Where do they stand on the philosophical issue underlying all this? In the media the issue has been framed as a clash between two camps. One camp stands for freedom of expression. The other wants to curtail it. Needless to say the first camp is enlightened and virtuous. The other is a relic of the dark ages. The clash in other words is between a civilized and civilizing West and Islam that just refuses to be civilized.Once you accept this framing of the whole issue, the outcome is already decided. Are you for freedom of expression or not? It is a loaded question, and just like the yes/no question, "Have you stopped beating your wife?" no matter how you answer it, you remain guilty.

Look at the typical Muslim response which begins, "We also believe in freedom of expression but..." It matters little what you say after that. It is obvious that you are trying to add exclusions and limitations to a basic moral value while the other side is asking for no such limits. It is not difficult to see which side will come out ahead.But this predicament is a result of uncritically accepting a false statement about the nature of the clash. For the real clash is not between those who are for and those who are against a freedom. Rather it is between two different freedoms.

On the one hand is the freedom to insult. On the other is freedom from insult. Whether it was the Satanic Verses of the 1980s or the Cartoons of 2005 and their endless reproduction since then, if they stand for any freedom, it is freedom to insult. Pure and simple. Muslims, on the other hand, have stood for and demanded freedom from insult. Nothing more. Nothing less. These are certainly opposing values. You can be for one or the other. And the question does arise, which one is a better value. To see that let us imagine a society that truly believes in the first as a cherished moral value. It celebrates freedom to insult and guards it at all costs.

Every member of it enjoys this freedom and practices it regularly. In a business everyone insults everyone else. The boss is insulting the employees, the employees are insulting the bosses. The salesmen are insulting the customers. The accountants are insulting the creditors. Everyone is enjoying the great freedom to insult. The same is true of the home. The parents are always insulting the children. The children are constantly insulting the parents. The spouses are incessantly insulting each other. And in doing so they all stand on the high moral ground because freedom to insult is such a fundamental freedom on which the society is built. Actually contrary to the claims of the pundits if the Western society was truly built on this "cherished moral value," it would have perished a long time ago --- consumed by the fires of hatred and negativity generated by this freedom. No home, no neighborhood, no village, no business, no organization and no society can survive for long if it makes freedom to insult as a cornerstone of its freedoms. Clearly most who advocate this freedom do not practice it in their daily lives. But they are making an exception in the case of Islam and Muslims. The driving force behind this is not any great moral principle but a deep rooted hatred born of ignorance.

Software professionals sometimes use a term called beature. It stands for a bug turned into a feature. A bug is a defect in the software. A feature, on the other hand, is a desirable attribute. A beature is a defect that is presented (thanks to slick marketing) as a feature. Freedom to insult is also a beature. It is the growing sickness of Islamophobia in the West which is being presented as a high moral value, packaged by the slick marketing departments as freedom of expression. Well, whether or not freedom to insult is a Western value, Islam has nothing to do with it. It lays emphasis on its exact opposite: the freedom from insult. It values human dignity, decency, and harmony in the society. The freedom of religion it ensures includes freedom from insults. While it does not shy away from academic discussion of its beliefs and showing the falsehood of non-Islamic beliefs, it makes sure that the discussion remains civil.

In those discussions it wants to engage the intellect of its opponents; in contrast those who itch to insult their opponents are interested in satisfying their vulgar emotions. Thus while its most important battle is against false gods it asks its followers to refrain from reviling them. (Qur'an, Al-anam, 6:108). It also reminds them to stay away from harsh speech. "Allah loves not the utterance of harsh speech save by one who has been wronged." (Qur'an, Al-Nisa, 4:148). Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, who is being reviled by the scum of the world, taught Muslims to never let the low moral standards of their adversaries dictate theirs. As a result of these teachings Muslims can never even imagine insulting any Prophet --- from Adam to Moses to Jesus to Muhammad, peace be upon them all. Even when they ruled the world, Muslims treated the religious leaders of non-Muslim also with respect - even during battles.

In the Baghdad court Jewish and Christian scholars engaged in open discussions with the Muslim savants. Needless to say they had not been attracted by the freedom to insult but its exact opposite. Freedom from insult is a fundamental value that assures peace and harmony. It leads to healthy societies. And Muslims are very proud of their impeccable record here. What is true of a home or a village is also true of the world as it has become a global village. Now, more than ever before, the world needs the harmony and tolerance that can only be assured by the freedom from insults.

Blogger comment:

In true Muslim country no prophet should be insulted. True Muslims in their country do not and would not allow anyone to insult Jesus (PBUH). Muslims should not kill some in the west who would insult the prophet but to insult them back, which we call it justice. We should make it clear to express why we hold the prophets highly and make it clear that who are insulting them are not respecting their creator or even has some ethics to read the Quran and know the life of the prophet they are insulting.

Like some in the western leader are busy putting a law to Barka. It looks like they solved all Muslims problems including tyranny and injustices. Yes they solved the poverty in the Muslims countries and now they will also solve the Barka problem. As you see they are insulting Muslims in every way they go. They choose their leaders and their policies and stand against us all the way. The guy who tells the truth like it is suffer for telling the truth.

Muslims do not insult others, but only insult others back which is called justice and dignity. When you fight against injustices and oppression it is not insulting but insulting back. In my web blog site I do not insult people but I insult back. I go against injustices which was the message of Jesus peace be upon him.

For jihadists they are fighting back the oppression. I agree to fight back but not with real attacks but having real power to deter. We all miss the good old days where there were two militarily equal forces the USA and USSR. They had the power of mutual destruction and I mean by that the leaders even themselves can be destroyed. It is not like the president of a country sending troops to die and he is protected by his guards. Like it or not there were world balance at that time. The leaders had to play cautious politics to maintain their own survival. America did not conquer the USSR but the communist system itself was not working like one of their leaders would say the cow of the farmer produces milk more than that of the government.

Muslims should think now to express their despise of any attacks on the prophet without any violence. The best to retaliate for their religion is to bring back their true religion and take over the matters of their lives. To strongly oppose the Muslim corrupt leaders every where in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq...... It is time to bring back our great civilization that the whole world need. Again and again President Obama is not Al Mahdi Al Muntazer and Muslims who are not standing for me will be asked harshly in the day of judgment. There is no doubt we are at the end of time and no doubt Al Mahdi is known well to a lot of people. Call Mubarak and tell him to be brave and tell Muslims publicly that I am not Al Mahdi.

Friday, May 21, 2010

To All Young People in the World Your Future is here

By: Maged Taman

Wherever country you are from, what ever race you were born and what a belief system you have I have your future in my health Plan, see the link below. Why it is your future read the plan and find out yourself. So why this plan is hidden by the media and politicians. Because people thinks I want to dominate the world which is a joke for me since I am an introverted guy with few friends. I rather watch Disney movies than run the world.

However people at time looks for a guy like me wants to do a clean job save the world and then hide back in his cave where he enjoys his loneliness. A perfect model for the anti-Christ or Al Mahdi like Muslims think. However you know the envious nature of many humans they would not stand to have a saviour they rather kill each other and spread corruption in earth than have a Savior.

Remember how Jesus was oppressed and persecuted and he is ten times better than me. I can just close my web site and go home and live like other people are living which I still think about. However the world is going from bad to worse and a lot of young people see no future and older the generations I am one of them live a hard and insecure life. That is why I want to get out of my cave. In the era of President Bush he would pass the wrong information in the Churches that I am the anti-Christ I can hear them in their meetings. Thus all my Communications with the media and even Muslims scholars they block it like with the Sistani, Goma and others did not bother even to interrogate me from orders from higher powers.

President Obama thinks he is personally Al Mahdi Al Muntazer that I was waiting for but he did not deliver. Thus my talk is to the young people around the world read my health and long term plan. Decide to yourself If you are interested to see me in person and listen to my advises and God inspiration or you want just keep angry about your bad future and unhappy life. The elites really hate to see me rise up.

Read my health plan examine it very well and you will find that I am sent by God and not by Satan.

http://books.google.com/books?id=FzJ3NtHcpFYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=maged+taman&source=bl&ots=yc9Be4Q1yL&sig=JtyKHuSRWZpJAKxdc7ZH6I8jT4&hl=en&ei=gzL3S5rCH5DCNdS9lIQI&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=17&ved=0CE8Q6AEwEA#v=onepage&q&f=false

The Big Questions

From: http://www.islamreligion.com/

Laurence B. Brown, MD

The Big Questions (part 1 of 3): Who Made Us?

At some point in our lives, everybody asks the big questions: “Who made us,” and “Why are we here?”
So who did make us? Atheists speak of the Big Bang and evolution, whereas all others speak of God. Those who answer “I don’t know” are atheist for all intents and purposes, not because they deny God’s existence, but because they fail to affirm it.
Now, the Big Bang may explain the origin of the universe, but it doesn’t explain the origin of the primordial dust cloud. This dust cloud (which, according to the theory, drew together, compacted and then exploded) had to come from somewhere. After all, it contained enough matter to form not just our galaxy, but the billion other galaxies in the known universe. So where did that come from? Who, or what, created the primordial dust cloud?
Similarly, evolution may explain the fossil record, but it falls far short of explaining the quintessential essence of human life—the soul. We all have one. We feel its presence, we speak of its existence and at times pray for its salvation. But only the religious can explain where it came from. The theory of natural selection can explain many of the material aspects of living things, but it fails to explain the human soul.
Furthermore, anyone who studies the complexities of life and the universe cannot help but witness the signature of the Creator.[1] Whether or not people recognize these signs is another matter—as the old saying goes, denial isn’t just a river in Egypt. (Get it? Denial, spelled “de Nile” … the river Ni … oh, never mind.) The point is that if we see a painting, we know there is a painter. If we see a sculpture, we know there’s a sculptor; a pot, a potter. So when we view creation, shouldn’t we know there’s a Creator?
The concept that the universe exploded and then developed in balanced perfection through random events and natural selection is little different from the proposal that, by dropping bombs into a junkyard, sooner or later one of them will blow everything together into a perfect Mercedes. In the color and trim of our hearts’ desire, no less.
If there is one thing we know for certain, it is that without a controlling influence, all systems degenerate into chaos. The theories of the Big Bang and evolution propose the exact opposite, however—that chaos fostered perfection. Would it not be more reasonable to conclude that the Big Bang and evolution were controlled events? Controlled, that is, by the Creator?
The Arabs tell the tale of a nomad finding an exquisite palace at an oasis in the middle of an otherwise barren desert. When he asks how it was built, the owner tells him it was formed by the forces of nature. The wind shaped the rocks and blew them to the edge of this oasis, and then tumbled them together into the shape of the palace. Then it blew strands of sheep’s wool together into rugs and tapestries, stray wood together into furniture, doors, windowsills and trim, and positioned them in the palace at just the right locations. Lightning strikes melted sand into sheets of glass and blasted them into the window-frames, and smelted black sand into steel and shaped it into the fence and gate with perfect alignment and symmetry. The process took billions of years and only happened at this one place on earth—purely through coincidence.
When we finish rolling our eyes, we get the point. Obviously, the palace was built by design, not by happenstance. To what (or more to the point, to Whom), then, should we attribute the origin of items of infinitely greater complexity, such as our universe and our lives?
Another classic argument for atheism focuses upon what people perceive to be the imperfections of creation. These are the “How can there be a God if such-and-such happened?” arguments. The issue under discussion could be anything from a natural disaster to birth defects, from genocide to grandmother’s cancer. That’s not the point. The point is that denying God based upon what we perceive to be injustices of life presumes that a divine being would not have designed our lives to be anything other than perfect, and would have established justice on Earth.
Hmm … is there no other option?
We can just as easily propose that God did not design life on Earth to be paradise, but rather a test, the punishment or rewards of which are to be had in the next life, which is where God establishes his ultimate justice. In support of this concept we can well ask who suffered more injustices in their worldly lives than God’s favorites, which is to say the prophets? And who do we expect to occupy the highest stations in paradise, if not those who maintain true faith in the face of worldly adversity?
I would hope that, by this line of reasoning, we can agree upon the answer to the first “big question.” Who made us? Can we agree that if we are creation, God is the Creator?
If we can’t agree on this point, there probably isn’t much point in continuing. However, for those who do agree, let’s move on to “big question” number two—why are we here? What, in other words, is the purpose of life?

Footnotes:
[1] To this end, and leaving all of the author’s religious inclinations aside, I heartily recommend reading A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson.

The Big Questions (part 2 of 3): The Purpose of Life

The first of the two big questions in life is, “Who made us?” We addressed that question in the previous article and (hopefully) settled upon “God” as the answer. As we are creation, God is the Creator.
Now, let us turn to the second “big question,” which is, “Why are we here?”
Well, why are we here? To amass fame and fortune? To make music and babies? To be the richest man or woman in the graveyard for, as we are jokingly told, “He who dies with the most toys wins?”
No, there must be more to life than that, so let’s think about this. To begin with, look around you. Unless you live in a cave, you are surrounded by things we humans have made with our own hands. Now, why did we make those things? The answer, of course, is that we make things to perform some specific function for us. In short, we make things to serve us. So, by extension, why did God make us, if not to serve Him?
Our purpose, then, is to serve God. We receive this message from the prophets, as well as from scripture, but nowhere more clearly than in the Quran, the holy book of Islam:
“And I [God] did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me” (Quran 51:56)
Which brings us to the next point. If we acknowledge our Creator, and that He created humankind to serve Him, the next question is, “How? How do we serve Him?” No doubt, this question is best answered by the One who made us. If He created us to serve Him, then He expects us to function in a particular manner, if we are to achieve our purpose. But how can we know what that manner is? How can we know what God expects from us?
Well, consider this: God gave us light, by which we can find our way. Even at night, we have the moon for light and the stars for navigation. God gave other animals guidance systems best suited for their conditions and needs. Migrating birds can navigate, even on overcast days, by light polarization. Whales migrate by “reading” the Earth’s magnetic fields. Salmon return from the open ocean to spawn at the exact spot of their birth by smell, if that can be imagined. Fish sense distant movements through pressure receptors that line their bodies. Bats and the blind river dolphins “see” by sonar. Certain marine organisms (the electric eel being a high-voltage example) generate and sense magnetic fields, allowing them to “see” in muddy waters, or in the blackness of ocean depths. Insects communicate by pheromones, the trail of which guides them to food, and then home again. Plants sense sunlight and grow towards it (phototropism); their roots sense gravity and grow into the earth (geotropism). In short, God has gifted every element of His creation with guidance. Can we seriously believe he would not give us guidance on the one most important aspect of our existence, namely our raison d’etre—our reason for being? That he would not give us the tools by which to achieve salvation?
Of course not. Hence, revelation.
Think of it this way: Every product has specifications and rules. For more complex products, whose specifications and rules are not intuitive, owner’s manuals are provided. These manuals are written by the one who knows the product best, which is to say the manufacturer. A typical owner’s manual begins with warnings about improper use and the hazardous consequences thereof, moves on to a description of how to use the product properly and the benefits to be gained thereby, and provides product specifications and a troubleshooting guide whereby we can correct product malfunctions.
How is that different from revelation?
Revelation tells us what to do, what not to do and why, tells us what God expects of us, and shows us how to correct our deficiencies. Revelation is the ultimate user’s manual, provided as guidance to the one who will use us—ourselves.
In the world we know, products that meet or exceed specifications are considered successes whereas those that don’t are … hmm … let’s think about this. Any product that fails to meet factory specifications is either repaired or, if hopeless, recycled. In other words, destroyed. Ouch. Suddenly this discussion turns scary-serious. Because in this discussion, we are the product—the product of creation.
But let’s pause for a moment and consider how we interact with the various items that fill our lives. As long as they do what we want, we’re happy with them. But when they fail us, we get rid of them. Some are returned to the store, some donated to charity, but eventually they all end up in the garbage, which gets … buried or burned. Similarly, an underperforming employee gets … fired. Now, stop for a minute and think about that word. Where did that euphemism for the punishment due to an underperformer come from? Hmm … the person who believes the lessons of this life translate into lessons about religion could have a field day with this.
But that doesn’t mean these analogies are invalid. Just the opposite, we should remember that both Old and New Testaments are filled with analogies, and Jesus Christ taught using parables.
So perhaps we had better take this seriously.
No, I stand corrected. Most definitely we should take this seriously. Nobody ever considered the difference between heavenly delights and the tortures of hellfire a laughing matter.

The Big Questions (Part 3 of 3): The Need for Revelation

In the previous two parts of this series, we answered the two “big questions.” Who made us? God. Why are we here? To serve and worship Him. A third question naturally arose: “If our Creator made us to serve and worship Him, how do we do that?” In the previous article I suggested that the only way we can serve our Creator is through obeying His mandates, as conveyed through revelation.
But many people would question my assertion: Why does mankind need revelation? Isn’t it enough just to be good? Isn’t it enough for each of us to worship God in our own way?
Regarding the need for revelation, I would make the following points: In the first article of this series I pointed out that life is full of injustices, but our Creator is fair and just, and He establishes justice not in this life, but in the afterlife. However, justice cannot be established without four things—a court (i.e., the Day of Judgment); a judge (i.e., the Creator); witnesses (i.e., men and women, angels, elements of creation); and a book of laws upon which to judge (i.e., revelation). Now, how can our Creator establish justice if He did not hold humankind to certain laws during their lives? It’s not possible. In that scenario, instead of justice, God would be dealing out injustice, for He would be punishing people for transgressions they had no way of knowing were crimes.
Why else do we need revelation? To begin with, without guidance mankind cannot even agree on social and economic issues, politics, laws, etc. So how can we ever agree on God? Secondly, nobody writes the user manual better than the one who made the product. God is the Creator, we are creation, and nobody knows the overall scheme of creation better than the Creator. Are employees allowed to design their own job descriptions, duties and compensation packages as they see fit? Are all citizens allowed to write their own laws? No? Well then, why should we be allowed to write our own religions? If history has taught us anything, it is the tragedies that result when mankind follows its caprice. How many who have claimed to banner of free thought have designed religions that committed themselves and their followers to nightmares on Earth and damnation in the hereafter?
So why isn’t it enough just to be good? And why isn’t it enough for each of us to worship God in our own way? To begin with, peoples’ definitions of “good” differ. For some it is high morals and clean living, for others it is madness and mayhem. Similarly, concepts of how to serve and worship our Creator differ as well. More importantly and to the point, nobody can walk into a store or a restaurant and pay with a different currency than the merchant accepts. So it is with religion. If people want God to accept their servitude and worship, they have to pay in the currency God demands. And that currency is obedience to His revelation.
Imagine raising children in a home in which you have set “house rules.” Then, one day, one of your children tells you he or she has changed the rules, and is going to do things differently. How would you respond? More than likely, with the words, “You can take your new rules and go to Hell!” Well, think about it. We are God’s creation, living in His universe under His rules, and “go to Hell” is very likely what God will say to any who presume to override His laws with their own.
Sincerity becomes an issue at this point. We should recognize that all pleasure is a gift from our Creator, and deserving of thanks. If given a gift, who uses the gift before giving thanks? And yet, many of us enjoy God’s gifts for a lifetime and never give thanks. Or give it late. The English poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, spoke of the irony of the distressed human appeal in The Cry of the Human:
And lips say “God be pitiful,”
Who ne’er said, “God be praised.”
Should we not show good manners and thank our Creator for His gifts now, and subsequently for the rest of our lives? Don’t we owe that to Him?
You answered “Yes.” You must have. Nobody will have read this far without being in agreement, but here’s the problem: Many of you answered Yes, knowing full well that your heart is not in the Bible. Or perhaps it is in the Bible, but not entirely. You agree we were created by a Creator. You struggle to understand Him. And you yearn to serve and worship Him in the manner He prescribes. But you don’t know how, and you don’t know where to look for the answers. And that, unfortunately, is not a subject that can be answered in an article. Unfortunately, that issue has to be addressed in a book.
On the other hand, the good news is that I have written this book, and its title is The First and Final Commandment (soon to be republished under the title, MisGod’ed). So if you like what you’ve read here, I invite you to read what I’ve written there.

Copyright © 2007 Laurence B. Brown.
About the Author:The author can be contacted at BrownL38@yahoo.com. He is the author of The First and Final Commandment (Amana Publications) and Bearing True Witness (Dar-us-Salam). Forthcoming books are a historical thriller, The Eighth Scroll, and a second edition of The First and Final Commandment, rewritten and divided into MisGod’ed and its sequel, God’ed.