The Day of Judgment

By: Maged Taman

1- We will all die this is the 100% fact we can all agree on:

6:61 He is the Omnipotent over His slaves. He sendeth guardians over you until, when death cometh unto one of you, Our messengers receive him, and they neglect not. وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ وَيُرْسِلُ عَلَيْكُم حَفَظَةً حَتَّىَ إِذَا جَاء أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا وَهُمْ لاَ يُفَرِّطُونَ (6:61)

2- There is resurrection and day of judgement we can not all agree upon, but I am not waiting to believe then when it will be too late:

4:87 Allah! There is no God save Him. He gathereth you all unto a Day of resurrection whereof there is no doubt. Who is more true in statement than Allahاللّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ لَيَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهِ وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ اللّهِ حَدِيثًا (4:87)

3:9 Our Lord! it is Thou Who gatherest mankind together to a day of which there is no doubt. Lo! Allah faileth not to keep the trystرَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ جَامِعُ النَّاسِ لِيَوْمٍ لاَّ رَيْبَ فِيهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ (3:9)

3- The trumpet will be blown and we will answer God's call and rise from the dead:

36:51 And [then] the trumpet [of resurrection] will be blown - and lo! out of their graves towards their Sustainer will they all rush forth!
وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَإِذَا هُم مِّنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَنسِلُونَ (36:51)

4- Each of us will have a book that has our record in this life:

17:13 And every human being's destiny have We tied to his neck; and on the Day of resurrection We shall bring forth for him a record which he will find wide open;
وَكُلَّ إِنسَانٍ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَآئِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنشُورًا (17:13)

5- You will know early by having your book in the right or left hand:

69:19 Then, as for him who is given his record in his right hand, he will say: Take, read my book! فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَيَقُولُ هَاؤُمُ اقْرَؤُوا كِتَابِيهْ (69:19)
69:25 But as for him who is given his record in his left hand, he will say: Oh, would that I had not been given my book
وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِشِمَالِهِ فَيَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُوتَ كِتَابِيهْ (69:25)

6- The worse will be those who invoked idols to God they will not answer them in that day and will be enemies to them:

46:5 And who could be more astray than one who invokes, instead of God, such as will not respond to him either now or on the Day of resurrection, and are not even conscious of being invoked?
وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّن يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَن لَّا يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ إِلَى يَومِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَهُمْ عَن دُعَائِهِمْ غَافِلُونَ (46

46:6 And when mankind are gathered (to the judgment) will become enemies for them, and will become deniers of having been worshipped.
وَإِذَا حُشِرَ النَّاسُ كَانُوا لَهُمْ أَعْدَاء وَكَانُوا بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ كَافِرِينَ (46:6)

7- This book will contain the fine details of our evil and good:

18:49 And the book is placed, and thou seest the guilty fearful of that which is therein, and they say: What Kind of a book is this that leaveth not a small thing nor a great thing but hath counted it! And they find all that they did confronting them, and thy Lord wrongeth no one. وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَابُ فَتَرَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يَا وَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّا أَحْصَاهَا وَوَجَدُوا مَا عَمِلُوا حَاضِرًا وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا (18:49)

8- We will be judged fairly in that day:

21:47 And We set a just balance for the Day of resurrection so that no soul is wronged in aught. Though it be of the weight of a grain of mustard seed, We bring it. And We suffice for reckoners. وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا وَإِن كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا وَكَفَى بِنَا حَاسِبِينَ (21:47)

9- The result at that day will be incredible if you believe in one God and your good deeds surpass the bad ones you will be pushed away from fire and saved:

3:185 Every human being is bound to taste death: but only on the Day of resurrection will you be requited in full [for whatever you have done] - whereupon he that shall be drawn away from the fire and brought into paradise will indeed have gained a triumph: for the life of this world is nothing but an enjoyment of self-delusion.
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ وَما الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلاَّ مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ (3:185)

10- The worst of the losers are those who did not believe Muhammad (PBUH) and did not obey his message:

4:42 On that day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the messenger will wish that they were level with the ground, and they can hide no fact from Allah. يَوْمَئِذٍ يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَعَصَوُاْ الرَّسُولَ لَوْ تُسَوَّى بِهِمُ الأَرْضُ وَلاَ يَكْتُمُونَ اللّهَ حَدِيثًا (

5:36 As for those who disbelieve, lo! if all that is in the earth were theirs, and as much again therewith, to ransom them from the doom on the day of Resurrection, it would not be accepted from them. Theirs will be a painful doom. إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُم مَّا فِي الأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا وَمِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ لِيَفْتَدُواْ بِهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ مَا تُقُبِّلَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (5:36)

11- Satan let them to this doom and he will deny them in that day:

16:63 By Allah, We verily sent messengers unto the nations before thee, but the devil made their deeds fair seeming unto them. So be is their patron this day, and theirs will be a painful doom. تَاللّهِ لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَى أُمَمٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُمُ الْيَوْمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (16:63)

14:22 And satan saith, when the matter hath been decided: Lo! Allah promised you a promise of truth; and I promised you, then failed you. And I had no power over you save that I called unto you and ye obeyed me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can ye help me. Lo! I disbelieved in that which ye before ascribed to me. Lo! for wrong-doers is a painful doomوَقَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ لَمَّا قُضِيَ الأَمْرُ إِنَّ اللّهَ وَعَدَكُمْ وَعْدَ الْحَقِّ وَوَعَدتُّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمْ وَمَا كَانَ لِيَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن سُلْطَانٍ إِلاَّ أَن دَعَوْتُكُمْ فَاسْتَجَبْتُمْ لِي فَلاَ تَلُومُونِي وَلُومُواْ أَنفُسَكُم مَّا أَنَاْ بِمُصْرِخِكُمْ وَمَا أَنتُمْ بِمُصْرِخِيَّ إِنِّي كَفَرْتُ بِمَآ أَشْرَكْتُمُونِ مِن قَبْلُ إِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (14:22)

12- Those who destined to go to hell will ask God for another chance, which is simply now in earth:

14:44 Hence, warn men of the Day when this suffering may befall them, and when those who did wrong [in their lifetime] will exclaim: "O our Sustainer! Grant us respite for a short while, so that we might respond to Thy call and follow the apostles!" [But God will answer:] "Why - were you not aforetime wont to swear that no kind of resurrection and retribution awaited you?
وَأَنذِرِ النَّاسَ يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمُ الْعَذَابُ فَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ رَبَّنَا أَخِّرْنَا إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ نُّجِبْ دَعْوَتَكَ وَنَتَّبِعِ الرُّسُلَ أَوَلَمْ تَكُونُواْ أَقْسَمْتُم مِّن قَبْلُ مَا لَكُم مِّن زَوَالٍ (14:44)

13- On the other hand those who were truthful to God will enjoy heaven forever:

5:119 Allah saith: This is a day in which their truthfulness profiteth the truthful, for theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they are secure for ever, Allah taking pleasure in them and they in Him. That is the great triumphقَالَ اللّهُ هَذَا يَوْمُ يَنفَعُ الصَّادِقِينَ صِدْقُهُمْ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا رَّضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُواْ عَنْهُ ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEQzzKL2fb4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8QvRsrFJe8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLk8VPFeQ8Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fP3sotG9wU

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What is Islam?

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

By: Abdulsalam

What is Islam? (part 1 of 4): The Core of Islam

Among the blessings and favors that God has bestowed upon humanity is that He endowed them with an innate ability to recognize and acknowledge His existence. He placed this awareness deep in their hearts as a natural disposition that has not changed since human beings were first created. Furthermore, He reinforced this natural disposition with the signs that he placed in Creation that testify to His existence. However, since it is not possible for human beings to have a detailed knowledge of God except through revelation from Himself, God sent His Messengers to teach the people about their Creator Who they must worship. These Messengers also brought with them the details of how to worship God, because such details cannot be known except by way of revelation. These two fundamentals were the most important things that the Messengers of all the divine revelations brought with them from God. On this basis, all the divine revelations have had the same lofty objectives, which are:
1. To affirm the Oneness of God - the praised and glorified Creator – in His essence and His attributes.
2. To affirm that God alone should be worshipped and that no other being should be worshipped along with Him or instead of Him.
3. To safeguard human welfare and oppose corruption and evil. Thus, everything that safeguards faith, life, reason, wealth and lineage are part of this human welfare that religion protects. On the other hand, anything that endangers these five universal needs is a form of corruption that religion opposes and prohibits.
4. To invite the people to the highest level of virtue, moral values, and noble customs.
The ultimate goal of every Divine Message has always been the same: to guide the people to God, to make them aware of Him, and to have them worship Him alone. Each Divine Message came to strengthen this meaning, and the following words were repeated on the tongues of all the Messengers: “Worship God, you have no god other than Him.” This message was conveyed to humanity by prophets and messengers which God sent to every nation. All of these messengers came with this same message, the message of Islam.
All the Divine Messages came to bring the life of the people into willing submission to God. For this reason, they all share the name of “Islam”, or “submission” derived from the same word as “Salam”, or “peace”, in Arabic. Islam, in this sense, was the religion of all the prophets, but why does one see different variations of the religion of God if they all emanated from the same source? The answer is twofold.
The first reason is that as a result of the passage of time, and due to the fact that previous religions were not under the Divine protection of God, they underwent much change and variation. As a result, we see that the fundamental truths which were brought by all messengers now differ from one religion to another, the most apparent being the strict tenet of the belief and worship of God and God alone.
The second reason for this variation is that God, in His infinite Wisdom and eternal Will, decreed that all the divine missions prior to the final message of Islam brought by Muhammad, may God praise him, be limited to a specific time frame. As a result, their laws and methodologies dealt with the specific conditions of the people whom they had been sent to address.
Humanity has passed through numerous periods of guidance, misguidance, integrity, and deviation, from the most primitive age to the heights of civilization. Divine guidance accompanied humanity through all of this, always providing the appropriate solutions and remedies.
This was the essence of the disparity that existed between the different religions. This disagreement never went beyond the particulars of the Divine Law. Each manifestation of the Law addressed the particular problems of the people it was meant for. However, the areas of agreement were significant and many, such as fundamentals of faith; the basic principles and objectives of the Divine Law, such as protecting faith, life, reason, wealth, and lineage and establishing justice in the land; and certain fundamental prohibitions, some of the most important of these being idolatry, fornication, murder, theft, and giving false witness. Moreover, they also agreed upon moral virtues like honesty, justice, charity, kindness, chastity, righteousness, and mercy. These principles as well as others are permanent and lasting; they are the essence of all the Divine Messages and bind them all together.

What is Islam? (part 2 of 4): The Origins of Islam

But where does the message of Muhammad, may God praise him, fit in with the previous messages revealed by God? A brief history of the prophets might clear this point.
The first human, Adam, followed Islam, in that he directed worship to God alone and none else and abided by His commandments. But through the passage of time and the dispersal of humanity throughout the earth, people strayed from this message and began directing worship to others instead of or along with God. Some took to worshipping the pious who passed away amongst them, while others took to worshipping spirits and forces of nature. It was then that God started to send messengers to humanity steering them back to the worship of God Alone, which accorded to their true nature, and warning them of the grave consequences of directing any type of worship to others besides Him.
The first of these messengers was Noah, who was sent to preach this message of Islam to his people, after they had started to direct worship to their pious forefathers along with God. Noah called his people to leave the worship of their idols, and ordered them to return to the worship of God Alone. Some of them followed the teachings of Noah, while the majority disbelieved in him. Those who followed Noah were followers of Islam, or Muslims, while those that did not, remained in their disbelief and were seized with a punishment for doing so.
After Noah, God sent messengers to every nation who had strayed from the Truth, to steer them back to it. This Truth was the same throughout time: to reject all objects of worship and to direct all worship without exception to God and none else, the Creator and Lord of all, and to abide by His commandments. But as we mentioned before, because each nation differed in regards to their way of life, language, and culture, specific messengers were sent to specific nations for a specific time period.
God sent messengers to all nations, and to the Kingdom of Babylon He sent Abraham – one of the earliest and greatest prophets – who called his people to reject the worship of the idols to which they were devoted. He called them to Islam, but they rejected him and even tried to kill him. God put Abraham through many tests, and he proved true to all of them. For his many sacrifices, God proclaimed that he would raise from amongst his progeny a great nation and choose prophets from amongst them. Whenever people from his progeny started to stray away from the Truth, which was to worship none but God alone and to obey His commandments, God sent them another messenger steering them back to it.
Consequently, we see that many prophets were sent amongst the progeny of Abraham, such as his two sons Isaac and Ishmael, along with Jacob (Israel), Joseph, David, Solomon, Moses, and of course, Jesus, to mention a few, may the Peace and Blessings of God be upon them all. Each prophet was sent to the Children of Israel (the Jews) when they went astray from the true religion of God, and it became obligatory upon them to follow the messenger which was sent to them and obey their commandments. All of the messengers came with the same message, to reject worship of all other beings except God Alone and to obey His commandments. Some disbelieved in the prophets, while others believed. Those that believed were followers of Islam, or Muslims.
From amongst the messengers was Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, from the progeny of Ishmael, the son of Abraham, may God praise him, who was sent as a messenger in succession to Jesus. Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, preached the same message of Islam as the previous prophets and messengers – to direct all worship to God Alone and none else and to obey His commandments – in which the followers of the previous prophets went astray.
So as we see, the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, was not the founder of a new religion, as many people mistakenly think, but he was sent as the Final Prophet of Islam. By revealing His final message to Muhammad, which is an eternal and universal message for all of mankind, God finally fulfilled the covenant that He made with Abraham.
Just as it was incumbent upon the those who were alive to follow the message of the last of the succession of prophets which was sent to them, it becomes incumbent upon all of humanity to follow the message of Muhammad. God promised that this message would remain unchanged and fit for all times and places. Suffice is it to say that the way of Islam is the same as the way of the prophet Abraham, because both the Bible and the Quran portray Abraham as a towering example of someone who submitted himself completely to God and directed worship to Him alone and none else, and without any intermediaries. Once this is realized, it should be clear that Islam has the most continuous and universal message of any religion, because all prophets and messengers were “Muslims”, i.e. those who submitted to God’s will, and they preached “Islam”, i.e. submission to the will of Almighty God by worshipping Him Alone and obeying His commandments.
So we see that those who call themselves Muslims today do not follow a new religion; rather they follow the religion and message of all prophets and messengers which were sent to humanity by God’s command, also known as Islam. The word “Islam” is an Arabic word which literally means “submission to God”, and Muslims are those who willfully submit to and actively obey God, living in accordance with His message.

What is Islam? (part 3 of 4): The Essential Beliefs of Islam

There are many aspects of belief in which one who adheres to Islam must have firm conviction. From those aspects, the most important are six, known as the “Six Articles of Belief”.
1) Belief in God
Islam upholds strict monotheism and belief in God forms the heart of their faith. Islam teaches belief in one God who neither gives birth nor was born Himself, and has no share in His caretaking of the world. He alone gives life, causes death, brings good, causes affliction, and provides sustenance for His creation. God in Islam is the sole Creator, Lord, Sustainer, Ruler, Judge, and Savior of the universe. He has no equal in His qualities and abilities, such as knowledge and power. All worship, veneration and homage is to be directed to God and none else. Any breach of these concepts negates the basis of Islam.
2) Belief in the Angels
Adherents to Islam must believe in the Unseen world as mentioned in the Quran. From this world are the angels’ emissaries of God, each assigned with a specific task. They have no free-will or ability to disobey; it is their very nature to be God's faithful servants. Angels are not to be taken as demigods or objects of praise or veneration; they are mere servants of God obeying His every command.
3) Belief in the Prophets and Messengers
Islam is a universal and inclusive religion. Muslims believe in the prophets, not just the Prophet Muhammad, may the blessing and mercy of God be upon him, but the Hebrew prophets, including Abraham and Moses, as well as the prophets of the New Testament, Jesus, and John the Baptist. Islam teaches God did not send prophets to Jews and Christians alone, rather He sent prophets to all nations in the world with one central message: worship God alone. Muslim must believe in all prophets sent by God mentioned in the Quran, without making any distinction between them. Muhammad was sent with the final message, and there is no prophet to come after him. His message is final and eternal, and through him God completed His Message to humanity.
4) Belief in the Sacred Texts
Muslims believe in certain books that God has sent down to humanity through His prophets. These books include the Books of Abraham, the Torah of Moses, the Psalms of David, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These books all had the same source (God), the same message, and all were revealed in truth. This does not mean that they have been preserved in truth. Muslims (and many other Jewish and Christian scholars and historians) find that the books in existence today are not the original scriptures, which in fact have been lost, changed, and/or translated over and over again, losing the original message.
As Christians view the New Testament to fulfill and complete the Old Testament, Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad received revelations from God through the angel Gabriel to correct human error that had entered into the scriptures and doctrine of Judaism, Christianity and all other religions. This revelation is the Quran, revealed in the Arabic language, and found today in its pristine form. It seeks to guide mankind in all walks of life; spiritual, temporal, individual and collective. It contains directions for the conduct of life, relates stories and parables, describes the attributes of God, and speaks of the best rules to govern social life. It has directions for everybody, every place, and for all time. Millions of people today have memorized the Quran, and all copies of the Quran found today and in the past are identical. God has promised that He will guard the Quran from change until the end of times, so that Guidance be clear to humanity and the message of all the prophets be available for those who seek it.
5) Belief in Life after Death
Muslims believe that a day will come when all of creation will perish and resurrected in order to be judged for their deeds: The Day of Judgment. On this day, all will gather in the presence of God and each individual will be questioned about their life in the world and how they lived it. Those who held correct beliefs about God and life, and followed their belief with righteous deeds will enter Paradise, even though they may pay for some of their sins in Hell if God out of His Infinite Justice chooses not to forgive them. As for those who fell into polytheism in its many faces, they will enter Hellfire, never to leave therefrom.
6) Belief in the Divine Decree
Islam asserts that God has full power and knowledge of all things, and that nothing happens except by His Will and with His full knowledge. What is known as divine decree, fate, or "destiny" is known in Arabic as al-Qadr. The destiny of every creature is already known to God.
This belief however does not contradict with the idea of man's free will to choose his course of action. God does not force us to do anything; we can choose whether to obey or disobey Him. Our choice is known to God before we even do it. We do not know what our destiny is; but God knows the fate of all things.
Therefore, we should have firm faith that whatever befalls us, it is according to God's will and with His full knowledge. There may be things that happen in this world that we do not understand, but we should trust that God has wisdom in all things.

What is Islam? (part 4 of 4): Islamic Worship

There are five simple but essential observances that all practicing Muslims accept and follow. These “Pillars of Islam” represent the core that unites all Muslims.
1) The ‘Declaration of Faith’
A Muslim is one who testifies that “none deserves worship but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” This declaration is known as the “shahada” (witness, testimony). God is the Arabic name for God, just as Yahweh is the Hebrew name for God. By making this simple proclamation one becomes a Muslim. The proclamation affirms Islam’s absolute belief in the oneness of God, His exclusive right to be worshipped, as well as the doctrine that associating anything else with God is the one unforgivable sin as we read in the Koran:
“God does not forgive anyone for associating something with Him, while He does forgive whomever He wishes to for anything else. Anyone who gives God partners has invented an awful sin.” (Quran 4:48)
The second part of the testimony of faith states that Muhammad, may the blessing and mercy of God be upon him, is a prophet of God like Abraham, Moses and Jesus before him. Muhammad brought the last and final revelation. In accepting Muhammad as the “seal of the prophets,” Muslims believe that his prophecy confirms and fulfills all of the revealed messages, beginning with Adam’s. In addition, Muhammad serves as the role model through his exemplary life. A believer’s effort to follow Muhammad’s example reflects the emphasis of Islam on practice and action.
2) The Prayer (Salah)
Muslims worship five times a day: at daybreak, noon, mid afternoon, sunset, and evening. It helps keep believers mindful of God in the stress of work and family. It resets the spiritual focus, reaffirms total dependence on God, and puts worldly concerns within the perspective of the last judgment and the afterlife. The prayers consist of standing, bowing, kneeling, putting the forehead on the ground, and sitting. The Prayer is a means in which a relationship between God and His creation is maintained. It includes recitations from the Quran, praises of God, prayers for forgiveness and other various supplications. The prayer is an expression of submission, humility, and adoration of God. Prayers can be offered in any clean place, alone or together, in a mosque or at home, at work or on the road, indoors or out. It is preferable to pray with others as one body united in the worship of God, demonstrating discipline, brotherhood, equality, and solidarity. As they prepare to pray, Muslims face Mecca, the holy city centered around the Kaaba - the house of God built by Abraham and his son Ishmael.
3) The Compulsory Charity (Zakah)
In Islam, the true owner of everything is God, not man. People are given wealth as a trust from God. Zakah is worship and thanksgiving to God by supporting the poor, and through it one’s wealth is purified.. It requires an annual contribution of 2.5 percent of an individual’s wealth and assets. Therefore, Zakah is not mere “charity”, it is an obligation on those who have received their wealth from God to meet the needs of less fortunate members of the community. Zakah is used to support the poor, orphans, and widows, help those in debt, and, in olden times, to free slaves.
4) The Fast of Ramadan (Sawm)
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar which is spent in fasting. Healthy Muslims abstain from dawn to sunset from food, drink, and sexual activity. Fasting develops spirituality, dependence upon God, and brings identification with the less fortunate. A special evening prayer is also held mosques in which recitations of the Quran are heard. Families rise before sunrise to take their first meal of the day to sustain them till sunset. The month of Ramadan ends with one of the two major Islamic celebrations, the Feast of the Breaking of the Fast, called Eid al-Fitr, which is marked by joyfulness, family visits, and exchanging of gifts.
5) The fifth Pillar is the Pilgrimage or Hajj to Mecca
At least once in a lifetime, every adult Muslim who is physically and financially able is required to sacrifice time, wealth, status, and ordinary comforts of life to make the Hajj pilgrimage, putting himself totally at God’s service. Every year over two million believers from a diversity of cultures and languages travel from all over the world to the sacred city of Mecca[1] to respond to God’s call.
Who are Muslims?
The Arabic word “Muslim” literally means “someone who is in a state of Islam (submission to the will and law of God)”. The message of Islam is meant for the entire world, and anyone who accepts this message becomes a Muslim. There a over a billion Muslims worldwide. Muslims represent the majority population in fifty-six countries. Many people are surprised to know that the majority of Muslims are not Arab. Even though most Arabs are Muslims, there are Arabs who are Christians, Jews and atheists. Only 20 percent of the world’s 1.2 billion Muslims come from Arab countries. There are significant Muslim populations in India, China, Central Asian Republics, Russia, Europe, and America. If one just takes a look at the various peoples who live in the Muslim World - from Nigeria to Bosnia and from Morocco to Indonesia - it is easy enough to see that Muslims come from all different races, ethnic groups, cultures and nationalities. Islam has always been a universal message for all people. Islam is the second largest religion in the world and will soon be the second largest religion in America. Yet, few people know what Islam is.
Footnotes:
[1] Mecca city is located in Saudi Arabia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFzxEpvdp9Q

AND IF My servants ask thee about Me - behold, I am near;

By: Maged Taman

2:186 AND IF My servants ask thee about Me - behold, I am near; I respond to the call of him who calls, whenever he calls unto Me: let them, then, respond unto Me, and believe in Me, so that they might follow the right way.
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُواْ لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُواْ بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ (2:186)

1- God tells Muhammad that if his servants or worshipers ask about me I am near. He did not chose in this verse Muslims, believers or people but worshipers or servants since God is near to them because they are serving him and asking about him.
2- Being near to them he invites them to call on him and he affirms that he responds to them.
3- As a return he asks them to respond to him and believe in him.
4- The consequence is that they will follow the right way if they believe and respond to his commands.
5- Thus every part of this verse lead to the next part they ask, he is near, they call him he responds, so they to respond to him and believe in him and follow the right way. This right way will make them close servants and they will ask him again and the cycle is repeated over and over and by this way they build a close relationship with God.
6- The brilliance of the language is the verse is formed of small sentences that lead to one another. There is harmony in choosing the lead words and shortest sentences besides the harmony of the meanings.
7- Spirit of the verse is the short leads They are asking about God and he is near. The sentence is short God did not answer by large sentence but small and very near to the inquirer, similarly the next sentences come close to one another short and eloquent. Thus the spirit of the verse could be well conducted to our souls , though we did not entertain this explanation. It just reach your heart because the one who created you know and understands you more than yourself.
8- Though you find big mercy in the words for God is being near available to the callers and ready to respond in the same time he still maintains his glory and control. The latter is illustrated by my servants, I respond, let them.
9- God give it back to us that the right way is the reward of God since it will benefit us not him, as he chose rightly the word might. This is the theme of the Quran worshiping and obedience are for our interest. Imagine he did not call us through the prophets and we followed our desires ending by being spiritually empty and materialistically contentious. Meanwhile we did not diminsh any of his possessions of the great universe. Thus if he choose to hide from us we are the losers. When he reach to us through his messages it is our interest to build our relation with him and be close to him.
10- God is near when we ask about him or call him, if not he is far away and may even look absent. It is us who will determine our relation. Many times we feel or want him near to us when we are in trials or close to death. It is better to be near to him all time and not only when you need him most. Pharaoh believed in God when he was dying he believed in what Beno Israel believed in, but was to late for God.

10:90 And We brought the children of Israel across the sea; and thereupon pharaoh and his hosts pursued them with vehement insolence and tyranny, until [they were overwhelmed by the waters of the sea. And] when he was about to drown, [pharaoh] exclaimed: "I have come to believe that there is no deity save Him in whom the children of Israel believe, and I am of those who surrender themselves unto Him!"
وَجَاوَزْنَا بِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْبَحْرَ فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ وَجُنُودُهُ بَغْيًا وَعَدْوًا حَتَّى إِذَا أَدْرَكَهُ الْغَرَقُ قَالَ آمَنتُ أَنَّهُ لا إِلِـهَ إِلاَّ الَّذِي آمَنَتْ بِهِ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَنَاْ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ (10:90)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpnDV6j9l60

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WodVIcDaB9A&feature=related

The Art Of Preaching a Cause

From: http://www.islambasics.com/view.php?bkID=163

By: Mohamed Moustafa Atta

Preaching a cause or a reform is an art with its own principles, plans and method. It cannot successfully be undertaken by any who is only anxious to figure in history. It is mastered only by those who are well grounded in its principles, experienced in it, and have a natural talent for it. To miss any of these conditions is to miss success in this very difficult art. Failure of any one call for reform may be traced to the lack of the gifted expert preacher.

Successful calling for any new faith or ideal presupposes certain qualities inherent in the man who takes it upon himself to propagate such an ideal or faith. He should be a man of acumen and judgment so that he may choose the right circumstances for declaring his reform and successfully challenging the already established system. He should be a man of foresight, guarding against all eventualities.

Consider, for example, how factious differences between the early leaders of Islam at Madiinah threatened the Islamic cause with disaster had the situation not been saved every time by the prudent action of the Prophet. His tact and resource were definitely instrumental in suppressing the factious tribal spirit which threatened to flare up, as it would have done between the Immigrants (Al Muhagireen) and the Helpers (Al Ansar) after the battle of Banil-Mustaliq. Foresight in a reformer entails a good deal of premeditated contrivance against unforeseen eventualities or sudden changes.

Again, a caller for reform must be a man of insight, capable of reading the human heart, seeing through men, and willing to unfold his secrets only to those of his close adherents whom he could trust, and who could share his convictions. A leader must be qualified for leadership in the sense of surpassing his fellow-country- men in sound reasoning and comprehension. He should be endowed with a sharper intellect, and a skill unequalled by his contemporaries. He should be the master of sound argument, able to scrutinize all sides of an issue; and in possession of the power of persuasion that would facilitate the propagation of his ideals amongst his followers and close adherents.

He must be able to express himself with exactitude and rationality, so that he may be able to convince his opponents more easily than he should his adherents. Such were the outstanding callers for reform mentioned in history, as may be seen from the fact that Moses who, conscious of his linguistic deficiency, enlisted the aid of his brother Haroun to fill up the gap and supplement him in the would-be role of a leader and God's messenger. This he himself admits in the Quranic words to the effect:
"And my brother Haroun is more eloquent than me in speech. Therefor send him with me as a helper to confirm me. Lo ! fear that they will give the lie to me". (verse 34, Surah Al Qasas).
And we get the Divine answer:
"We will strengthen thine arm with th? brother and We will give unto you both power so that they cannot reach you from Our portents. Ye twain and those who follow you will be the winners." (Verse 35, Surah Al Qasas).

An able caller for reform then should be psychologically capable of understanding men, and of knowing how to select a group of helpers and be able to manage them to advantage, assigning to each the task to which he is most suited. He may be conscious of all this, but he may be impressionable and pliant to the extent of allowing his likes and dislikes to overrule his judgment, thus failing to put the right man in the right place. This mixing of matters and putting friendship before duty will surely lead to the failure of the call, or would seriously undermine the cause.

Moreover, an able caller for reform should also be acquainted with the psychology of the peoples and the mentality of the masses. He should know how to reach the innermost feelings of the people and be able to control them. To secure popular support or mass response in this connection is a very difficult matter, especially in view of the fact that the masses are so emotive that one mistake may result in their renunciation of a course they had already begun to accept. Matters may then develop into an anti-climax, and the ship may drift from its haven into dangerous seas.

The caller for reform must also be tolerant and patient, and should not force the issue, particularly when the new call involves a major change in the life of the community. He should not attempt wholesale transformations of the established order of things, but should gradually introduce such changes as are needed but could not be realized by the masses for fear of the ruling powers.

This means that reform must be preceded by a long preparatory stage. The French Revolution did not break out until matters had degenerated to an intolerable state. Revolutionary writers had already paved the way by their various progressive publications despite many threats of punishment which invariably meant imprisonment within the dark walls of the Bastille. Outstanding reformers believed in the Revolutionary principles, and pledged themselves to advocate their cause secretly and openly until the masses could demonstrate their full response. No sooner was the Revolutionary signal given, than the uncontrolled masses took matters in their own hands, and forcibly imposed the Revolutionary principles which were destined to shake the very foundations of the existing regime.

But first and foremost, the caller for reform must be a staunch believer in his mission, a man of determination, ready for the bitter sacrifice. Here we get the essential difference between a genuine and a quasi reformer. Every successful call has been sustained throughout its history by sacrifice, firm belief, and strict conformity to principles. Such were the inspired calls or missions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Every mission is in part a continuation and refinement of a previous one. It is not merely a displacement of the old by the new, for the present cannot be completely dissociated from the past, and the reforms proposed should be built on all that is good and sound in the legacy received. Lastly, a true call is one which utilizes and mobilizes national feeling to further its purposes.

And now we are in a position to raise the question could the Muhammadan mission, throughout the years of its propagation, utilizes this art long before it was born? Did it follow the principles hitherto known only to Providence? The reader of this work will see the art completely and minutely applied during the call by the bearer of the Divine Mission. Modern science has achieved remarkable success in almost every field particularly in psychology and the arts of preaching for a cause, including propaganda for both good and evil purposes. Yet not in any respect was modern civilization able to introduce new principles or improve upon what the Divine Messenger had done. His mission was successful because it did not overlook one single item of value instrumental in bringing about success.

It was consequently an ideal achievement, as may be evidenced by those millions of Muslims who were converted to the new faith throughout the centuries Islam was challenged on all sides by able adversaries, powerful and resourceful, but it successfully withstood the challenge, and will continue to do so. It is so firmly believed in by every Muslim that it challenges almost any persuasion, provocation or menace. The Divine Islamic Call will endure as long as humanity itself. It is the call of and Good. It is God's call in God's Earth.

Approaching the Qur'an

From: http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/Dhikr/approach_quran.html

By: [Abul Maududi]

The one pre-requisite for understanding the Qur'an is to study it with an open and detached mind. Whether one believes it to be a revealed book or not, one should, as far as possible, free one's mind of bias in favour of or against it and get rid of all pre-conceived opinions and then approach it with the sole desire of understanding it. Those people who study it with preconceived notions of their own, read only their own ideas between its lines and cannot, therefore, grasp what the Qur'an wants to convey. It is obvious that this method of study can never be fruitful even with other books but it is utterly fruitless when applied to the study of the Qur'an.


There is another thing which must be kept in view. If one wants to have merely a cursory acquaintance with the contents of the Qur'an, then perhaps it might suffice for him to read it once. But, if one wishes to have a deep knowledge of it, one will have to go through it several times and each time from a different point of view.


One should also try to find out its fundamentals and the way of life it aims to build on them. During this preliminary study, if some questions occur in his mind, the reader should note them down and patiently continue his study, for he is likely to find their answers somewhere in the Qur'an itself.


After getting a general insight into the Qur'an in this way, one should begin its detailed study and take down notes of the different aspects of its teachings. For instance, one should note down what pattern of life it approves and what it disapproves. One should note down the qualities of a good man and those of a bad man, side by side, in order to bring both the patterns clearly before his mind simultaneously. Similarly, one should note down, side by side, those things which lead to the success and salvation of man and those which lead to his failure and ruin. In the same way, he should put down, under different headings, the teachings and instruction of the Qur'an about creed, morality, duties, obligations, civilization, culture, economics, politics, law, social system, peace, war and other human problems. These notes should be consolidated to form a complete sketch of each aspect of the teachings and then fitted together to form a complete system of life.


Then, if one desires to know the Qur'anic solution of a certain human problem he should first make study of the relevant literature, both ancient and modern, and note down the basic issues. He should also make use of the research so far made into the problem and note down the points at issue. He should then study the Quran with a view to finding out the answers to those issues. I can say from my own personal ,experience that when one studies the Qur'an with a view to making research into any problem, one will find an answer to it even in those verses which one had skipped over without ever imagining that it lay hidden therein.


One cannot grasp the inspiring spirit of the Qur'an, unless one begins to put its message into practice, for the Qur'an is neither a book of abstract. ideas and theories which may be studied in an easy chair nor is it a book of religious enigmas which may be unravelled in monasteries and universities. It is a Book that has been sent down to invite people to start a movement and to lead its followers and direct their activities towards the achievement of its mission. One has, therefore, to go to the battlefield of life to understand its real meaning. That was why a quiet and amiable person like Muhammad had to come out of his seclusion and start the Islamic Movement and fight against the rebellious world, It was the Qur'an that urged him to declare war against every kind of falsehood and engage in conflict with the leaders of disbelief without any consideration of the consequences. Then it attracted good souls from every home and gathered them under the banner of its leader in order to fight against the upholders of the old order who organised themselves into a gang to oppose them. During this long and bitter struggle between right and wrong, truth and falsehood, which continued for twenty-three years or so, the Qur'an went on guiding the Movement in every phase and at every stage, until it succeeded in establishing the Islamic Way of life in its perfection.


It is thus obvious that one cannot possibly grasp the truths contained in the Qur'an by the mere recitation of its words. For this purpose one must take active part in the conflict between belief and un-belief, Islam and un-Islam, truth and falsehood. One can understand it only if one takes up its Message, invites the world to accept it and moves on and on in accordance with its Guidance. Thus alone will one experience and understand all that which happened during the revelation of the Qura'n. One will meet with the same conditions that were experienced at Makkah, Taif and Habash and pass through the same kind of fire that had to be passed through at Badr, Uhd, Hunain, Tabuk etc. One will meet with Abu Jahls and Abu Lahabs and come across hypocrites, the double-faced, in short, every type of people mentioned in the Qur'an.



Incidentally, this is a wonderful experience of its own kind and worth the trial.
While passing through any one of these stages of this experience, one will find some verses and some surahs of the Qur'an, which will themselves tell that they were revealed at such and such a stage and brought such and such instructions for the guidance of the Movement. In this way the Qur'an will lay bare its spirit even though one might not be able to understand all the lexical meanings of its words and solve all the intricacies of grammar and rhetoric. The same formula applies to its Commandments, its moral teachings, its instructions about economics and culture and its laws regarding different aspects of human life. These things can never be understood unless they are put into practice. It is thus obvious that those individuals and communities who discard it from practical life, cannot understand its meaning and imbibe its spirit by mere lip-service to it.


This is from me and true knowledge is With Allah; I have full trust in Him and turn to Him for true guidance.

Origin of the Quran: Brochure

From: www.whyislam.org

877-Why-Islam Brochure

The Quran is the holy book which Muslims recite and turn to for guidance in all aspects of their life.
It is the last testament in a series of divine revelations from God. It comprises the unaltered and direct words of God, revealed through the Angel Gabriel, to the final Prophet, Muhammad (pbuh)1 some 1400 years ago. Islam is a continuation of the teachings of previous Prophets, such as Noah, Abraham, David, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them all), some of whom were also given divine books. Muslims believe that the key message brought by all Prophets was the same; to believe in One God and not to associate partners with Him, to stay away from sins and to lead a life devoted to earning God’s pleasure. All Prophets taught about life after death and gave glad tidings of paradise for those who obey God, but warned of punishment in hell for those who choose to disobey Him.

The Quran is unique because it is the only revealed book that exists today in the precise form and content in which it was originally revealed. Furthermore, it was actively recorded during the time the religion was being established. The distinctive approach of the Quran is that its spiritual message includes practical injunctions aimed at the general welfare of human beings, society and the environment in which we live. The Quran’s message is eternal and universal, transcending our differences in race, color, ethnicity and nationality. It provides guidance on every aspect of human life – from economics and the ethics of trade to marriage, divorce, gender issues, inheritance and parenting. It neither condemns nor tortures the flesh nor does it neglect the soul. It does not humanize God, nor does it deify man. The Quran describes signs of God’s existence in the universe and how everything is carefully placed in the total scheme of creation.
"Everything made so much sense. This is the beauty of the Quran; it asks you to reflect and reason....When I read the Quran further, it talked about prayer, kindness and charity. I was not a Muslim yet, but I felt the only answer for me was the Qur'an and God had sent it to me." Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam), former British pop star.

This brochure examines two common questions asked by those seeking to understand the origin and authorship of the Quran. 1) What evidence supports the Quran’s claim of authenticity – i.e., that it has not been interfered with? 2) Even if the Quran has been preserved, what evidence supports that it is the Word of God and not simply Muhammad’s (pbuh)own writings?
The Quran has been preserved for over 1400 years through parallel memorization and writings.
"We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly Guard it (from corruption)." [Quran 15:9]

The Quran is the only book that has been memorized in its entirety by millions. The process of memorization began during the Prophet’s (pbuh) life and continues to be emphasized by Muslims, even to this day. The use of memorization in oral transmission through the generations “had mitigated somewhat from the beginning the worst perils of relying solely on written records,” related John Burton. [John Burton, An Introduction to the Hadith, Edinburgh University Press; 1994, p27].

Muhammad (pbuh) was very vigilant in preserving the entire Quran in written form as well. The Prophet (pbuh) could not read or write, so as soon as a portion of the Quran was revealed, he called upon his scribes to record the revealed text. The Prophet (pbuh) specified the part of the Quran the revelation belonged to and had the companions read back what was written to ensure that it corresponded exactly with what was revealed. Thus, the complete Quran was not only memorized by the Prophet (pbuh) and many of his companions, but also existed in written form during his lifetime. Within a year after the Prophet’s (pbuh) death, a manuscript of the entire Quran was assembled by a committee led by the chief scribe of the Prophet (pbuh), who followed stringent criteria to safeguard against any errors. The manuscript was unanimously approved by the companions of the Prophet (pbuh), including the hundreds that had memorized the entire Quran. Several replicates of the manuscript were prepared under the leadership of the third caliph and were distributed to the main Muslim centers. One such copy is currently at the museum in Tashkent in erstwhile (Soviet Union) and a facsimile of it, produced in 1905, is available in the Columbia University Library (USA).

Muslims believe that the Quran is the Speech of God and not a book written by Muhammad (pbuh) himself.
The information above provides evidence for the preservation of the Qur'an, but what suggests that it was actually the word of God?
1) Historical accounts document, and the Quran openly declares, that Muhammad (pbuh) was unlettered.
“You (O Muhammad) were not a reader of any Scripture before it, nor did you write (such a Scripture) with your right hand, for then those who follow falsehood might (have a right) to doubt it.” [Quran, 29.48]

2) The Quran was revealed at a time when the Arabs excelled in oral poetry. Poetry competitions like today’s rap competitions, were held in the marketplace. Muhammad’s (pbuh) recitation stunned its listeners for its beauty in Arabic. Many converted simply by listening to the deep acoustic rhythms, literary merit and wisdom of the Quranic verses. In contrast, the Arabic of 1400 years ago was restricted to words and expressions relevant to the simple life of desert men and it was impossible to express metaphysical ideas or scientific, religious and philosophical concepts. In fact the science of Arabic grammar was developed after the revelation of the Quran, using the Quran as a basis for devising its rules. It is difficult to find an explanation (other than revelation) that explains how a book existed that superseded, and also differed so greatly from any other Arabic literature. The challenge of the Quran to produce a chapter like its own has not been met to this day:-
“And if you are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto Our slave (Muhammad) then produce a Surah (chapter) of the like thereof, and call your witnesses besides Allah if you are truthful.” [Quran, 2:23]

3) The Quran is a highly comprehensive book containing Divine truths, metaphysics, religious beliefs and worship, prayer, law and morality. It is a book fully describing the other life, a book of psychology, sociology, epistemology, and history, and a book containing scientific facts and the principles of a utopian life. A testament to the Divine authenticity of the Quran is that such a comprehensive book, one that was revealed over a period of 23 years, does not have any contradictory points.
“Will they not then ponder on the Quran? If it had been from other than God they would have found therein much contradiction and incongruity.” [Quran, 4.82]

4) Could Muhammad (pbuh) have been a liar or had motives for inventing the Quran? The early years of Muhammad’s (pbuh) mission were punctuated by persecutions and sorrow. His followers were brutally tortured, killed and forced to migrate. His clan was boycotted and he was stoned. His enemies even offered him wealth and kingship if he abandoned his call to the belief in One God. Instead, the Prophet (pbuh) lived a very austere life and never pursued any worldly gains like fame, power or wealth. Furthermore, the life of Muhammad (pbuh) was a practical embodiment of the Divine message and a study of his life (through the Hadith2) provides an appreciation of this fact. Even before he received the Prophethood, he was known in his society as Al-Ameen (The Trustworthy) and As-Sadiq (The Truthful). Both Muslim and non-Muslim scholars attest to his honesty and integrity3.

5) The Quran mentions things that were not known at the time. How can the existence of these verses be explained? The Quran has scientific descriptions only recently discovered by modern science and that could not have been known 1400 years ago.
“Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay); then we placed him (as a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed; then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of than clot We made a (foetus) lump; then We made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then We developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, The Best to Create” [Quran, 23:12-14).
Professor Keith Moore, a prominent scientist of anatomy and embryology (University of Toronto, Canada) commented: “It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Quran about human development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad (pbuh) from God, or 'Allah', because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later. This proves to me that Muhammad (pbuh) must have been a Messenger of Allah.”

The Quran describes the expansion of the universe:
“And it is we who have built the universe with (Our creative) power; and verily, it is We who are steadily expanding it.” [Quran, 51:47].
It was not until 1925, when Edwin Hubble provided evidence of receding galaxies, that the expanding universe came to be accepted as a scientific fact.
Professor Alfred Kroner, a world-famous geologist, explained: “ Thinking about many of these questions and thinking where Muhammad (pbuh) came from, he was after all a bedouin. I think it is almost impossible that he could have known about things like the common origin of the universe, because scientists have only found out within the last few years with very complicated and advanced technological methods that this is the case.”

The Quran describes geographical concepts that were proven after its revelation. For example, it was the common dogma 1400 years ago that the earth was flat, but the Quran described it as a sphere, compressed at each end (like an ostrich egg):
“And the earth moreover, He has made egg shaped”4[Quran 79:30].
In 1597, when Sir Francis Drake sailed around the world, the earth became known to be a sphere.

What can explain the origin of the Quran?
The life and character of the Prophet (pbuh) , the depth of the Quranic message, its appeal and relevance to both the spiritual and the mundane, all testify to the Divine origin of the Quran. These points compel us to admit our inability to provide an explanation that relies solely upon material causes. In a world starved of love and compassion, the Quran’s universal message is the perfect antidote to the collective despair of the human condition.
1. pbuh stands for ‘peace be upon him’ an invocation of respect 2. Hadith, the collection of recorded saying and actions of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) 3. see 877-Why Islam brochure titled “What they say about Muhammad (pbuh).” 4. the Arabic word for egg here is dahaahaa, meaning ostrich egg

Haneefah bint Stefan, Ex-Christian, Sweden

From: www.islamreligion.com

By Haneefah bint Stefan

The first time I ever thought about having Islam as my religion was at the age of 15. Reading a story in my high school religion book about a Swedish woman who converted made me think: How would it be if I became a Muslim? How would it change my life?
This woman was wearing a scarf on her head, and she was working as a secretary. Because of my lack of knowledge about Islam, this shocked me extremely. How can she work with that thing on her head? Who will ever hire a woman like that?
My conclusion was that I would never become Muslim because it would stand out and would lessen my chances of getting the dream job. I guess this thinking depended largely on the way I was raised. My parents are honest and hard-working people, but they do not see the need for religion. They see that the meaning of life is actually inside life itself, and after it when we all become dust, there is nothing more to it.
Nevertheless, I guess my mother respected the traditions and morals of our Protestant Christian church, so she sent me at an early age to a children’s group, and later at the age of 14, I was asked if I would like to go to confirmation classes.
I agreed. I thought that it was best to do it. Who knew, maybe I would change my mind later and regret that I did not go, and then I would be outside of the church. Also, it was fun to go to these classes. We painted, sang songs, played theatre, and went to a camp. There was not a lot of serious people among us - most came only because of tradition, and to get gifts, jewelry and money from relatives on that great day when the classes finally finished and there was a ceremony in the church.
From this time, I remember having strong doubts about Christianity. I read the Bible but it did not give me what I needed. I knew there was something I was looking for, but I did not know what. I learned about astrology and tried meditation and so on, but all this made me feel even more confused.
I started to keep a “spiritual journal”. It was a small book, which I filled with different material, religious and non-religious. I would collect biblical verses, poems, Hindu chants, songs, and anything that had meaning to me.
I started secondary school at the age of 16. Living in a small suburb outside of the city, I was required to transfer to a school inside the big town. I chose the one which was supposed to have the highest status. I could not imagine that there would be so many foreign people.
Immediately after I started, I felt I was not happy. I wanted to change my major, so I transferred from Media to Languages and came to a new class where I knew no one. The first people who spoke kindly to me and became my friends were an African girl, and an Iraqi girl who was wearing a scarf. It was so exotic to me! All my life I had been surrounded by people of my own background, and now I got a taste of other cultures and life styles.
I was so fascinated by the Iraqi girl that I started to hang around a lot with her and also became friends with her friends. I became famous as the Swedish person who had no Swedish friends. It was more of a cool thing to me - I felt I needed to distance myself from the normal crowd.
The Muslims of my school sometimes had active discussions about Islam and that impressed me very much. I thought, how can it be that this religion is such an active part of their lives? It is not like Christianity, it is alive not dead! And it has an impact on everything in their lives.
One day when I went with my father to a second hand market, I looked for some books and found an old translation of the Quran in the Swedish language. I decided to buy it for historical purposes, and to gain a greater understanding of my friends’ religion.
By now, I started to add Islamic items to my journal. I was writing the opening Surat Al-Fatiha, and its translation. I also memorized it. I had no motive behind doing so, I was just interested in it.
With little time, I was totally absorbed in the Quran. I felt like I had found a real treasure. There was something drawing me to it - something not logical, especially since this translation which I had, was written by an Orientalist and contained a number of serious faults. The worst thing of all was that the author pointed to supposed faults in the order in which the verses came. He said that it was evident that some verses should change place. Alhamdulillah (praise be to God) that I learned the truth by asking my friend.
I went to my Iraqi friend, and told her that I was interested in Islam. She became very shocked and felt a need to sit down or else she would pass out! After the shock settled, she decided to take me to an Islamic organization and there I got some books, pamphlets and the phone number of another Swedish woman who had become Muslim.
I was afraid of what my family would say, and indeed my mother became outraged when I told her that I wanted to become a Muslim. The whole family searched my room and threw away my Islamic books. They said that Islam was like a cult and that I was brainwashed.
But this did not stop me. In the month of July 2001, I declared my shahada (testimony of faith) openly. I had called the Swedish woman who's phone number I had been given, and she arranged Islamic lessons in her home. I went to her villa, which had a garden, and we prayed the zhuhr (forenoon) prayer there in the open air. For me this was a symbolical act, because in my society it is something not appreciated to show acts of worship openly. I felt so free and could care less about what other people would think.
It was with a loud and proud voice by which I said the words which undoubtedly has had the strongest impact on my entire life:
Ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasool Allah
I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship save God;
And I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
No other single sentence has influenced me as this one has.

Kindness to Parents

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

By: Aisha Stacey

Kindness to Parents (part 1 of 3): Duty and Devotion

If you type the words, “kindness to parents” in Google ,six of the first ten results are Islamic articles stressing the importance of being dutiful and kind to parents. Why is this so? Islam is a religion that stresses the qualities of mercy, tolerance and respect. God has ordained the good treatment of parents and warned us against treating them with disrespect. There are several verses in the Quran where kindness to parents is even coupled with the most important aspect of Islam, worshipping God alone. This indicates that being kind to parents, honouring and respecting them, is extremely important in the way of life that is Islam.
“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour.” (Quran 17:23)
No word of disrespect should be uttered toward a parent, nor even a look of resentment or contempt. Honouring parents can be considered a form of worship if the intention is to please Almighty God by respecting His commands.
God continues this verse by reminding us that parents are deserving of kindness because they raised their children with gentleness and often made great sacrifices for their wellbeing. His use of the word wing invokes the image of a mother bird tenderly shielding her young and calls to mind the gentleness that parents have for their children.
“And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small.’” (Quran 17:24)
The love and mercy that emanates from the Most Merciful God is manifest in the kind treatment existing between parents and their children. God clearly prohibits the bad treatment of parents, and in another verse of the Quran He enjoins on us the need to show gratitude to Him, our Creator, as well as our parents. Again, God clearly links the rights owed to Him to the rights owed to parents.
“And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years give thanks to Me and to your parents, unto Me is the final destination.” (Quran 31:14)
Prophet Muhammad reinforced the duty to be kind to parents. A companion of the Prophet once asked him which of the many good deeds a man can do is the most loved by God. Prophet Muhammad answered him by saying, “To offer the prayer in its proper time”. The companion then asked, “And what is next?” to which Prophet Muhammad replied, “To be good and dutiful to your parents…”[1]. The responsibility to be kind and good to parents comes right after the greatest duty in Islam, the prayer.
More than Goodness
The Arabic word that is used in the Quran and the narrations of Prophet Muhammad to denote this kindness to parents as bir, and more often than not, it is translated as goodness. However, as is the case with most Arabic words, a direct translation into English often fails to explain the true depth of meaning. Bir does not only mean goodness; it contains shades of meaning that indicate kindness, compassion, respect and even patience. Islam, the way of life, encompasses all these qualities, and Muslims must strive to model this behaviour in all dealings, particularly in the relationship between parents and children.
Parents care for and nurture their children their entire lives, but at one point this duty reverses, parents become old and feeble and in need of this care and nurturing themselves. The child is obligated to care for the parents by displaying all the qualities of bir and knowing that the reward for this is with God. The Prophet Muhammad said, “If anyone possesses these three characteristics God will give him an easy death and bring him into His Paradise: gentleness towards the weak, affection towards parents, and kindness to slaves.”[2]
One Man’s Devotion
Abu Hurairah was a close companion of Prophet Muhammad; he is credited with remembering and transmitting many of the Prophets’ sayings. The life of Abu Hurairah also contains many demonstrations of his love and devotion to his mother. When he first embraced Islam, no amount of pleading could convince his mother to do the same. Weeping and afraid, Abu Hurairah approached the Prophet and begged him to make supplication to God asking that his mother be guided. Prophet Muhammad complied with this request and within a very short period of time Abu Hurairah’s mother uttered the words, “There is no God but God and Muhammad is his slave and Messenger”, thus embracing Islam.
Throughout his life, Abu Hurairah remained kind and courteous to his mother. Whenever he wanted to leave home, he would stand at the door of her room and say, “Peace be on you mother, and the mercy and blessings of God.” She would reply, “And on you be peace, my son, and the mercy and blessings of God.” He would also say, “May God have mercy on you as you cared for me when I was small,” to which she would reply, “May God have mercy on you as you delivered me from error when I was old.”
Abu Hurairah always encouraged other people to be kind and good to their parents. One day he saw two men walking together and enquired of the younger one, “Who is this man to you?” to which the young man replied, “He is my father”. Abu Hurairah advised him by saying, “Do not call him by his name, do not walk in front of him, and do not seat yourself before he does”.
This gentleness and affection between Abu Hurairah and his mother teaches us that mutual respect and love is a duty. A Muslim is obliged to show respect towards parents even if they are non-Muslim, and the greatest love he can show towards them is to supplicate to God in hope that they will be guided to Islam. At the time of the Prophet, many of those who embraced Islam found that it conflicted with the beliefs and requests of their parents, but they were taught to be kind and to obey their parents, except if the parents demanded they disobey God.
“But if they (both) strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not, but behave with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of him who turns to Me in repentance and in obedience. Then to Me will be your return, and I shall tell you what you used to do.” (Quran 31:15)
Being dutiful to parents, obeying them and treating them with kindness is embedded in the teachings of Islam, however obedience to God is always the first and foremost duty in Islam.
Footnotes:
[1] Saheeh Al-Bukhari
[2] Tirmidhi

Kindness to Parents (part 2 of 3): The Value of Motherhood: Paradise is at Her Feet

In several verses of the Quran, God makes clear that duty, kindness and gratitude towards parents is an essential part of Islam. However, women in Islam, particularly mothers, have been singled out for the upmost respect and devotion. God Himself tells of the hardships involved in motherhood.
“And we have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship...” (Quran 31:14)
In the time of Prophet Muhammad, a man asked permission to go on a military expedition. The Prophet asked the man if he had a mother, when he replied yes, Prophet Muhammad said, “Stay with her because Paradise lies beneath her feet”. (Ahmad, Al-Nasai) What wonderful imagery these words invoke: Mothers and children gazing at each other with love and gratitude. Tiny hands closed within larger hands. A touch to the face in times of stress and illness, or the warmth of a loving mother’s voice. Images of mothers nurturing and caring for their children, in health or sickness, in good times, or trying times. Paradise lies at the feet of mothers; but what exactly do these words mean? Simply, the gates of Paradise are open for those who cherish and respect their mothers.
The role of the mother in the Islamic family is as equally important if not more as the role of the father, who is the provider and protector of his family. Not only does she go through both the joys and difficulties of pregnancy and giving birth, she dedicates the whole of her life to nurturing and caring for her children. It is her responsibility to raise and to educate them to be righteous and pious human beings. She cooks, cleans, nurtures and educates, she is also responsible for their spiritual, emotional and physical health and well-being. In return, children owe their mothers care, love, affection, respect and dutifulness. The task God assigned to mothers is large and sometimes overwhelming. Accordingly, the reward for a righteous mother is nothing less than Paradise and in this life, she is esteemed and honoured.
Who is Most Worthy of Good Companionship?
In a hadeeth of Prophet Muhammad, a man came to the Prophet asking, ‘Who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship? The Prophet said, your mother. The man said, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said, then your mother. The man further asked, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said, then your mother. The man asked again, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet replied, then your father. (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)
From only these two sayings of Prophet Muhammad, we are able to understand the importance of mothers in Islam. However, in these days of materialism it is easy to forget that God obligated us to honour our parents, especially our mothers. Sometimes we find ourselves uttering words of contempt or complaining about our parents. This sort of behaviour is not from Islam.
God reminds us that Prophet John (known as the Baptist) was dutiful towards his parents both loving them and obeying them[1]. He said:
“O John! Hold fast the Scripture. And We gave him wisdom while yet a child. And (made him) sympathetic to men as a mercy (or a grant) from Us, and pure from sins and he was righteous. And dutiful towards his parents, and he was neither an arrogant nor disobedient (to God or to his parents).” (Quran 19:12-14)
Additionally, in the Quran, we are able to hear the words of Jesus; he describes himself by coupling his obedience to God with his duties towards his mother Mary.
“Verily! I am a slave of God. He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet; and He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined on me prayer, and alms, as long as I live, and dutiful to my mother, and made me not arrogant, unblest.” (Quran 19:30-32)
As busy as our lives may be it is of great benefit to look back at the lives of the Prophets, and our righteous predecessors, to see how they treated their parents, particularly their mothers.
The Companions’ Behaviour
Abdullah ibn Omar, a leading scholar from among Prophet Muhammad’s companions once saw a man carrying his mother on his back and going around the Holy House in Mecca[2]. He did not complain or show any signs of annoyance; rather he kept repeating a line of poetry comparing himself to a camel. He looked at Abdullah ibn Omar and asked him whether by so doing he discharged his debt to his mother. Ibn Omar said, “No. You have not even paid back one twinge of the pain she felt when giving birth to you”.
Another companion from the early days of Islam, Dhibyan ibn Ali ath-Thowree also used to travel with his mother to Mecca. The journey was long and very hot; on the side of the road during their travels, he would dig a little pool and fill it with cool water. He would then turn to his mother and say, “Mother, sit in this water to cool yourself.”
Muslims who are obedient to God can never be unmindful or unkind to their parents. Great reward is offered to those who treat their parents, especially their mothers, with affection and gentleness, but a stern warning is also given. The danger of disrespect is illustrated in the following saying of Prophet Muhammad.
A man came to Prophet Muhammad and said, “A young man is dying and people are asking him to say there is no god but God, but he is unable to do so. “The Prophet then asked, "Did this man offer prayers?” The answer was yes. The Prophet then went to see the man and tried to encourage him to say there is no god but God. Still he was unable to pronounce the words. Prophet Muhammad then called for the dying man’s mother. The mother he had persistently disobeyed.
When she appeared, the Prophet asked, 'Respected lady, is he your son?” She replied yes. He then asked, “O respected lady, if we threaten to throw your son into a raging fire, would you recommend him to be forgiven?” The lady replied that she would definitely ask him to be forgiven. The Prophet then said to her, “Then declare, making God and me your witnesses, that you are now pleased with him.” The old woman readily declared, "O God, you and your Prophet are my witnesses that I am pleased with this beloved son of mine.” Then Prophet then turned to the dying man and asked him to recite, "There is no god but God, He is the One and has no partners and I witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.” (At Tabarani, Ahmad)
Because of his mother’s forgiveness, the dying man was able to recite the words that, by the Grace and Mercy of God, may have allowed him to enter Paradise. The good treatment of parents can be the key to Paradise, on the other hand, bad behaviour towards them may result in a punishment in hellfire.
Footnotes:
[1] Ibn Jareer al-Tabari
[2] One of the rites preformed during the Pilgrimage (Hajj) is circling the Holy House (Kaba)

Kindness to Parents (part 3 of 3): Even After Death

Islam is a religion of justice and compassion. It teaches morality and forbids bad conduct. Special status has been afforded to the elderly; they are treated with respect and dignity. Muslims are urged to honour them and this is especially true when it comes to the treatment of parents. Although death may take us at any age, parents are often elderly and as such require special care and attention. Even though the rigours of old age may cause parents to be demanding , impatient or petulant, a Muslim is still obligated to treat then with kindness and to look after them lovingly. God linked honouring parents to the command to believe in Him Alone.
“Worship God and join none with Him (in worship); and do good to parents…” (Quran 4:36)
One of Prophet Muhammad’s companions asked about the deeds God loved most. The Prophet replied, the prayer offered on time, honouring parents and struggling to please God. (Saheeh Bukhari)
The traditions of Prophet Muhammad abound with words of wisdom about the obligation to be dutiful and kind to parents. He was once heard to say “May he perish, May he perish, may he perish”. Those around him immediately asked whom he was referring. Prophet Muhammad replied, “He whose parents (one or both) attain old age in his life and he does not enter Paradise (because of his goodness towards them).” (Saheeh Muslim) Respect for parents is a key to the gates of Paradise. By upholding the commands of God and giving parents the affection and love due to them, we receive the reward of eternal bliss.
Beneficial Actions
There are many ways a Muslim can continue to honour and respect his or her parents after their death. He may pray and make supplications for God to show mercy towards them; or pay any worldly debts they may have accumulated, or debts owed to God such as fasting or making the pilgrimage (Hajj), and he may also give charity in their name. Keeping the ties of kinship and friendship are also ways of continuing to show love and respect to parents after their death, and Islam carefully explains what actions on the part of the living may be beneficial. The Prophet said, “When a person dies, all his deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge (which he has left behind), or a righteous child who will pray for him.” (At Tirmidhi)
A man from among the companions asked Prophet Muhammad “is there anything left from the goodness I owe my parents I should present to them after their death?” He replied, “Yes, four things: Pray and ask forgiveness for them. Fulfil their pledges. Be kind to their friends. And maintain the ties of kinship that come from only their direction”. (Ahmad, Abu Dawood &ibn Majah) Thus, it is understood that the kindness and gratitude we are obliged to show our parents should be continued even after their death. Prophet Muhammad also told us about a man raised to a very high station in Paradise. The man was surprised and asked how he achieved such a noble position. He was informed, “Because your son prayed for your forgiveness”. (Ibn Majah[1])
The Keys to Paradise
Life in the 21st century is hectic, and we are often overwhelmed by worldly concerns; so much so, we tend forget that morals and manners are a large part of this way of life that is Islam. Kindness to parents is an obligation and we would do well to remember and to emulate the behaviour of our righteous predecessors. They held their parents in high esteem, they loved and cherished them by following the commandments of God and knew that paradise really did lie at the feet of mothers. These were not just words to our predecessors; they were the keys to paradise.
In the traditions of Prophet Muhammad, we are able to observe the behaviour of Abdullah, the son of Omar ibn al Khattab. On the road to Mecca, Abdullah met a Bedouin. He greeted him with salaam, made him ride on the donkey that he was riding and gave him the turban that he had been wearing on his head. One of Abdullah companions commented, “May God guide you, they are just Bedouin and they are content with something simple.” Abdullah answered, “The father of this man was a close friend of my father and I heard the Messenger of God say, “The best way of honouring one’s parents is for the son to keep in touch with his father’s friends.”
Islam recognises the importance of the family unit, and a good and loving relationship between parents and children is essential. After God, our parents deserve our gratitude and obedience. A Muslim is obligated to show goodness and mercy to his or her parents. There is only one exception to this, if parents expect their children to associate anything with God or to disobey Him, then the child must not obey, however nothing removes the obligation to be kind and respectful.
Footnotes:
[1] Classified Saheeh by Sheikh Al Albanee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Dvp7xQib-4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb-GvgkoPkw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iuv2Gm2dSIQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdlV2baHYGo

Discovering the Real Jesus (part 6 of 6): Conclusion

From: www.islamicity.com

By I. Damiel

From the aforementioned discussion, another question arises. How can we trust Mark in everything that he presents about Jesus as historically accurate? It is common knowledge that the present day gospels were not written by Jesus nor at his dictation. The earliest gospel Mark was written around 65-70 AD. So there is a time gap between Jesus’ ascension and the first gospel, a gap of about 35-40 years.
As stated earlier, Mark was not an eyewitness to the life of Jesus, nor do we have clear records showing that the early church memorized the sayings of Jesus. Therefore this gap has to be viewed as considerable. During this time, the traditions of Jesus were being shaped and developed, with many different versions of the gospels being circulated in the different communities.
Furthermore, it is important to stress that the gospel writers were not merely recorders of tradition. Like the other gospel writers, Mark also edited his material. He also worked upon and reshaped the traditions that he used. Like the rest of the writers, he also was not attempting to produce a historically accurate biography of Jesus. Their concern was to present material which best served their church and reflected their understanding of Jesus rather than Jesus’ own self-understanding. In reconstructing the teaching and actions of Jesus, it is possible to take account of the modifications introduced by the later gospel writers. But the period between Jesus and the emergence of the written gospels is far more problematic.
Therefore, in attempting to discover the real historical Jesus, we will have to peel back the layers behind all of the stories that were later developed about Jesus. We have to find out who Jesus was, before the gospels were written about him. When we study the gospels, we see stories of Jesus evolving over time such that the personality of Jesus grows bigger and better. Jesus is shown to be more knowledgeable and more powerful over time, until finally after many councils and disputes, he is officially proclaimed as God in the council of Nicea in the year 325 C.E. Over the course of time, Jesus was transformed from a Jewish carpenter and Messenger of God to the second person in the holy trinity. From what he was to something he would never agree with.
Yet all is not at lost. Even today, if someone wanted to know the real historical Jesus, then they can do so. God in His infinite Mercy, has once more sent a Messenger with a pristine message, a message that was not contaminated nor tampered with.
In this final message, God tells us that Jesus was a man and a mighty messenger sent by Him, that Jesus performed miracles by God’s leave, that he was born of a virgin birth and that he would return towards the end of time.
In the Qur’an, God instructs the Christians:
“O People of the Book! Do not exceed the limits in your religion: nor say of Allah aught but the truth. The Messiah Jesus, the son of Mary, was (no more than) a Messenger of Allah and His Word which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit created by Him; so believe in Allah and His Messengers. Say not:"Three!" Cease! it is better for you. For Allah is One God, Glory be Him (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is All-Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs.” (Quran 4:171)

Previous: Discovering the Real Jesus (part 5 of 6): Textual Comparisons (III)

Parts of This Article
Discovering the Real Jesus (part 1 of 6): Mark vs. Matthew and Luke
Discovering the Real Jesus (part 2 of 6): The Gospel of John
Discovering the Real Jesus (part 3 of 6): Textual Comparisons (I)
Discovering the Real Jesus (part 4 of 6): Textual Comparisons (II)
Discovering the Real Jesus (part 5 of 6): Textual Comparisons (III)
Discovering the Real Jesus (part 6 of 6): Conclusion
View all parts together

Pastor learns about Islam, tries to bridge gap with Christians

By: JOHN CHRISTENSEN For The Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/01/08

During lunch 18 months ago, Dr. Ben Johnson had an epiphany as Dr. Aisha Jumaan, a Muslim, spoke to him about her faith and her experience of God.
"It came to me that this woman loves and worships the same God I do," says Johnson, a Christian. "I had this sharpened awareness that in that moment she was in touch with God, just as I was. It was a dawning and an awakening, and it was liberating because it liberates you from standing on a pedestal and looking down on someone else."
Ben Johnson is a former minister who retired in 2000 after nearly 20 years as professor of Christian spirituality at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur.
It also inspired Johnson to take on a life-changing mission.
At a time when many Christians, including some in his own church, were openly hostile towards a religion they believed advocated terrorism and was at war with the United States, Johnson initiated a dialog aimed at bringing Christians and Muslims together.
He has conducted a series of lectures and small-group gatherings at which more than 500 Muslims and Christians have shared their faith with each other. Not, Johnson hastens to point out, to convert anyone: "Just to understand each other."
Sunday Johnson will present another lecture, "Beyond 9/11: Christians and Muslims Together — A New World Vision" at Shallowford Presbyterian Church in Atlanta with a vision clear in his mind.
"The dream," he says, "is that we can find a way to bridge the chasm between Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists and make Atlanta a model city. That over the next year or two, we can develop an interfaith immersion program."
Johnson is a former minister who retired in 2000 after nearly 20 years as professor of Christian spirituality at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur. A towering man from southern Alabama, he calls himself "a soft evangelical. I ask questions and listen rather than telling people what they ought to do or believe."
He adds, "I'm the most unlikely candidate for becoming a spokesperson about Islam."
But after several months of retirement, Johnson realized he was depressed. "Life had a dull edge," he says. "I wondered who I was now that I wasn't a teacher, preacher, traveler or speaker."
The depression was about dying. "I had started life well," he says. "Now I wanted to finish it well."
Contemplative prayer and the works of Trappist monk Thomas Merton revived him. "When you listen to God," Johnson says, "you get beneath the dogma and creeds to the essence of what religion is about. It's about God in human beings in human consciousness."
Among his insights was that the 21st century would be a religious century, and the key would be relationships between two-thirds of the world's population: 2.5 billion Christians and 1.5 billion Muslims.
"A voice in my head said, 'And you don't know anything about Islam.' Which was true. I have five degrees, four of them theological, and other religions had never been taught seriously to me."
He began reading Islamic texts and works on comparative religion, and he asked to meet a Muslim. A church friend introduced him to Dr. Jumaan, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control who is from Yemen.
While there are differences in their faiths — Muslims regard Jesus as a prophet, for example, but not divine — Johnson found that they nevertheless arrived at the same conclusions: God is compassionate, omniscient and ubiquitous.
"Everything about my faith is rooted in the stories my two grandmothers told me," Jumaan says. "No one formally taught me to pray. As a child, I had the question, 'What is God like?' My grandmother answered, 'That is like a drop in the ocean trying to understand what the ocean is like.' This is something I feel with my heart — God is present in everything. God is all around us."
In March of 2007, Johnson gave four lectures on Islam at Shallowford Presbyterian Church, expecting 30 to 40 people to attend. The room overflowed with humanity – 176 in all, and nearly one-third of them Muslims.
"My mouth was very dry," Johnson says. "There were a couple of imams (Muslim clerics), and I'm thinking they know all this stuff and I'm stumbling around in it."
Attendees met in small groups after each lecture to discuss their faiths, and the series concluded with a potluck dinner that attracted 250 people.
"We had a pastor and an imam describe how they came to the faith that gives their lives meaning," Johnson says, "And we asked people to talk at their tables about how their faith came to them."
Last September, Johnson gave three more lectures at Wieuca Baptist Church in Buckhead which led to the creation of 20 small groups with Muslim and Christian co-coordinators. They meet at least once a quarter to share faith experiences and visions for the future.
"I don't think just knowledge about [another] faith is any good," Johnson says. "You've gotta meet someone who is of the faith, who is speaking out of conviction and out of experience to really feel what Islam is like."
Plemon T. El-Amin, imam of the Masjid of Al-Islam in East Atlanta, says Johnson "puts Muslims at ease, because he's mastered the broad, historical perspective of Islam, but also some of the nuanced details."
As for a Christian speaking about Islam, El-Amin says, "People are more open to learning a new perspective from someone they respect. Ben is not trying to convert anyone, but to inform people and build understanding."
"When I heard him talk about Islam, I thought, 'We need him!'" says Jan Swanson, coordinator of the interfaith group World Pilgrims. "Many Christians are fearful of Islam, so they put up barriers. They trust Ben, so they are willing to take the first step and listen for understanding."
Johnson says Dr. Jumaan is "like a daughter" now, and he and his wife, Nan, visited her this summer in Yemen. He also participates in a contemplative prayer group that includes a Muslim, a Hindu, a Buddhist and a Jew.
"If you sit in silence, you can get deep enough into your faith that it touches another person," he says. "The reality is that at the core we're all the same."
What surprises him most, he says, is that "in my 76th year I would be passionate about getting Christians, Jews, Muslims and Hindus together. Nothing in my history would point me in this direction. This is not my dream. I think it's the spirit of God."
— Melissa Aberle-Grasse contributed to this article.