Monday, May 28, 2012
Islam/Convincing non-believers or non-Muslims
From:
Expert: Abo Muhammed Samir Faid - 10/18/2004
Question
Dear Abdai,
Many religions exist in this world, and I assume that all of the people having a religion, worship their own religion as 'the truth'. So do Muslims, and I respect them for that. When someone is absolutely convinced of the truth, he will try to convince other people of that truth.
My question is how far must and may someone, in this case a Muslim, go, in trying to convince a non-Muslim of his truth. Don't Muslims have to respect others to have an own thought of what the truth is? Or respect that someone simply doesn't know and cannot be convinced by others' 'versions' of the truth?
You can answer by argueing that the Quran, which tells according to you the truth, tell you do convince others, but that argument doesn't hold for a non-Muslim, because for him the Quran is not the truth. Do you understand my point?
Get the answer below
Answer
Hi thanks for your question
Islam's view of other religions is balanced, realistic and moderate. Islam doesn't view other religions as being either completely true nor completely false, but believes that all true religions were at one time divinely revealed. However, over time the teachings of the various religions, due to a variety of reasons, have become distorted and mixed with made-man ideas. But nonetheless, Muslims are required to be tolerant of other revealed religions since the Qur'an clearly says: "Let there be no compulsion in religion".
Khadijah 'Sue' Watson - Former pastor, missionary, professor. Master's degree in Divinity
"What happened to you?" This was usually the first reaction I encountered when my former classmates, friends and co-pastors saw me after having embraced Islam. I suppose I couldn't blame them, I was a highly unlikely the person to change religions. Formerly, I was a professor, pastor, church planter and missionary. If anyone was a radical fundamentalist it was I.
I had just graduated with my Master's Degree of Divinity from an elite seminary five months before. It was after that time I met a lady who had worked in Saudi Arabia and had embraced Islam. Of course I asked her about the treatment of women in Islam. I was shocked at her answer, it wasn't what I expected so I proceeded to ask other questions relating to Allah and Muhammad (pbuh). She informed me that she would take me to the Islamic Center where they would be better able to answer my questions.
Being prayed up, meaning-asking Jesus for protection against demon spirits seeing that what we had been taught about Islam is that it is Demonic and Satanic religion. Having taught Evangelism I was quite shocked at their approach, it wa s direct and straightforward. No intimidation, no harassment, no psychological manipulation, no subliminal influence! None of this, "let's have a Qur'aanic study in your house", like a counter part of the Bible study. I couldn't believe it! They gave me some books and told me if I had some questions they were available to answer them in the office. That night I read all of the books they gave. It was the first time I had ever read a book about Islam written by a Muslim, we had studied and read books about Islam only written by Christians. The next day I spent three hours at the office asking questions. This went on everyday for a week, by which time I had read twelve books and knew why Muslims are the hardest people in the world to conver t to Christianity. Why? Because there is nothing to offer them!! (In Islam) There is a relationship with Allah, forgiveness of sins, salvation and promise of Eternal Life.
Naturally, my first question centered on the deity of Allah. Who is this Allah that the Muslims worship? We had been taught as Christians that this is another god, a false god. When in fact He is the Omniscient-All Know ing, Omnipotent-All Powerful, and Omnipresent-All Present God. The One and Only without co-partners or co-equal. It is interesting to note that there were bishops during the first three hundred years of the Church that were teaching as the Muslim believes that Jesus (pbuh) was a prophet and teacher!! It was only after the conversion of Emperor Constantine that he was the one to call and introduce the doctrine of the Trinity. He a convert to Christianity who knew nothing of this religion introduced a paganistic concept that goes back to Babylonian times. Because the space does not permit me to go into detail about the subject insha'Allah, another time. Only I must point out that the word TRINITY is not found in the Bible in any of its many translation nor is it found in the original Greek or Hebrew languages!
My other important question centered on Muhammad (pbuh). Who is this Muhammad? I found out that Muslims do not pray to him like the Christians pray to Jesus. He is not an intermediary and in fact it is forbidden to pray to him. We ask blessing upon him at the end of our prayer but likewise we ask blessings on Abraham. He is a Prophet and a Messenger, the final and last Prophet. In fact, until now, one thousand four hundred and eighteen years (1,418) later there has been no prophet after him. His message is for All Mankind as opposed to the message of Jesus or Moses (peace be upon them both) which was sent to the Jews. "Hear O Israel" But the message is the same message of Allah. "The Lord Your God is One God and you shall have no other gods before Me."(Mark 12:29).
Because prayer was a very important part of my Christian life I was both interested and curious to know what the Muslims were praying. As Christians we were as ignorant on this aspect of Muslim belief as on the other aspects. We thought and were taught, that the Muslims were bowing down to the Ka'bah (in Mecca), that that was there god and center point of this false deity. Again, I was shocked to learn that the manner of prayer is prescribed by God, Himself. The words of the prayer are one of praise and exaltation. The approach to prayer (ablution or washing) in cleanliness is under the direction of Allah. He is a Holy God and it is not for us to approach Him in an arbitrary manner but only reasonable that He should tell us how we should approach Him.
At the end of that week after having spent eight (8) years of formal theological studies I knew cognitively (head knowledge) that Islam was true. But I did not embrace Islam at that time because I did not believe it in my heart. I continued to pray, to read the Bible, to attend lectures at the Islamic Center. I was in earnest asking and seeking God's direction. It is not easy to change your religion. I did not want to loose my salvation if there was salvation to loose. I continued to be shocked and amazed at what I was learning because it was not what I was taught that Islam believed. In my Master's level, the professor I had was respected as an authority on Islam yet his teaching and that of Christianity in general is full of Misunderstanding. He and many Christians like him are sincere but they are sincerely wrong.
Two months later after having once again prayed seeking God's direction, I felt something drop into my being! I sat up, and it was the first time I was to use the name of Allah, and I said, "Allah, I believe you are the One and Only True God." There was peace that descended upon me and from that day four years ago until now I have never regretted embracing Islam. This decision did not come without trial. I was fired from my job as I was teaching in two Bible Colleges at that time , ostracized by my former classmates, professors and co-pastors, disowned by my husband's family, misunderstood by my adult children and made a suspicion by my own government. Without the faith that enables man to stand up to Satanic forces I would not ha ve been able to withstand all of this. I am ever so grateful to Allah that I am a Muslim and may I live and die a Muslim.
"Truly, my prayer, my service of sacrifice, my life and my death are all for God the Cherisher of the Worlds. No partner has He, this I am commanded. And I am the first of those who bow to Allah in Islam."
(Holy Qur'aan 6:162-163)
Sister Khadijah Watson
Sister Khadijah Watson is presently working as a teacher for women in one of the Da'wah (Invitation To Islam) Centers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
more stories
http://www.islamdoor.com
http://www.thetruereligion.org/priests.htm
..............
Answers to FAQ about Islam
1. What is Islam?
The word "Islam" means peace and submission. Peace means to be at peace with yourself and your surroundings and submission means submission to the will of God. A broader meaning of the word "Islam" is to achieve peace by submitting to the will of God.
This is a unique religion with a name which signifies a moral attitude and a way of life. Judaism takes its name from the tribe of Juda, Christianity from Jesus Christ, Buddhism from Goutam Buddha and Hinduism from Indus River. However, Muslims derive their identity from the message of Islam, rather than the person of Muhammed (P), thus should not be called "Muhammadans".
2. Who is Allah?
Allah is the Arabic word for "one God". Allah is not God of Muslims only. He is God of all creations, because He is their Creator and Sustainer.
3. Who is a Muslim?
The word "Muslim" means one who submits to the will of God. This is done by declaring that "there is no god except one God and Muhammad is the messenger of God." In a broader sense, anyone who willingly submits to the will of God is a Muslim. Thus, all the prophets preceding the prophet Muhammad are considered Muslims. The Quran specifically mentions Abraham who lived long before Moses and Christ that, "he was not a Jew or a Christian but a Muslim," because, he had submitted to the will of God. Thus there are Muslims who are not submitting at all to the will of God and there are Muslims who are doing their best to live an Islamic life. One cannot judge Islam by looking at those individuals who have a Muslim name but in their actions, they are not living or behaving as Muslims. The extent of being a Muslim can be according to the degree to which one is submitting to the will of God, in his beliefs and his actions.
4. Who was Muhammad? (P)
In brief, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was born in a noble tribe of Mecca in Arabia in the year 570 AD. His ancestry goes back to Prophet Ishmael (P), son of Prophet Abraham (P). His father died before his birth and his mother died when he was six. He did not attend a formal school since he was raised first by a nurse as it was the custom those days, and then by his grandfather and uncle. As a young man, he was known as a righteous person who used to meditate in a cave. At age 40, he was given the prophethood when the angel, Gabriel, appeared in the cave. Subsequently, the revelations came over 23 years and were compiled in the form of a book called the Quran which Muslims consider as the final and the last word of God. The Quran has been preserved, unchanged, in its original form and confirms the truth in the Torah, the psalms and the Gospel.
5. Do Muslims worship Muhammad? (P)
No. Muslims do not worship Muhammad (P) or any other prophets. Muslims believe in all prophets including Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, Solomon, Moses and Jesus. Muslims believe that Muhammad (P) was the last of the prophets. They believe that God alone is to be worshiped, not any human being.
6. What do Muslims think of Jesus? (P)
Muslims think highly of Jesus (P) and his worthy mother, Mary. The Quran tells us that Jesus was born of a miraculous birth without a father. "Lo! The likeness of Jesus with Allah is the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, and then He said unto him: Be and he is" (Quran 3.59). He was given many miracles as a prophet. These include speaking soon after his birth in defense of his mother's piety. God's other gifts to him included healing the blind and the sick, reviving the dead, making a bird out of clay and most importantly, the message he was carrying. These miracles were given to him by God to establish him as a prophet. According to the Quran, he was not crucified but was raised into Heaven. (Quran, Chapter Maryam)
9. What is the purpose of worship in Islam?
The purpose of worship in Islam is to be God conscious. Thus the worship, whether it is prayer, fasting, or charity, is a means to achieve God consciousness so that when one becomes conscious of God, in thought and in action, he is in a better position to receive His bounties both in this world and the hereafter.
10. Do Muslims believe in the hereafter?
God is Just and manifest His justice, He established the system of accountability. Those who do good will be rewarded and those who do wrong will be punished accordingly. Thus, He created Heaven and Hell and there are admission criteria for both. Muslims believe that the present life is a temporary one. It is a test and if we pass the test, we will be given a life of permanent pleasure in the company of good people in Heaven.
12. What is the dress code for Muslims?
Islam emphasizes modesty. No person should be perceived as a sex object. There are certain guidelines both for men and women that their dress should neither be too thin nor too tight to reveal body forms. For men, they must at least cover the area from the knee to navel and for women, their dress should cover all areas except the hands and face. The veil is not essential.
13. What are the dietary prohibitions in Islam?
Muslims are told in the Quran not to eat pork or pork products, meat of the animals who died before being slaughtered or the carnivorous animals (as they eat dead animals), nor drink blood or intoxicants such as wine or use any illicit drugs.
14. What is Jihad?
The word "Jihad" means struggle, or to be specific, striving in the cause of God. Any struggle done in day-to-day life to please God can be considered Jihad. One of the highest levels of Jihad is to stand up to a tyrant and speak a word of truth. Control of the self from wrong doings is also a great Jihad. One of the forms of Jihad is to take up arms in defense of Islam or a Muslim country when Islam is attacked. This kind of Jihad has to be declared by the religious leadership or by a Muslim head of state who is following the Quran and Sunnah.
15. Was Islam spread by the sword?
According to the Quran, "There is no compulsion in religion" (2:256), thus, no one can be forced to become a Muslim.
The Junior Encyclopaedia of Canada says:
"Islam is the fastest growing religion world-wide" (The Junior Encyclopaedia of Canada, Hurtig Publishers, Canada, 1990, Vol2, p396)
What explains this phenomenon? Who is forcing anyone today to become Muslims? Muslims are not even engaged in active preaching in any noticeable degree. People are voluntarily coming into Islam because they find Islam makes sense.
Huston Smith discusses in his book entitled The World's Religions, on page 256, how the Prophet Mohammed, on whom be peace, granted freedom of religion to the Jews and Christians under Muslim rule. The Prophet had a document drawn up in which he stipulated that Jews and Christians "shall be protected from all insults and vexations; they shall have an equal right with our own people to our assistance and good offices," and furthermore, that they shall "practice their religion as freely as the Muslims"(Quoted in the World's religions by Huston Smith, Harper Collins, 1991, p256) Smith points out that Muslims regard that document as "the first charter of freedom of conscience in human history and the authoritative model for those of every subsequent Muslim state"(p256)
So, was Islam spread by the sword? The following short answer comes from Ira ZeppJr, a non-Muslim, in his book entitled A Muslim Primer:
"It is unfortunate that Islam has been stereotyped as the 'religion of the sword' or that Islam was spread by the sword.' The historical reality is that the expansion of Islam was usually by persuasion and not by military power. In any case, Islam cannot be forced on anyone; if profession of the shahadah (i.e. the declaration of Islam) is forced on someone, it is not true Islam" (A Muslim Primer by Ira Zepp, Jr., 1992, Wakefield Editions, US, p134)
16. Does Islam promote violence and terrorism?
No. Islam is religion of peace and submission and stresses on the sanctity of human life. A verse in the Quran says, [Chapter 5, verse 32], that "anyone who saves one life, it is as if he has saved the whole of mankind and anyone who has killed another person (except in lieu of murder or mischief on earth) it is as if he has killed the whole of mankind." Islam condemns all the violence which happened in the Crusades, in Spain, in WW II, or by acts of people like the Rev. Jim Jones, David Koresh, Dr. Baruch Goldstein, or the atrocities committed in Bosniaby the Christian Serbs. Anyone who is doing violence is not practicing his religion at that time. However, sometimes violence is a human response of oppressed people as it happens in Palestine. Although this is wrong, they think of this as a way to get attention. There is a lot of terrorism and violence in areas where there is no Muslim presence. For example, in Ireland, South Africa, Latin America, and Sri Lanka. Sometimes the violence is due to a struggle between those who have with those who do not have, or between those who are oppressed with those who are oppressors. We need to find out why people become terrorists. Unfortunately, the Palestinians who are doing violence are called terrorists, but not the armed Israeli settlers when they do the same sometimes even against their own people. As it turned out to be in the Oklahoma City bombing, sometime Muslims are prematurely blamed even if the terrorism is committed by non-Muslims. Sometimes those who want Peace and those who oppose Peace can be of the same religion.
17. What is "Islamic Fundamentalism"?
There is no concept of "Fundamentalism" in Islam. The western media has coined this term to brand those Muslims who wish to return to the basic fundamental principles of Islam and mould their lives accordingly. Islam is a religion of moderation and a practicing God fearing Muslim can neither be a fanatic nor an extremist.
18. Does Islam promote polygamy?
No, polygamy in Islam is a permission not an injunction. Historically, all the prophets except Jesus, who was not married, had more than one wife. For Muslim men to have more than one wife is a permission which is given to them in the Quran, not to satisfy lust, but for the welfare of the widows and the orphans of the wars. In the pre-Islamic period, men used to have many wives. One person had 11 wives and when he became Muslim, he asked the Prophet Muhammad (P), "What should I do with so many wives?" and he said, "Divorce all except the four." The Quran says, "you can marry 2 or 3 and up to 4 women if you can be equally just with each of them" (4:3). Since it is very difficult to be equally just with all wives, in practice, most of the Muslim men do not have more than one wife. Prophet Muhammad (P) himself from age 24 to 50 was married to only one woman, Khadija. In the western society, some men who have one wife have many extramarital affairs. Thus, a survey was published in "U.S.A. Today" (April 4, 1988 Section D) which asked 4,700 mistresses what they would like their status to be. They said that "they preferred being a second wife rather than the 'other woman' because they did not have the legal rights, nor did they have the financial equality of the legally married wives, and it appeared that they were being used by these men."
19. Does Islam oppress women?
No. On the contrary, Islam elevated the status of women 1,400 years ago by giving them the right to divorce, the right to have financial independence and support and the right to be identified as dignified women (Hijab) when in the rest of the world, including Europe, women had no such rights. Women are equal to men in all acts of piety (Quran 33:32). Islam allows women to keep their maiden name after marriage, their earned money and spend it as they wish, and ask men to be their protector as women on the street can be molested. Prophet Muhammad (P) told Muslim men, "the best among you is the one who is best to his family." Not Islam, but some Muslim men, do oppress women today. This is because of their cultural habits or their ignorance about their religion. Female Genital Mutilations has nothing to do with Islam. It is a pre Islamic African Custom, practiced by non Muslims including coptic Christians as well.
20. Is Islam intolerant of other religious minorities?
Islam recognizes the rights of the minority. To ensure their welfare and safety, Muslim rulers initiated a tax (Jazia) on them. Prophet Muhammad (P) forbade Muslim armies to destroy churches and synagogues. Caliph Umer did not even allow them to pray inside a church. Jews were welcomed and flourished in Muslim Spain even when they were persecuted in the rest of Europe. They consider that part of their history as the Golden Era. In Muslim countries, Christians live in prosperity, hold government positions and attend their church. Christian missionaries are allowed to establish and operate their schools and hospitals. However, the same religious tolerance is not always available to Muslim minorities as seen in the past during Spanish inquisition and the crusades, or as seen now by the events in Bosnia, Israel and India. Muslims do recognize that sometimes the actions of a ruler does not reflect the teachings of his religion.
21. How should Muslims treat Jews and Christians?
The Quran calls them "People of the Book", i.e., those who received Divine scriptures before Muhammad (P). Muslims are told to treat them with respect and justice and do not fight with them unless they initiate hostilities or ridicule their faith. The Muslims ultimate hope is that they all will join them in worshipping one God and submit to His will.
"Say (O Muhammad): O people of the Book (Jews and Christians) come to an agreement between us and you, that we shall worship none but Allah, and that we shall take no partners with Him, and none of us shall take others for Lords beside Allah. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are those who have surrendered (unto Him)." (Quran 3:64)
What about Hindus, Bahai, Buddhists and members of other religions?
They should also be treated with love, respect, and understanding to make them recipients of Invitations to Islam.
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Almighty God is Compassionate, Loving and Merciful. The essence of falsehood is the claim that God cannot deal with and forgive His creatures directly. By over-emphasizing the burden of sin, as well as claiming that God cannot forgive you directly, false religions seek to get people to despair of the Mercy of God. Once they are convinced that they cannot approach God directly, people can be mislead into turning to false gods for help. These "false gods" can take various forms, such as saints, angels, or someone who is believed to be the "Son of God" or "God Incarnate".
The original, unchanged revelations given to Abraham and other prophets(like Moses and Jesus ) reaching back to Adam all came from the One True God(The Creator). This common origin explains their similarities in many beliefs and values
However, over time the teachings of the various religions, due to a variety of reasons, have become distorted and mixed with made-man ideas.
The last Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad , who is a direct descendant of Abraham through his first born son, Ishmael, was sent with the Last Guidance, Revelation and Testament, the Holy Qur'an(koran) to amend and correct the changes and corruption made to the the "Torah" which was sent to Moses and theTrue Gospel of Jesus.To say the truth ,God preserved all the other Holy Books plainly by preserving His Last Book the Holy Qur'an(koran)which contains the right and the truth of all that was changed in those other Books.
This is why this last Revelation which was sent 1423 years ago has remained unchanged, not even a word or a letter has been altered.
There is not even one word of difference between two Arabic Qur'ans, anywhere in the world. There has been no disagreements in history among Muslims as to what should and should not be in the Qur'an. However, in the case of the Bible, even the most ancient manuscripts conflict with one another so that no two are identical. Footnotes in all modern versions of the Bible prove this fact.
These revisions serve as concrete proofs that all the Biblical books are not at all divinely inspired. This is because it is beyond man's ability to correct the work of his Creator, who alone is Almighty and perfect
It was only natural for Almighty God to preserve the scripture revealed to Prophet Muhammad, because he was the last Prophet and Final Messenger of God.
Islam teaches us that we must pray directly to God without an intermediary and no soul can bear the burden of another and that the nature of humanity is good, and we did not inherit sin from Adam. Each soul comes into being free of sin.in Islam there are no priests or clergy -- each worshipper, man or woman, has a direct relationship with their Merciful Creator -- Almighty God. Since God is the Owner and Sustainer of everything, as well as the only one who can provide true and complete forgiveness, it is completely futile to try to approach Him through anyone else.
The oneness and universality of God's message requires that people accept all the messengers of God. Rejecting one of them amounts to rejecting them all. The Jews reject Jesus's mission and Muhammad's mission; the Christians reject Muhammad's mission; whereas the Muslims accept them all, but reject incorrect historical interpretations and human elements in these missions.
As the Qur'an is the final revelation and Muhammad is the final prophet, humanity is obligated to accept it: "If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost all spiritual good" (3:86).
The Final Prophet Muhammad said: "Whoever believes there is no god but God, alone without partner, that Muhammad is His messenger, that Jesus is messenger of God, and that Paradise and Hell are true, shall be received by God into Heaven."
you can do that now as you are reading these lines is to pronounce the two confirmations and attestations of faith, here it is
I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD WORTHY OF WORSHIP EXCEPT ALLAH ( ARABIC WORD MEANS ONE GOD-THE CREATOR). AND I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS SERVANT AND MESSENGER. I BEAR WITNESS THAT JESUS IS HIS SERVANT AND MESSENGER.
The right picture of lslam is conveyed in the Qur'an, which is exemplified by Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. The reality is that it is not fair to judge a religion by the actions of its followers alone because there are good and bad followers in every religion. The correct thing to do is to judge a religion by its documented revelation from God and the prophet who brought that revelation.
I encourage Christians and other religions to learn about Islam from Muslim sources and The Basis Of The Muslim Belief and not rely on second hand information which in many cases is distorted or contains a deep seated anti Muslim agenda. This is indeed a more scholarly approach
For more info
http://www.islamdoor.com
http://www.thetruereligion.org
BestWishes
Your brother in humanity
Ask a Question
Thread: Evidences for the Obligation of the Khilafah(Full article with quranic evidences)
From: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:_OEA-oaV_kAJ:http://www.omanforum.com/forums/showthread.php%3F1478-Evidences-for-the-Obligation-of-the-Khilafah(Full-article-with-quranic-evidences)%2Bquran+evidences&hl=en&gbv=2&ct=clnk
assalamu alaikum.. here is a much more detailed article with all evidences.. quran, hadith, and the companions consensus..
After reading this who has an excuse for not working for the Khilafah?
Evidences for the Obligation of the Khilafah
Islam has been reduced to merely a state "religion" and Secularism is hailed as the states Ideology. The Kuffar succeeded in divorcing our system, the Khilafah, from our lives.
"We must put an end to anything which brings about any Islamic unity between the sons of the Muslims. As we have already succeeded in finishing off the Khilafah, so we must ensure that there will never arise again unity for the Muslims, whether it be intellectual or cultural unity"
The British Foreign Minister addressing the British Prime Minister shortly before World War II.
"The situation now is that Turkey is dead and will never rise again, because we have destroyed it's moral strength, the Khilafah and Islam" Lord Curzon, British Foreign Minister, infront of the House of Commons after the Lausanne Treaty of July 24th 1924.
Is it any wonder, then, that Muslims today don't even know about their true ruling system? That they've never even heard the word Khilafah uttered in any discussion related to their revival? The British have succeeded in "educating" us to such an extent that we run towards their system and rush to abandon our Deen. So what is this Khilafah? Why is it so vital for Islam?
The mechanism through which we live Islam is the Khilafah ruling system. This is the same Khilafah ruling system that the Khulafa Rashideen implemented and the same one which existed right up until 3rd March, 1924, when it was destroyed by the British agent and traitor, Mustafah Kemal. The Prophet (saw) said:
"The knots of Islam will be broken one by one until everyone of them is undone. The first to be undone will be the knot of ruling and the last will be the knot of Salah" (Musnad of Imam Ahmed)
THE FARD (OBLIGATION) OF AL-KHILAFAH
In the Glorious Qur'an:
Allah (SWT) says in the translation of the meaning of the Qur'an ul-Kareem (TMQ):
1. "But no, by your Lord, they will not have Eeman until they make you (O Prophet) rule between them in that wich they dispute, and they find in their souls no resistance against your decisions, but accept them with the fullest conviction" (TMQ 4:65).
2. "Indeed, we have revealed to you the book with the truth so that you may rule between mankind by that which Allah has shown you" (TMQ 4:105).
3. "So rule between them by that which Allah has revealed, and follow not their desires, but beware of them in case they seduce you from just some part of that which Allah has revealed to you" (TMQ 4:49).
4. "Whosoever does not rule by that which Allah has revealed, they are disbelievers (Kafiroon).....the thaalimoon (oppressors)....the fasiqoon (evil doers)"
(TMQ 4. 5:44-47)
These ayaat(versus) of Qur'an, and many others, prove beyond doubt the obligation of ruling by what Allah has revealed. The first one in particular refers to the Muslims directly by stating that we have no real Imaan (belief) until we make them judge between us by Allah's revelation. This is an indication of the obligation for all Muslims to establish Allah's ruling system.
In the Ahadeeth of our beloved Prophet (saw):
1: Imam Muslim narrated from Abu Hazim who said:
I was with Abu Hurairah for five years and I heard him narrate from the Prophet (SAW) that he said: "The Prophets used to rule Bani Israel. Whenever a prophet died another prophet succeeded him, but there will be no prophets after me; instead there will be Khulafaa' (Khalifahs) and they will number many". They asked: what then do you order us? He said: "fulfil allegiance to them one after the other. Give them their dues. Verily Allah will ask them about what he entrusted them with".
This Hadeeth is a clear statement of the fact that the form of government in Islam, after the Prophet (SAW) is the Khilafah, and not an Islamic Republic, Islamic Socialist Republic or Islamic Imarah. This understanding is supported by numerous other Hadeeth that indicate the only system of government in Islam is the Khilafah.
2: Imam Muslim narrated from Abdullah bin 'Umar who said that the Prophet (saw) said,
"One who dies without having bound himself by an oath of allegiance (to a Khalifah) will die the death of one belonging to the days of ignorance (Jahiliyah)".
3. Ahmed and Ibn abi 'Asim narrated that the Prophet (saw) said,
"Whosoever dies and he does not have over him an Imaam, he dies the death of Jahilyyah".
Thus the Prophet (SAW) made it compulsory that every Muslim should have over him an Imaam, which is also represented by having a pledge of allegiance (bayah) on his or her neck. The pledge of allegiance is not given to anyone except the Khalifah. The Ahadeeth inform us that those who run the affairs of Muslims are Khalifahs (some times called Amir ul-Mu'mineen or the Imam). Therefore, this is a command to establish or appoint them.
In the sayings of the Sahabah:
Ali ibn abi Taalib (r.a.) said, "The people will not be straightened except by an Imaam (Khaleefah), whether he is good or bad".
(Bayhaqi, No. 14286, Kanz ul-ummal)
Abdullah ibn 'Umar (r.a.) said "The people in the Ummah will not suffer even if they were oppressors and sinful if the rulers were guided and were guiding. But the people in the Ummah will suffer and perish even if they were guided and were guiding if the rulers were oppressors and sinful".
(Abu Nu'aim narrated in 'Hulayat Awliyyah.)
'Umar ibn al-Khattab (r.a.) said,
"Laa Islam bi laa Jamaa'ati wa laa jamaa'ati bi laa Imaarah, wa laa Imaaratu bi laa sam'on wa taa'ah".
"There is no Islam without a community, and there is no community without a leadership, and there is no authoruty without hearing and obeying".
In the sayings of the Ulemaa:
Imam al-Qurtubi said in his Tafseer of the verse, "Indeed, man is made upon this earth a Khaleefah" (TMQ 2:30) that:
"Haatheeh il-Aayatu asalun fee nasabi Imaamin wa Khaleefatin, yosma'oo lahu wa yotaa'u li-tajtami'i bihi il-kalimatih, wa tonaffithu bihi ahkaam il-Khaleefah, wa laa khalaafu fee wajoobi thalik bayna al-Ummati wa laa bayn al-a'immah, illa maa rawaya 'an il-Asam al-Mu'tazzili..."
"This Ayah is a source in the selection of an Imaam, and a Khaleefah, he is listened to and he is obeyed, for the word is united through him, and the Ahkam (laws) of the Khaleefah are implemented through him, and there is no difference regarding the obligation of that between the Ummah, nor between the Imams except what is narrated about al-Asam, the Mu'tazzili (a deviant group)...".
(Tafseer ul-Qurtubi 264/1.)
Imam al-Qurturbi (rh.a.) also said,
"The Khilafah is the pillar upon which other pillars rest".
Imam an-Nawawi (rh.a.) said,
"Ijma'oo 'alaa annahu yajib 'alal-Muslimeena nasabun Khaleefah".
"(The scholars) consented that it is an obligation upon the Muslims to select a Khaleefah".
(Sharhu Sahih Muslim page 205 vol 12)
Imaam al-Ghazali (rh.a.) when writing of the potential consequences of losing the Khilafah said,
"The judges will be suspeneded, the Wilayaat (provinces) will be nullified, ... the decrees of those in authority will not be executed and all the people will be on the verge of Haraam".
(al Iqtisaad fil Itiqaad page 240.)
Ibn Taymiyyah (rh.a.) said,
"Yajib an yo'rafa anna wilayata amr in-naasi min a'thami waajibaat id-Deen, Bal laa qiyaamu li-Deen illa bihaa".
"It is obligatory to know that the office in charge of commanding over the people (ie: the Khilafah post) is one of the greatest obligations of the Deen. In fact, their is no establishment of the Deen except by it....this is the opinion of the salaf, such as al-Fadl ibn 'Iyaad, Ahmed ibn Hanbal and others".
(Siyaasah Shariyyah - chapter: 'The obligation of adherence to the leadership'.)
Imam abu ul-Hasan al-Mawardi (rh.a.) said,
"'Aqd ul-Imamati li man yaqoomu bihaa fil-ummati wajib bil-Ijmaa' ".
"The contract of the Imamah (leadership) for whoever is standing with it, is an obligation by Ijmaa'a (consensus)".
(al-Ahkam us-Sultaniyyah [Arabic] p 56.)
Imam Ahmed (rh.a.) said:
"Al-Fitnatu Ithaa lam yakun Imaamun Yaqoomu bi amril-Muslimeen", which means,
"The Fitna (mischief and tribuulations) occurs when there is no Imaam established over the affairs of the people".
Abu Hafs Umar al-Nasafi (rh.a.) a noted scholar of the 6th century Hijri states;
"The Muslims simply must have an Imam (Khaleefah), who will execute the rules, establish the Hudud (penal system), defend the frontiers, equip the armies, collect Zakah, punish those who rebel (against the state) and those who spy and highwaymen, establish Jum'ah and the two 'Eids, settle the dispute among the servants (of Allah), accept the testimony of witnesses in matters of legal rights, give in marriage the young and the poor who have no family, and distribute the booty".
Imam Al-Juzayri, an expert on the Fiqh of the four great schools of thought said regarding the four Imams, "The Imams (scholars of the four schools of thought- Shafi'i, Hanafi, Maliki, Hanbali)- may Allah have mercy on them- agree that the Imamah (Leadership) is an obligation, and that the Muslims must appoint an Imam who would implement the deen's rites, and give the oppressed justice against the oppressors".
("Fiqh ul-Mathahib ul- Arba'a" [the Fiqh of the four schools of thought], volume 5, page 416.)
Imam al-Haythami said,
"A'lamu anna Sahabata- Ridhwaan Allahu 'alayhim -Ajma'oo 'ala anna nasab al-Imaamata ba'd inqiraadhi zaman in-Naboowa waajibon bal ja'aloohu ahamu wajibaat hayth ushtaghloo bihi 'an dafani rasool illah".
"It is known that the Sahabah (r.a.h) consented that selecting the Imaam after the end of the era of Prophethood was an obligation (Wajib). Indeed they made it (more) important than the (other) obligations whilst they were busy with it over the burial of the Prophet (saw)".
(al-Haythami in Sawaa'iq ul-haraqah:17.)
THE OBLIGATION OF THERE BEING ONLY ONE KHALIFAH FOR THE ENTIRE MUSLIM UMMAH:
In the ahadeeth of the beloved Prophet (saw)
1) The Prophet (saw) said: "When the oath of allegiance has been taken for two Khalifs, kill the latter of them". (Narrated in Sahih Muslim by Sa'id al-Khudri)
2) The Prophet (saw) also said: "Whoso comes to you while your affairs has been united under one man, intending to break your strength or dissolve your unity, kill him." (Narrated in Sahih Muslim by 'Arfajah)
Blogger comment:
His aim will be to have Muslims kill each other so he can take over and Muslims have to kill him rather than kill one another.
So what is with the Muslims who insist on establish regional Islamic Imarah's (Governments) based upon nationalistic divisions drawn up by the British and her fellow colonialists? Cannot we see beyond the plans of the Kuffar? What of those Muslims who wish to establish Islamic Governments in "their own" country and then to resume normal relationships with the rest of the Muslim countries, as if the rest of the Muslim countries are perfectly legal under Islam? Having more than one Khalifah for the entire Ummah is a sin, a fitnah and a division in our ranks.
In the Ijma'a (consensus) of the Sahabah (r.a.)
It is in the books of "As-Sirah" of Ibnu Kathir, "Tarikh ut-Tabari" by at-Tabari, "Siratu Ibn Hisham" by Ibn Hisham, "As-Sunan ul-Kubra" of Bayhaqi, "Al-fasil-fil Milal" by Ibnu Hazim and "Al-A'kd Al-Farid" of Al-Waqidi, that Al-Habbab Ibn ul-Munthir said when the Sahaba met in the wake of the death of the Prophet (SAW) (at the thaqifa hall) of Bani Sa'ida:
"Let there be one Amir from us and one Amir from you (meaning one from the Ansar and one from the Mohajireen)". Upon this Abu Bakr replied: "It is forbidden for Muslims to have two Amirs (rulers)..." Then he got up and addressed the Muslims.
It has additionally been reported in "as-Sirah" of Ibnu Ishaq that Abu Bakr went on to say on the day of Thaqifa: "It is forbidden for Muslims to have two Amirs for this would cause differences in their affairs and concepts, their unity would be divided and disputes would break out amongst them. The Sunnah would then be abandoned, the bida'a (innovations) would spread and Fitna would grow, and that is in no one's interests".
The Sahabah (ra) agreed to this and selected Abu Bakr (ra) as their first Khalifah. Habbab ibn Mundhir (ra) who suggested the idea of two Ameers corrected himself and was the first to give Abu Bakr the Baya'a (pledge of allegiance). This indicates an Ijma'a of all of the Sahabah (ra) and thus is a divine source for us. Ali ibni abi Talib(ra), who was attending the body of the Prophet (saw) at the time, also consented to this.
In the quotes of famous scholars:
1. Imam ash-Shawkaani wrote in his book "Tafseer al-Qur'an al-Atheem", volume 2, page 215: "It is known from Islam by necessity (bi-dharoorah - i.e.: like prayer and fasting) that Islam has forbidden division amongst Muslims and the segregation of their land".
2. The well renowned Imam Hassan Al-Mawardi(ra) in his book "Al-ahkam Al-Sultaniyah" page 9 says: "It is forbidden for the Ummah to have two Imams (leaders) at the same time."
3. Imam An-Nawawi in his book "Mughni Al-Muhtaj", volume 4, page 132 says: "It is forbidden to give an oath to two Imams or more, even in different parts of the world and even if they are far apart".
He also stated in his book, "Sharhu Sahih Muslim" (explanation of Sahih Muslim) chapter 12 page 231, "If a baya'a were taken for two Khalifahs one after the other, the baya'a of the first one would be valid and it should be fulfilled and honoured whereas the baya'a of the second would be invalid, and it would be forbidden to honour it. This is the right opinion which the majority of scholars follow, and they agree that it would be forbidden to appoint two Khalifah's at one given time, no matter how great and extended the Islamic lands become".
4. The Imam Ibnu Hazm in his book "Al-Muhalla", volume 4, page 360 says: "It is unlawful to have more than one Imam in the whole of the world".
5. Al-Imam Al-Juzieri, an expert on the Fiqh of the four great schools of thought said regarding the four Imams, "...It is forbidden for Muslims to have two Imams in the world whether in agreement or discord."
From: "Fiqh ul-Mathahib ul- Arba'a" (the fiqh of the four schools of thought), volume 5, page 416.
CONCLUSION:
In Conclusion it can be seen that the Khilafah ruling system implements the whole of Islam, thus Islam and the Muslims depend on it. It is not just one fard but the mechanism through which Islam is implemented. This is why the Prophetic calender of the Muslims starts with Yr 1 Hijri. What the Hijrah signifies is the leaving behind of the Makkan Shirk and the establishment of Islam in Madina as a governing system. So year 1 Hijri begins from the first day of Islamic Government, not from the date of first revelation, or the Prophets (saw) birth as it could have done, and as the Christians practice. Thus anyone who makes excuses for this issue will be neglecting the biggest duty in Islam, to establish the Deen. The death of Jahillyyah will be upon him and so it is Fard to work with those who know about the Khilafah and who are working for it according to the methodology of the Prophet (saw), and this is the biggest duty upon the Muslims today above all else. Nobody can claim that this is an impossible task as Allah (swt) promises the victory of the believers and confirms:
"Allah has promised those amongst you who believe and work righteous deeds, that he will indeed grant them inheritance of power in the earth, as he granted it to those before them; that he will establish in authority their Deen, which he has chosen for them, and that he will change their state from a state of fear into a state of security and peace. They will worship me alone and not associate
partners with me, and those who reject faith after this, they will be the rebellious and the wicked" TMQ (an-Noor :55)
Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal extracted that Huthayfah said the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:"The Prophecy will remain amongst you as long as Allah wills, then Allah will lift it when he wishes, then it will be a Khilafah Rashidah (i.e.: The first four Khalifahs) on the method of the Prophecy, it will remain for as long as Allah wills, then he will lift it when he wills, then it will be a hereditary leadership (i.e.: the Abbasid and Ummayid dynasties etc.) for as long as Allah wills then he will lift it when he so wills. Then there will be a tyrannical rule (i.e.: all the current Kufr regimes of the Muslims) for as long as Allah wills, then he will lift it when he so wills, then there will be a Khilafah Rashidah on the method of the Prophecy, then he kept silent."
(Musnad Imam Ahmed 4/273)
and concerning the liberation of Masjid al-Aqsa from the Jews, the Prophet (saw) said,
"Two Hijrah's will take place, and the latter will be to the place where your father Ibrahim may peace be upon him had immigrated (i.e.: Palestine)"
Note: Hijrah occurs when Muslims emigrate from Kufr lands to the Islamic state.
Subsequently, nobody can claim that this task is an impossible one as it has been promised success by Allah (swt) and his Messenger (saw). All that remains is for the faithful to rush to carry out this noble work and to carry the da'wah to this ummah and remind her of her Deen.
Imam Ahmed reported in his Musnad (5/35) that the Messenger (saw) said:
"If the people of as-sham (Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria) went astray then there would be no goodness amongst you, but however there will continue to be a group supported from my ummah, and they will not be bothered by those who disapproved until the day of Judgement".
May Allah make us from that group, and support us in re-establishing his Deen on his earth. Ameen.
By abu 'Ammar
Blogger comment:
We are at the end of times, Jesus (PBUH) will descend among us and he will be a just roller. Before him will be Al Mahdi who will not look for any title but the one he loves most Al Mahdi Al Muntazer. It is honour to bring the kingdom of God in earth. The way to govern in Islam is simple is Quran and Sunna which both guarantee justice to minorities and the right of free speech and free choice of religion. Do you think an ordinary man or some one not in the democratic or republic parties in America will be president you have to think one hundreds time again. The system work for the big corporations and rich families it is a big monopoly under the disguise of freedom. A lot of bankruptcies are due to the unjust system they have and the 50 millions of the medically uninsured in America. The favorite guys to the Bushes and the Clintons are the Saudi and Qatar tyrant kings. The khalifa is very vibrant democracy it is all about having a just system work for all people. Secular and leftists are welcomed in this system. Astamar for long time used secular against Islamists and Shia against Sunni. The party system is made to divide people and hunger to power take over people main function in politics: to sever the public.
assalamu alaikum.. here is a much more detailed article with all evidences.. quran, hadith, and the companions consensus..
After reading this who has an excuse for not working for the Khilafah?
Evidences for the Obligation of the Khilafah
Islam has been reduced to merely a state "religion" and Secularism is hailed as the states Ideology. The Kuffar succeeded in divorcing our system, the Khilafah, from our lives.
"We must put an end to anything which brings about any Islamic unity between the sons of the Muslims. As we have already succeeded in finishing off the Khilafah, so we must ensure that there will never arise again unity for the Muslims, whether it be intellectual or cultural unity"
The British Foreign Minister addressing the British Prime Minister shortly before World War II.
"The situation now is that Turkey is dead and will never rise again, because we have destroyed it's moral strength, the Khilafah and Islam" Lord Curzon, British Foreign Minister, infront of the House of Commons after the Lausanne Treaty of July 24th 1924.
Is it any wonder, then, that Muslims today don't even know about their true ruling system? That they've never even heard the word Khilafah uttered in any discussion related to their revival? The British have succeeded in "educating" us to such an extent that we run towards their system and rush to abandon our Deen. So what is this Khilafah? Why is it so vital for Islam?
The mechanism through which we live Islam is the Khilafah ruling system. This is the same Khilafah ruling system that the Khulafa Rashideen implemented and the same one which existed right up until 3rd March, 1924, when it was destroyed by the British agent and traitor, Mustafah Kemal. The Prophet (saw) said:
"The knots of Islam will be broken one by one until everyone of them is undone. The first to be undone will be the knot of ruling and the last will be the knot of Salah" (Musnad of Imam Ahmed)
THE FARD (OBLIGATION) OF AL-KHILAFAH
In the Glorious Qur'an:
Allah (SWT) says in the translation of the meaning of the Qur'an ul-Kareem (TMQ):
1. "But no, by your Lord, they will not have Eeman until they make you (O Prophet) rule between them in that wich they dispute, and they find in their souls no resistance against your decisions, but accept them with the fullest conviction" (TMQ 4:65).
2. "Indeed, we have revealed to you the book with the truth so that you may rule between mankind by that which Allah has shown you" (TMQ 4:105).
3. "So rule between them by that which Allah has revealed, and follow not their desires, but beware of them in case they seduce you from just some part of that which Allah has revealed to you" (TMQ 4:49).
4. "Whosoever does not rule by that which Allah has revealed, they are disbelievers (Kafiroon).....the thaalimoon (oppressors)....the fasiqoon (evil doers)"
(TMQ 4. 5:44-47)
These ayaat(versus) of Qur'an, and many others, prove beyond doubt the obligation of ruling by what Allah has revealed. The first one in particular refers to the Muslims directly by stating that we have no real Imaan (belief) until we make them judge between us by Allah's revelation. This is an indication of the obligation for all Muslims to establish Allah's ruling system.
In the Ahadeeth of our beloved Prophet (saw):
1: Imam Muslim narrated from Abu Hazim who said:
I was with Abu Hurairah for five years and I heard him narrate from the Prophet (SAW) that he said: "The Prophets used to rule Bani Israel. Whenever a prophet died another prophet succeeded him, but there will be no prophets after me; instead there will be Khulafaa' (Khalifahs) and they will number many". They asked: what then do you order us? He said: "fulfil allegiance to them one after the other. Give them their dues. Verily Allah will ask them about what he entrusted them with".
This Hadeeth is a clear statement of the fact that the form of government in Islam, after the Prophet (SAW) is the Khilafah, and not an Islamic Republic, Islamic Socialist Republic or Islamic Imarah. This understanding is supported by numerous other Hadeeth that indicate the only system of government in Islam is the Khilafah.
2: Imam Muslim narrated from Abdullah bin 'Umar who said that the Prophet (saw) said,
"One who dies without having bound himself by an oath of allegiance (to a Khalifah) will die the death of one belonging to the days of ignorance (Jahiliyah)".
3. Ahmed and Ibn abi 'Asim narrated that the Prophet (saw) said,
"Whosoever dies and he does not have over him an Imaam, he dies the death of Jahilyyah".
Thus the Prophet (SAW) made it compulsory that every Muslim should have over him an Imaam, which is also represented by having a pledge of allegiance (bayah) on his or her neck. The pledge of allegiance is not given to anyone except the Khalifah. The Ahadeeth inform us that those who run the affairs of Muslims are Khalifahs (some times called Amir ul-Mu'mineen or the Imam). Therefore, this is a command to establish or appoint them.
In the sayings of the Sahabah:
Ali ibn abi Taalib (r.a.) said, "The people will not be straightened except by an Imaam (Khaleefah), whether he is good or bad".
(Bayhaqi, No. 14286, Kanz ul-ummal)
Abdullah ibn 'Umar (r.a.) said "The people in the Ummah will not suffer even if they were oppressors and sinful if the rulers were guided and were guiding. But the people in the Ummah will suffer and perish even if they were guided and were guiding if the rulers were oppressors and sinful".
(Abu Nu'aim narrated in 'Hulayat Awliyyah.)
'Umar ibn al-Khattab (r.a.) said,
"Laa Islam bi laa Jamaa'ati wa laa jamaa'ati bi laa Imaarah, wa laa Imaaratu bi laa sam'on wa taa'ah".
"There is no Islam without a community, and there is no community without a leadership, and there is no authoruty without hearing and obeying".
In the sayings of the Ulemaa:
Imam al-Qurtubi said in his Tafseer of the verse, "Indeed, man is made upon this earth a Khaleefah" (TMQ 2:30) that:
"Haatheeh il-Aayatu asalun fee nasabi Imaamin wa Khaleefatin, yosma'oo lahu wa yotaa'u li-tajtami'i bihi il-kalimatih, wa tonaffithu bihi ahkaam il-Khaleefah, wa laa khalaafu fee wajoobi thalik bayna al-Ummati wa laa bayn al-a'immah, illa maa rawaya 'an il-Asam al-Mu'tazzili..."
"This Ayah is a source in the selection of an Imaam, and a Khaleefah, he is listened to and he is obeyed, for the word is united through him, and the Ahkam (laws) of the Khaleefah are implemented through him, and there is no difference regarding the obligation of that between the Ummah, nor between the Imams except what is narrated about al-Asam, the Mu'tazzili (a deviant group)...".
(Tafseer ul-Qurtubi 264/1.)
Imam al-Qurturbi (rh.a.) also said,
"The Khilafah is the pillar upon which other pillars rest".
Imam an-Nawawi (rh.a.) said,
"Ijma'oo 'alaa annahu yajib 'alal-Muslimeena nasabun Khaleefah".
"(The scholars) consented that it is an obligation upon the Muslims to select a Khaleefah".
(Sharhu Sahih Muslim page 205 vol 12)
Imaam al-Ghazali (rh.a.) when writing of the potential consequences of losing the Khilafah said,
"The judges will be suspeneded, the Wilayaat (provinces) will be nullified, ... the decrees of those in authority will not be executed and all the people will be on the verge of Haraam".
(al Iqtisaad fil Itiqaad page 240.)
Ibn Taymiyyah (rh.a.) said,
"Yajib an yo'rafa anna wilayata amr in-naasi min a'thami waajibaat id-Deen, Bal laa qiyaamu li-Deen illa bihaa".
"It is obligatory to know that the office in charge of commanding over the people (ie: the Khilafah post) is one of the greatest obligations of the Deen. In fact, their is no establishment of the Deen except by it....this is the opinion of the salaf, such as al-Fadl ibn 'Iyaad, Ahmed ibn Hanbal and others".
(Siyaasah Shariyyah - chapter: 'The obligation of adherence to the leadership'.)
Imam abu ul-Hasan al-Mawardi (rh.a.) said,
"'Aqd ul-Imamati li man yaqoomu bihaa fil-ummati wajib bil-Ijmaa' ".
"The contract of the Imamah (leadership) for whoever is standing with it, is an obligation by Ijmaa'a (consensus)".
(al-Ahkam us-Sultaniyyah [Arabic] p 56.)
Imam Ahmed (rh.a.) said:
"Al-Fitnatu Ithaa lam yakun Imaamun Yaqoomu bi amril-Muslimeen", which means,
"The Fitna (mischief and tribuulations) occurs when there is no Imaam established over the affairs of the people".
Abu Hafs Umar al-Nasafi (rh.a.) a noted scholar of the 6th century Hijri states;
"The Muslims simply must have an Imam (Khaleefah), who will execute the rules, establish the Hudud (penal system), defend the frontiers, equip the armies, collect Zakah, punish those who rebel (against the state) and those who spy and highwaymen, establish Jum'ah and the two 'Eids, settle the dispute among the servants (of Allah), accept the testimony of witnesses in matters of legal rights, give in marriage the young and the poor who have no family, and distribute the booty".
Imam Al-Juzayri, an expert on the Fiqh of the four great schools of thought said regarding the four Imams, "The Imams (scholars of the four schools of thought- Shafi'i, Hanafi, Maliki, Hanbali)- may Allah have mercy on them- agree that the Imamah (Leadership) is an obligation, and that the Muslims must appoint an Imam who would implement the deen's rites, and give the oppressed justice against the oppressors".
("Fiqh ul-Mathahib ul- Arba'a" [the Fiqh of the four schools of thought], volume 5, page 416.)
Imam al-Haythami said,
"A'lamu anna Sahabata- Ridhwaan Allahu 'alayhim -Ajma'oo 'ala anna nasab al-Imaamata ba'd inqiraadhi zaman in-Naboowa waajibon bal ja'aloohu ahamu wajibaat hayth ushtaghloo bihi 'an dafani rasool illah".
"It is known that the Sahabah (r.a.h) consented that selecting the Imaam after the end of the era of Prophethood was an obligation (Wajib). Indeed they made it (more) important than the (other) obligations whilst they were busy with it over the burial of the Prophet (saw)".
(al-Haythami in Sawaa'iq ul-haraqah:17.)
THE OBLIGATION OF THERE BEING ONLY ONE KHALIFAH FOR THE ENTIRE MUSLIM UMMAH:
In the ahadeeth of the beloved Prophet (saw)
1) The Prophet (saw) said: "When the oath of allegiance has been taken for two Khalifs, kill the latter of them". (Narrated in Sahih Muslim by Sa'id al-Khudri)
2) The Prophet (saw) also said: "Whoso comes to you while your affairs has been united under one man, intending to break your strength or dissolve your unity, kill him." (Narrated in Sahih Muslim by 'Arfajah)
Blogger comment:
His aim will be to have Muslims kill each other so he can take over and Muslims have to kill him rather than kill one another.
So what is with the Muslims who insist on establish regional Islamic Imarah's (Governments) based upon nationalistic divisions drawn up by the British and her fellow colonialists? Cannot we see beyond the plans of the Kuffar? What of those Muslims who wish to establish Islamic Governments in "their own" country and then to resume normal relationships with the rest of the Muslim countries, as if the rest of the Muslim countries are perfectly legal under Islam? Having more than one Khalifah for the entire Ummah is a sin, a fitnah and a division in our ranks.
In the Ijma'a (consensus) of the Sahabah (r.a.)
It is in the books of "As-Sirah" of Ibnu Kathir, "Tarikh ut-Tabari" by at-Tabari, "Siratu Ibn Hisham" by Ibn Hisham, "As-Sunan ul-Kubra" of Bayhaqi, "Al-fasil-fil Milal" by Ibnu Hazim and "Al-A'kd Al-Farid" of Al-Waqidi, that Al-Habbab Ibn ul-Munthir said when the Sahaba met in the wake of the death of the Prophet (SAW) (at the thaqifa hall) of Bani Sa'ida:
"Let there be one Amir from us and one Amir from you (meaning one from the Ansar and one from the Mohajireen)". Upon this Abu Bakr replied: "It is forbidden for Muslims to have two Amirs (rulers)..." Then he got up and addressed the Muslims.
It has additionally been reported in "as-Sirah" of Ibnu Ishaq that Abu Bakr went on to say on the day of Thaqifa: "It is forbidden for Muslims to have two Amirs for this would cause differences in their affairs and concepts, their unity would be divided and disputes would break out amongst them. The Sunnah would then be abandoned, the bida'a (innovations) would spread and Fitna would grow, and that is in no one's interests".
The Sahabah (ra) agreed to this and selected Abu Bakr (ra) as their first Khalifah. Habbab ibn Mundhir (ra) who suggested the idea of two Ameers corrected himself and was the first to give Abu Bakr the Baya'a (pledge of allegiance). This indicates an Ijma'a of all of the Sahabah (ra) and thus is a divine source for us. Ali ibni abi Talib(ra), who was attending the body of the Prophet (saw) at the time, also consented to this.
In the quotes of famous scholars:
1. Imam ash-Shawkaani wrote in his book "Tafseer al-Qur'an al-Atheem", volume 2, page 215: "It is known from Islam by necessity (bi-dharoorah - i.e.: like prayer and fasting) that Islam has forbidden division amongst Muslims and the segregation of their land".
2. The well renowned Imam Hassan Al-Mawardi(ra) in his book "Al-ahkam Al-Sultaniyah" page 9 says: "It is forbidden for the Ummah to have two Imams (leaders) at the same time."
3. Imam An-Nawawi in his book "Mughni Al-Muhtaj", volume 4, page 132 says: "It is forbidden to give an oath to two Imams or more, even in different parts of the world and even if they are far apart".
He also stated in his book, "Sharhu Sahih Muslim" (explanation of Sahih Muslim) chapter 12 page 231, "If a baya'a were taken for two Khalifahs one after the other, the baya'a of the first one would be valid and it should be fulfilled and honoured whereas the baya'a of the second would be invalid, and it would be forbidden to honour it. This is the right opinion which the majority of scholars follow, and they agree that it would be forbidden to appoint two Khalifah's at one given time, no matter how great and extended the Islamic lands become".
4. The Imam Ibnu Hazm in his book "Al-Muhalla", volume 4, page 360 says: "It is unlawful to have more than one Imam in the whole of the world".
5. Al-Imam Al-Juzieri, an expert on the Fiqh of the four great schools of thought said regarding the four Imams, "...It is forbidden for Muslims to have two Imams in the world whether in agreement or discord."
From: "Fiqh ul-Mathahib ul- Arba'a" (the fiqh of the four schools of thought), volume 5, page 416.
CONCLUSION:
In Conclusion it can be seen that the Khilafah ruling system implements the whole of Islam, thus Islam and the Muslims depend on it. It is not just one fard but the mechanism through which Islam is implemented. This is why the Prophetic calender of the Muslims starts with Yr 1 Hijri. What the Hijrah signifies is the leaving behind of the Makkan Shirk and the establishment of Islam in Madina as a governing system. So year 1 Hijri begins from the first day of Islamic Government, not from the date of first revelation, or the Prophets (saw) birth as it could have done, and as the Christians practice. Thus anyone who makes excuses for this issue will be neglecting the biggest duty in Islam, to establish the Deen. The death of Jahillyyah will be upon him and so it is Fard to work with those who know about the Khilafah and who are working for it according to the methodology of the Prophet (saw), and this is the biggest duty upon the Muslims today above all else. Nobody can claim that this is an impossible task as Allah (swt) promises the victory of the believers and confirms:
"Allah has promised those amongst you who believe and work righteous deeds, that he will indeed grant them inheritance of power in the earth, as he granted it to those before them; that he will establish in authority their Deen, which he has chosen for them, and that he will change their state from a state of fear into a state of security and peace. They will worship me alone and not associate
partners with me, and those who reject faith after this, they will be the rebellious and the wicked" TMQ (an-Noor :55)
Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal extracted that Huthayfah said the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:"The Prophecy will remain amongst you as long as Allah wills, then Allah will lift it when he wishes, then it will be a Khilafah Rashidah (i.e.: The first four Khalifahs) on the method of the Prophecy, it will remain for as long as Allah wills, then he will lift it when he wills, then it will be a hereditary leadership (i.e.: the Abbasid and Ummayid dynasties etc.) for as long as Allah wills then he will lift it when he so wills. Then there will be a tyrannical rule (i.e.: all the current Kufr regimes of the Muslims) for as long as Allah wills, then he will lift it when he so wills, then there will be a Khilafah Rashidah on the method of the Prophecy, then he kept silent."
(Musnad Imam Ahmed 4/273)
and concerning the liberation of Masjid al-Aqsa from the Jews, the Prophet (saw) said,
"Two Hijrah's will take place, and the latter will be to the place where your father Ibrahim may peace be upon him had immigrated (i.e.: Palestine)"
Note: Hijrah occurs when Muslims emigrate from Kufr lands to the Islamic state.
Subsequently, nobody can claim that this task is an impossible one as it has been promised success by Allah (swt) and his Messenger (saw). All that remains is for the faithful to rush to carry out this noble work and to carry the da'wah to this ummah and remind her of her Deen.
Imam Ahmed reported in his Musnad (5/35) that the Messenger (saw) said:
"If the people of as-sham (Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria) went astray then there would be no goodness amongst you, but however there will continue to be a group supported from my ummah, and they will not be bothered by those who disapproved until the day of Judgement".
May Allah make us from that group, and support us in re-establishing his Deen on his earth. Ameen.
By abu 'Ammar
Blogger comment:
We are at the end of times, Jesus (PBUH) will descend among us and he will be a just roller. Before him will be Al Mahdi who will not look for any title but the one he loves most Al Mahdi Al Muntazer. It is honour to bring the kingdom of God in earth. The way to govern in Islam is simple is Quran and Sunna which both guarantee justice to minorities and the right of free speech and free choice of religion. Do you think an ordinary man or some one not in the democratic or republic parties in America will be president you have to think one hundreds time again. The system work for the big corporations and rich families it is a big monopoly under the disguise of freedom. A lot of bankruptcies are due to the unjust system they have and the 50 millions of the medically uninsured in America. The favorite guys to the Bushes and the Clintons are the Saudi and Qatar tyrant kings. The khalifa is very vibrant democracy it is all about having a just system work for all people. Secular and leftists are welcomed in this system. Astamar for long time used secular against Islamists and Shia against Sunni. The party system is made to divide people and hunger to power take over people main function in politics: to sever the public.
Chapter: The Clear Evidence
Sura Bayyinah
(The Clear Evidence)
No. 98 (Verses 1-5)
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
(1)لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ مُنفَكِّينَ حَتَّى تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ
(2)رَسُولٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ يَتْلُو صُحُفًا مُّطَهَّرَةً
(3)فِيهَا كُتُبٌ قَيِّمَةٌ
(4)وَمَا تَفَرَّقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ
(5)وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاء وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَذَلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ
In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful
1. "Those who reject (Truth) from among the People of the Book and the polytheists were not going to depart (from their ways) until there should come to them Clear Evidence,
2. "A Messenger from Allah, reciting pure scriptures;
3. "wherein are laws right and straight.
4. "Nor were those divided who were given the Book, except after the Clear Evidence had come to them.
5. "And they were ordered no more than that they should worship Allah (alone) being sincere to Him in obedience, upright, to keep up prayer, and pay zakal (poor-rate) and that is the religion right and straight.
Commentary:
The Religion Right and Straight.
At the beginning of the Sura the situation before Islam, the People of the Book and the pagan Arabs, is referred to. It says:
"Those who reject (Truth) from among the People of the Book and the polytheists were not going to depart (from their ways) until there should come to them the Clear Evidence,"
"A Messenger from Allah, reciting pure scriptures;"
"wherein are laws right and straight."
Yes, they said that they were convinced of the coming of the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.), but later when his heavenly Book was revealed the circumstances changed and they differed in their ideas about the religion of Allah, It says:
"Nor were these divided who were given the Book, except after the Clear Evidence had come to them."
Thus, the aforemetioned verses reveal that the claim of the People of the Book and the disbelievers was that they insisted on a prophet having clear evidences to accept. But, when the clear evidence, Islam, and the awaited prophet, in the person of Mohammad (p.b.u.h.) arrived, they rejected the religion of Islam and resisted the Prophet except for a minority of them.
The preceding verse is similar to the content of Sura Baqarah, No. 2, verse 89 which says: "And when there comes to them a Book from Allah, confirming what is with them, although from of old they had prayed for victory against those without Faith, when there comes to that which they (should) have recognized, they refuse to believe in it, but the curse of Allah is on those without Faith."
We know that the People of the Book expected such an Advent and, too, the Pagan Arabs, who knowing the People of the Book to be more learned than themselves, customarily followed the same idea and adopted it as their own, but after reaching their goals they changed the way and joined the opponents.
A group of commentators have another idea on the contents of these verses. They say that the objective meaning is that the mentioned people, not simply by mere claim, but, in actuality, did not leave their old belief until they had clear evidences.
This statement means that after having such clear evidences they accepted the Prophet, but this contrasts with the following verses which indicate that they did not. Or, it may be said that the objective meaning is that some of them believed, though they were in the minority.
But, this idea seems improbable and, perhaps, it was for the same reason that Fakhr-i-Razi in his commentary considered the first verse, which to him is in contrast with the next verse, one of the most complicated verses of the Qur'an, and, then, in order to solve the problem he gave some explanations, the best of which is the very one that we have mentioned above.
A third commentary exists which says that the objective meaning is that Allah does not leave the People of the Book and disbelievers to themselves unless He completes the argument; sends them an evidence, and shows them the straight way. For this reason He sent the Messenger of Islam to guide them.
In fact, this verse is a reference to'the principle of favor' which is discussed in 'speculative theology' and states that Allah sends clear evidences for every sect to complete the argument.
In any case, the meaning of /bayyinah/, here, is 'Clear Evidence' and whose example, according to the second verse, is the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.), himself, who had at his disposal the Holy Qur'an for his teachings.
The term /suhuf/ is a plural form of /sahifah/ which means 'a leaf or page of a book', or 'some leaves of paper on which something is written' and, here, it means 'the contents of them', because we know that the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) could not read anything from the pages and, therefore, was teaching the 'contents' of them.
And the purpose of using the term /mutahharah/ is that it was exactly the very truth, the original Word of Allah in its purity, without corruption having polluted it, and far from the evil hands of Jinn and the human race; as is mentioned in Sura Fussilat, No. 41, verse 42: "No falsehood can approach it from before or behind it..."
Now, Verse 3 "wherein are laws..." refers to the fact that, in these scriptures, there are, without doubt, decrees contained therein that are right and straight.
Therefore, /kutub/, here, means 'what is written', or it means 'the laws or decrees appointed by Allah', because /kitabat/, in Arabic, has been used in the sense of 'prescribing a decree' as in Sura Baqarah, No. 2, verse 183: "O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that ye may learn self-restraint."
Then, the term /qayyimah/ means 'smooth, straight, right, strong, confirmed, valuable, worthy' or all these meanings collectively.
It is also probable that since the Qur'an contains all that the former scriptures had, besides many other additional points, then, it is said that therein are the right ordinances of the past.
It is worthy to note that in the first verse 'the People of the Book' is mentioned prior to 'the polytheists' but, in the fourth verse only 'the People of the Book' is mentioned and while 'polytheists' is not stated, the verse refers to both of them.
Apparently, these differences may be for that, in this matter, the People of the Book were the main rejectors and the polytheists were their dependants; or for that the People of the Book deserved more blame, because they had many men of knowledge among them and had a higher standard of theology than the polytheists so, therefore, their rejection was more disgraceful and blameworthy.
Then, the Qur'an reproaches 'The People of the Book' and the polytheists saying:
"And they were ordered no more than that they should worship Allah (alone) being sincere to Him in obedience, upright, and to keep up prayer, and pay zakat (poor-rate) and that is the religion right and straight."
On the phrase /wa ma umiru/ "and they were ordered no more", some have cited that the purpose of using this phrase is that the People of the Book already had the three eternal principles in their own religion: Unity of God, prayer, and alms. These are some fixed principles, but those people were not true to their promise concerning these principles.
Furthermore, the same decrees, in Islam, are, also, pure monotheism, prayer and alms which are the same eternal principles. So, why did they refuse to accept them?
Using this phrase, then, seems more suitable, because, /umiru/ 'ordered', refers to the acceptance of the new religion, that which was mentioned in the preceding verse, over which 'they divided'.
Some of the commentators believe that using the word /din/ 'religion', here, means 'worship' and the phrase 'no more than that they should worship Allah (alone)', confirms this idea.
The term /hunafa/ is the plural form of /hanif/ derived from /hanaf/ 'pure in faith' and as Raqib cites in Mufradat it means 'to decline from aberration to the straight way'. All those who make pilgrimage to Kaaba or were circumcised were called /hanif/, by the Arabs, referring to the fact that they had believed in Abraham's religion.
On the whole, this word in lexicology and in various dictionaries originally means 'crookedness or inclination', but, in the Qur'an and Islamic traditions it has been used with the sense of 'declining from polytheism and inclining toward monotheism and the straight way'.
The phrase 'the religion right and straight' denotes that those principles, i.e., pure montheism, prayers and alms, are eternal and unchangeable in all religions, or it can be said that they are found within the nature of all human beings.
So, the destiny of Man leads him to monotheism and his nature invites him to being grateful to his Lord, knowing His divine essence, and, further, Man's social spirit calls him to the service of the deprived by practicing deeds of charity.
Therefore, the root of these characteristics, in general, exists in all humans and that is why these laws are also found in the teachings of all the former prophets and are the core in the teachings of the Prophet of Islam, Mohammad (p.b.u.h.).
Re: Evidence that Quran is from GOD
From:
I mentioned this before:
Bismillah
As for the Qur'an being the Word of God, please consider following solid evidences - just the headlines:
The Qur’an is completely different from all the other books in the world.
The Qur’an, which he brought, has challenged all mankind with all their literary geniuses and scientists, from the first day of its revelation to the Last Day, to produce a like of it or even a single chapter of it
The Qur’an was revealed in 23 years, yet there are not any contradictory points in it.
The Qur’an is beyond compare from the viewpoint of its styles and eloquence
Prophet Muhammad was unlettered and no one had heard him say even a couple of poetry. However, the Qur’an also challenged the known experts in poetry and oratory and forced them to surrender
Arabic became so rich through the Qur’an and attained such a high level that it developed as the language of the most magnificent civilization of world history with all its scientific, religious, metaphysical, literary, economic, juridical, social and political aspects
Despite its apparent simplicity, the Qur’an has such depths of meaning that everyone from the commonest of people to the most high-ranking scholar, scientist and literary man, finds his share in it
No one has ever been heard to be bored with the recitation of the Qur’an
The Qur’an describes man with all his physical and spiritual aspects and contains principles to solve all the problems that may appear at any time and in any place concerning all the social, economic, juridical, political and administrative fields of life. Furthermore, it satisfies both the mind and spirit at the same time and guarantees happiness in both worlds.
The Qur’an unveils the mystery of man, creation and the universe.
The Qur’an is the embodiment of Muhammad in words or Muhammad is the embodiment of the Qur’an in belief and conduct
Even though revealed in parts on certain occasions, the Qur’an is equally universal and objective where it deals with particular issues as it is exact and precise where it deals with universal matters
The Qur’an contains at least the principles of all the branches of knowledge either in summary or detail and not even a single piece of the knowledge it contains has ever been contradicted.
“As time passes, the Qur’an grows ever younger.”
The Qur’an addresses and legislates for all in all times
If Prophet Muhammad had written the Qur’an by himself, he should never have mentioned some incidents concerning him.
There are answers to many such questions in the Qur’an that one who does not have an all-encompassing knowledge could not have answered them.
To claim that Muhammad—God forbid such a thought!— invented the Qur’an means that Muhammad, who was known as Muhammad the Trustworthy, was—we beg forgiveness for having to narrate such a false claim—the greatest liar and cheat history has ever known.
Although other Prophets like Moses and Jesus are mentioned many times in the Qur’an despite the Jews’ and Christians’ denial of Muhammad, we come across the name Muhammad only four times
It is another argument for the Divine authorship of the Qur’an that it refers to certain facts of creation recently established by modern scientific methods
Now, for a moment consider all these points combined in a single book called Qur'an... then you should come to know the truth. These solid evidences certainly show that the Qur’an is the Word of God and an undeniable proof for Muhammad’s Prophethood.
For us Muslims, we don't need any evidence as the Qur'an proves itself. Whenever we recite the Qur'an, even those who don't know Arabic language, we feel complete peace and tranquility in our hearts and minds; and there isn't any similar experience in the entire world. It is the only book in the world entirely memorized dot-by-dot, letter-by-letter by thousands of students every year within just 1-2 years.. Compare frequency of reading 'the most favorite book' of yours, to the number of times Qur'an being read by Muslims; many if not all devout Muslims complete entire Qur'an every month, some are reading it even twice or trice a month.
I don't remember reading any other book [fiction or non-fiction] twice, before or after becoming Muslim. But I certainly crave for the Qur'an everyday... It's absolutely a unique and a matchless experience full of joy and ecstasy. This is enough evidence for me that this book is the true Word of God. Speaking from my own experience, and from observing many people in this regard, it is a special book that removes sorrow, anxiety, despair and depression just by reciting it [even without understanding the meaning of it]. It is definitely not a man-made thing; this book is produced by the same author who created our hearts and minds.
May Allah guide you to the truth, my dear friend, just like He did us! Amin. مَنْ يُرِدِ الله بِهِ خَيْرًا يُفَقِّهْهُ فِى الدِّينِ
If Allah desires good for someone, He gives him understanding in the Deen. (Bukhari)
Mawlana Jami on Sahabah...
Quranic Evidences Which Support A Comprehensive Methodology of Islamic Work
From: http://soasisoc.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/quranic-evidences-which-support-a-comprehensive-methodology-of-islamic-work/
The call to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and to bring benefit to the society, comes to us in comprehensive fashion. Allah (swt) orders the Prophet:
“Say: ‘Oh Mankind/Oh People! I am the Messenger of God to you all’” (7:158)
The simple phrase “ilaykum jamee’a”, which indicates “all of you, together”, shows the collective and comprehensive nature of the Prophethood. His message was for every single segment of humanity – every corner, every nation, and every tribe. Practically, we should take this to mean that no segment of society around us should remain untouched by the call. No person uneducated, no one unaffected.
This does not mean that Islam should ever force itself upon a human being, for such a person’s Islam is not accepted anyways. As the ‘ulama (scholars) have stated, Tasqeeq-bil-Qalb – of the Affirmation of the Heart – is a MUST for any person’s Islam to be accepted. This is further supported by the Quranic verses:
“Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth has been made clear from error. Whoever rejects false worship and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks. And Allah hears and knows all things.” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 256]
“If it had been your Lord’s will, all of the people on Earth would have believed. Would you then compel the people so to have them believe?” [Sûrah Yûnus: 99]
“So if they dispute with you, say ‘I have submitted my whole self to Allah, and so have those who follow me.’ And say to the People of the Scripture and to the unlearned: ‘Do you also submit yourselves?’ If they do, then they are on right guidance. But if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the Message. And in Allah’s sight are all of His servants.” [Sûrah Âl `Imrân: 20]
“The Messenger’s duty is but to proclaim the Message.” [Sûrah al-Mâ’idah: 99]
This removes any notion of forced conversion – as such conversion means nothing in Islam and has no basis.1
What we refer to rather, is that the Muslims are collectively obligated to provide clear access to the message of Islam for anyone who seeks to know it, and see to gradual attempt reform of sciety by:
assisting its downtrodden
improving the spread of beneficial knowledge
by helping its environment
by improving its social relations
working politically towards a just government
strengthening the ties of family and supporting its status
protecting its youth from dangers physical and social -
These effects, should radiate as a beacon of light throughout any society in which Muslims are present by virtue of their existence there.
Let us look into the Quran, the Book brought by this Messenger of God to Mankind, and see the signs that are mentioned in it as lessons for us, as to how comprehensive and complete our method should be. There are many Muslims who shun Islamic Work done in one way or another, deeming it to be un-Islamic because it does not fit their narrow, sometimes culturally biased view of what Islam came to do.
God says: “O Prophet! Truly We have sent thee as a Witness, a Bearer of Glad Tidings, and Warner; And as one who invites to Allah’s (grace) by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light.” (33:45-46)
Anyone who wishes to follow the Sunnah of Rasulullah (swt), should strive to imitate these qualities and roles of his – for what greater Sunnah is there than the role for which he was sent? Muslims are to be witnesses to the people, bearers of glad tidings, warners, and invite to the way of God, and should be as lamps spreading light in the society.
The Various Methods of Islamic Work:
Publicly Calling to Islam Through Speech:
Though this is the mission of all Prophets, there is one who’s persistence is especially highlighted in the Quran. The Prophet Noah:
He said: “O my Lord! Verily, I have called my people night and day, but all my calling added nothing but to their flight from the truth. Verily! Every time I called unto them that You might forgive them, they thrust their fingers into their ears, covered themselves up with their garments, and persisted (in their refusal), and magnified themselves in pride. Then verily, I called to them openly (aloud); then verily, I proclaimed to them in public, and I have appealed to them in private, I said to them: ‘Ask forgiveness from your Lord, Verily, He is Oft Forgiving; He will send rain to you in abundance, and give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers.”
What is the matter with you, that you fear not Allah (His Punishment), and you hope not for reward from Allah or you believe not in His Oneness
(71:5-13 Quran)
So for anyone who would doubt the importance of calling to Islam in any society, let them ask themselves why Allah (swt) put this story in the Quran. For anyone who says that such Da’wah will be fruitless in a society in the West, let them say such words to the thousands of Muslims who converted to Islam. For anyone who says that the job is too difficult to be fruitful, let them look at the persistence of Noah.
Establishing Avenues of Literary and Written Da’wah
(Solomon) said: “We shall see whether you speak the truth or you are one of the liars. Go with this letter of mine, and deliver it to them, then draw back from them, and see what answer they return.”
She said: “O chiefs! Verily! Here is a delivered to me a noble letter. Verily! It is from Solomon and verily! It (reads): ‘In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful; Be you not exalted against me, but come to me as Muslims (true believers who submit to Allah with full submission).”
We see clearly that the practice of writing and establishing literary strength in order to spread the message of Islam and call people to Good, is encouraged not only since the time of the Prophet (saw) writing letters to kings and emperors, but from the time of Sulaiman (as) himself, writing to the Queen of Sheba. This should encourage to support our scholars and institutions with strong online presences and to translate their works into English.
Striving for Just Government For All People When Living In A Non-Muslim State and Participating in the Political Process To Establish Fairness and Justice
Joseph said: “Set me over the store houses of the land; I will indeed guard them with full knowledge.” (12:55)
We know for a fact that the King of Egypt, and the people of Egypt were pagans in their religion. They worshipped their king, as well as the stars and planets, and Egyptian mythology offers us clear indications of how far away they were from worshipping One God. Yet, we see Yusuf (as) asking for a position to protect the storehouses and the treasuries of their nation, and promises to protect them.
Through control of the treasury, Yusuf could ensure that Justice was protected, and that the grain of Egypt would be distributed fairly among the rich and the poor. Yusuf, being a Prophet of Allah, was not swayed by the idea that this was a nation of pagans to abandon these people. Rather, he knew that the poor could easily be oppressed during the years of drought which Egypt would undergo. He wanted to protect the poor from the upper-class hoarders and ensure that all had equitable access to the grain.
Through justice and fairness, his call to Tawhid (worshipping One God) could be further established in the land, and people would be more prone to hearing what it is he had to say of their own free will, if he worked for their welfare.
Striving For Economic and Financial Equity for All People
Joseph said: “Set me over the store houses of the land; I will indeed guard them with full knowledge.” (12:55)
We repeat this example because we not only take a lesson of political activism from Yusuf, but also, striving for economic and financial equity and fairness. This has been sufficiently explained above, but it should be recognized as a separate lesson of the verse.
Calling to Family Values and Strengthening the Family
And We have enjoined on man to be good to his parents: in difficulty upon difficulty did his mother bear him, and in two years was his weaning: (hear the command), “Show gratitude to Me and to your parents: to Me is (your final) Goal. (31:17)
One should notice that not only has Allah (swt) enjoined this directly upon human beings in the Quran, and through the commands of His Prophet (saw), but then Allah (swt) TELLS US again that he has enjoined this duty to honor our parents upon us.
Think about what this means. There is a difference from simply commanding something. But to command something, and then also to explicitly remind the slave of this command, and providing an additional reason why this command must be fulfilled! SubhanAllah. Such a command must then form a core part of any Islamic effort that is undertaken to benefit a society.
Using Modern Technologies and Resources Which God Grants Humanity – To Bring About Benefit and Prevent Harm
We had blessed David with a great bounty from Ourself. “O mountains, join with him in glorification,” and (the same Command We gave to) the birds. We made iron soft for him, saying, “Make coats of mail and set the rings in proper measure. (O people of David,) “Do good works: surely I see whatever you do.”
The scholars have a few interpretations on what it means for Iron to have been made soft for David – on whether it was made soft for him in his hand as a miracle, or if there was a source of molten metal that was given to him.
Regardless, David was ordered to take this resource, and use it, by making chain mail and setting rings in proper measure. To set metal into measured rings takes effort, research, measurement, and patience. This order to David is a reminder that is incumbent upon the servants of God to constantly put forth effort in taking the resources and technologies which we are granted, and to put effort and learning into them to bring benefit.
We will end the first part here. InshAllah we will continue with the second part in a few days.
Abdul Sattar
The call to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and to bring benefit to the society, comes to us in comprehensive fashion. Allah (swt) orders the Prophet:
“Say: ‘Oh Mankind/Oh People! I am the Messenger of God to you all’” (7:158)
The simple phrase “ilaykum jamee’a”, which indicates “all of you, together”, shows the collective and comprehensive nature of the Prophethood. His message was for every single segment of humanity – every corner, every nation, and every tribe. Practically, we should take this to mean that no segment of society around us should remain untouched by the call. No person uneducated, no one unaffected.
This does not mean that Islam should ever force itself upon a human being, for such a person’s Islam is not accepted anyways. As the ‘ulama (scholars) have stated, Tasqeeq-bil-Qalb – of the Affirmation of the Heart – is a MUST for any person’s Islam to be accepted. This is further supported by the Quranic verses:
“Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth has been made clear from error. Whoever rejects false worship and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks. And Allah hears and knows all things.” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 256]
“If it had been your Lord’s will, all of the people on Earth would have believed. Would you then compel the people so to have them believe?” [Sûrah Yûnus: 99]
“So if they dispute with you, say ‘I have submitted my whole self to Allah, and so have those who follow me.’ And say to the People of the Scripture and to the unlearned: ‘Do you also submit yourselves?’ If they do, then they are on right guidance. But if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the Message. And in Allah’s sight are all of His servants.” [Sûrah Âl `Imrân: 20]
“The Messenger’s duty is but to proclaim the Message.” [Sûrah al-Mâ’idah: 99]
This removes any notion of forced conversion – as such conversion means nothing in Islam and has no basis.1
What we refer to rather, is that the Muslims are collectively obligated to provide clear access to the message of Islam for anyone who seeks to know it, and see to gradual attempt reform of sciety by:
assisting its downtrodden
improving the spread of beneficial knowledge
by helping its environment
by improving its social relations
working politically towards a just government
strengthening the ties of family and supporting its status
protecting its youth from dangers physical and social -
These effects, should radiate as a beacon of light throughout any society in which Muslims are present by virtue of their existence there.
Let us look into the Quran, the Book brought by this Messenger of God to Mankind, and see the signs that are mentioned in it as lessons for us, as to how comprehensive and complete our method should be. There are many Muslims who shun Islamic Work done in one way or another, deeming it to be un-Islamic because it does not fit their narrow, sometimes culturally biased view of what Islam came to do.
God says: “O Prophet! Truly We have sent thee as a Witness, a Bearer of Glad Tidings, and Warner; And as one who invites to Allah’s (grace) by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light.” (33:45-46)
Anyone who wishes to follow the Sunnah of Rasulullah (swt), should strive to imitate these qualities and roles of his – for what greater Sunnah is there than the role for which he was sent? Muslims are to be witnesses to the people, bearers of glad tidings, warners, and invite to the way of God, and should be as lamps spreading light in the society.
The Various Methods of Islamic Work:
Publicly Calling to Islam Through Speech:
Though this is the mission of all Prophets, there is one who’s persistence is especially highlighted in the Quran. The Prophet Noah:
He said: “O my Lord! Verily, I have called my people night and day, but all my calling added nothing but to their flight from the truth. Verily! Every time I called unto them that You might forgive them, they thrust their fingers into their ears, covered themselves up with their garments, and persisted (in their refusal), and magnified themselves in pride. Then verily, I called to them openly (aloud); then verily, I proclaimed to them in public, and I have appealed to them in private, I said to them: ‘Ask forgiveness from your Lord, Verily, He is Oft Forgiving; He will send rain to you in abundance, and give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers.”
What is the matter with you, that you fear not Allah (His Punishment), and you hope not for reward from Allah or you believe not in His Oneness
(71:5-13 Quran)
So for anyone who would doubt the importance of calling to Islam in any society, let them ask themselves why Allah (swt) put this story in the Quran. For anyone who says that such Da’wah will be fruitless in a society in the West, let them say such words to the thousands of Muslims who converted to Islam. For anyone who says that the job is too difficult to be fruitful, let them look at the persistence of Noah.
Establishing Avenues of Literary and Written Da’wah
(Solomon) said: “We shall see whether you speak the truth or you are one of the liars. Go with this letter of mine, and deliver it to them, then draw back from them, and see what answer they return.”
She said: “O chiefs! Verily! Here is a delivered to me a noble letter. Verily! It is from Solomon and verily! It (reads): ‘In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful; Be you not exalted against me, but come to me as Muslims (true believers who submit to Allah with full submission).”
We see clearly that the practice of writing and establishing literary strength in order to spread the message of Islam and call people to Good, is encouraged not only since the time of the Prophet (saw) writing letters to kings and emperors, but from the time of Sulaiman (as) himself, writing to the Queen of Sheba. This should encourage to support our scholars and institutions with strong online presences and to translate their works into English.
Striving for Just Government For All People When Living In A Non-Muslim State and Participating in the Political Process To Establish Fairness and Justice
Joseph said: “Set me over the store houses of the land; I will indeed guard them with full knowledge.” (12:55)
We know for a fact that the King of Egypt, and the people of Egypt were pagans in their religion. They worshipped their king, as well as the stars and planets, and Egyptian mythology offers us clear indications of how far away they were from worshipping One God. Yet, we see Yusuf (as) asking for a position to protect the storehouses and the treasuries of their nation, and promises to protect them.
Through control of the treasury, Yusuf could ensure that Justice was protected, and that the grain of Egypt would be distributed fairly among the rich and the poor. Yusuf, being a Prophet of Allah, was not swayed by the idea that this was a nation of pagans to abandon these people. Rather, he knew that the poor could easily be oppressed during the years of drought which Egypt would undergo. He wanted to protect the poor from the upper-class hoarders and ensure that all had equitable access to the grain.
Through justice and fairness, his call to Tawhid (worshipping One God) could be further established in the land, and people would be more prone to hearing what it is he had to say of their own free will, if he worked for their welfare.
Striving For Economic and Financial Equity for All People
Joseph said: “Set me over the store houses of the land; I will indeed guard them with full knowledge.” (12:55)
We repeat this example because we not only take a lesson of political activism from Yusuf, but also, striving for economic and financial equity and fairness. This has been sufficiently explained above, but it should be recognized as a separate lesson of the verse.
Calling to Family Values and Strengthening the Family
And We have enjoined on man to be good to his parents: in difficulty upon difficulty did his mother bear him, and in two years was his weaning: (hear the command), “Show gratitude to Me and to your parents: to Me is (your final) Goal. (31:17)
One should notice that not only has Allah (swt) enjoined this directly upon human beings in the Quran, and through the commands of His Prophet (saw), but then Allah (swt) TELLS US again that he has enjoined this duty to honor our parents upon us.
Think about what this means. There is a difference from simply commanding something. But to command something, and then also to explicitly remind the slave of this command, and providing an additional reason why this command must be fulfilled! SubhanAllah. Such a command must then form a core part of any Islamic effort that is undertaken to benefit a society.
Using Modern Technologies and Resources Which God Grants Humanity – To Bring About Benefit and Prevent Harm
We had blessed David with a great bounty from Ourself. “O mountains, join with him in glorification,” and (the same Command We gave to) the birds. We made iron soft for him, saying, “Make coats of mail and set the rings in proper measure. (O people of David,) “Do good works: surely I see whatever you do.”
The scholars have a few interpretations on what it means for Iron to have been made soft for David – on whether it was made soft for him in his hand as a miracle, or if there was a source of molten metal that was given to him.
Regardless, David was ordered to take this resource, and use it, by making chain mail and setting rings in proper measure. To set metal into measured rings takes effort, research, measurement, and patience. This order to David is a reminder that is incumbent upon the servants of God to constantly put forth effort in taking the resources and technologies which we are granted, and to put effort and learning into them to bring benefit.
We will end the first part here. InshAllah we will continue with the second part in a few days.
Abdul Sattar
The Importance of Prophet Muhammad and His Status as a Role Model
By: Rasit Küçük, PhD
The life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is full of countless examples that show his status as a role model for Muslim societies and individuals. His life is one that was dominated by a superior morality, good habits, noble and gentle feelings and superior skills, all of which are characteristics that help prevent people from getting entangled in a web of sin. The rich and the prosperous, the poor and the needy, the ruler and the ruled, the weak and the lonely, the conqueror and the victorious commander, the teacher and the student, the preacher and the mentor, the merchant and the craftsman, the employer and the employee - in other words, every sort of person can find truths in Prophet Muhammad's life that constitute an example for them to follow.
Prophet Muhammad's status as a role model is an issue based on the Holy Quran and the sunnah. Islamic scholars, as with many other issues, have examined the status of the Prophet as a role model and leader not in a sectional framework, but from a unified perspective, and they have reached the conclusion that the best method is to examine the verses of the Holy Quran that determine and demonstrate the status of the Prophet as a whole. For this reason, when discussing the status of the Prophet as a role model, issues such as believing in the Prophet, obedience to the Prophet, following the Prophet, and disagreeing with the Prophet also come to the fore.
THE HOLY QURAN AND THE ROLE MODEL STATUS OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD
In the Holy Quran the only verse that refers literally to the status of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as a role model is as follows: "Verily in the messenger of Allah you have a good example for him who looks unto Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much."
The Arabic word usva in the original verse means example or model that should be obeyed and followed. A person who follows another person's lead imitates that person; they follow their attitude and style. That is to say, they identify themselves with that person. In terms of Islamic faith, usva, that is to say being an example or a role model, is an attribute that is found in those who possess goodness, beauty and righteousness. This verse shows the importance of Prophet Muhammad's sunnah in the lives of Muslims. As a matter of fact, the Quran clearly states that Prophet Muhammad has a superior character and demonstrates an exemplary life style.
If one accepts that Islam is the final and perfect religion, then it would be inconsistent to not consider the life of Prophet Muhammad as an example for the Muslim community or to not accept his life as something that shapes and guides the daily lives of Muslims. For that reason, the life style and personality of Prophet Muhammad, demonstrated during his prophethood of 23 years, includes very significant provisions and principles for the religious, political, social and moral life of Muslim communities as a whole. The following hadith summarizes the statements found in the Quran:
"The best of speech is unquestionably the speech of Allah. That is the Book of Allah (the Quran). The best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. Of all matters, the most evil of things are those which are newly-invented (in religion), and every innovation is a deviation, and every deviation leads people to Hell"
THE SUNNAH AND PROPHET MUHAMMAD'S STATUS AS ROLE MODEL
Islamic scholars state that the terms sabil, sirat al-mustaqim and uswa al-hasana, which are mentioned in the Holy Quran, in the hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and in the words of his Companions, are words and terms that represent the concept of the sunnah. All these terms indicate the path to be followed and the model to be taken as an example. The name of this road is the sunnah, and it is collectively followed by the Companions of Prophet Muhammad and the believers.
Johann Fück, who mentions the great cultural unity that was accomplished by Islam, believes that the reason for this is the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, who serves as a role model (al-uswatu'l-hasana) for every Muslim; he concludes: "Sunnah forms the face of Islam and gives it the characteristic features that we see all around the Islamic world." At this point, how the Quran introduces and describes Prophet Muhammad and the status of the Prophet according to the Quran is of great importance to us. As a matter of fact, all the characteristics of a person who is an example and a role model must be known and thus their life can be examined in detail. The information on this subject must be accurately passed on to the following generations. The life of the Prophet is unique when looked at from this perspective.
The Quran repeats many times that Prophet Muhammad is neither superhuman nor a deity, but that he is a human being. Prophet Muhammad verifies this truth over and over again. The conclusion of scholars on this subject, which is also of great importance for the role model status of Prophet Muhammad, is that every action of the Prophet is not necessarily related to necessity or good deed, and often only represents a routine action. This is because the Prophet practiced routine, good, or obligatory actions, but he never practiced sinful actions that are prohibited. If by mistake he performed an action that was a minor sin, this mistake was criticized by Allah, thus making all other actions valid as examples to be followed. All actions performed by Prophet Muhammad have been examined, and if the indications show that this was an action performed to become close to Allah, that action is followed, otherwise it is not necessary to follow it. If the action was a routine action, people may perform it or not. This status as a role model is not only present in issues that are considered compulsory, but also in fields that represent routine actions.
The exemplary and role model status of the Prophet have a quality that covers all types of sunnah. Each type of sunnah is right and there is no place for superstition in them. The role model status of the Prophet is not limited to merely worshipping or actions that are a compulsory part of the religion, a requirement, or examples of good morals. The sunnah descriptions given by the hadith researchers are in line with the verses found in the Quran about his role model status and the orders and advice he gives in the sunnah context; it is according to all these factors that general opinion is formed. "The sunnah, whether it constitutes a base for a provision or not, are all the words, actions, teachings, characteristics, examples of the morality and personality of Prophet Muhammad."
Within the hierarchal evidence in Islam, sunnah ranks as the second most significant aspect after the Quran. The term sunnah used within the hadith of the Prophet and the words of the Companions and followers of the Prophet indicates collective deeds and involves every part of life, such as faith, worship, morality and ethics.
The fortification that was necessary to the Islamic ideal was provided by the sunnah. Once the views were solidified and the ideals were achieved, the sunnah turned the theory into a reality. The values of Islam were formulated and perpetuated in this way. Prophet Muhammad's practices for worshipping Allah took on the form of the application of the sunnah. This form of worship, which continued during the last twenty-two years of his life, guided the believers even after his death. Contemplating the sunnah of the Prophet and applying it supports the connection between the Prophet's ability to perceive, his attitude, thought, life and history.
This is the reason why the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad have become an instructor for millions of people.
Sunnah materials are classified under four groups, each one of which forms an image of Prophet Muhammad in the minds of Muslims:
The principles related to those practices that describe the Prophet as a worshipper of and believer in Allah,
The texts related to the missions of Prophet Muhammad which make contact with and call people to the new reality, yet make it clear that he is a human being who only lives for his own mission,
The principles related to the aspects of Prophet Muhammad as a human, husband, father, relative and friend.
The principles concerning Prophet Muhammad's leadership within the state administration, at the battle-ground, at the market place, at school or in the masjid.
Each and every one of these principles is an indication that reflects the comprehensive extent of his exemplary, role-model status and his ability to provide guidance.
The following principles might be mentioned when discussing Prophet Muhammad as an example for adherence to the sunnah:
The path to deliverance from excess and instability can be achieved by following the sunnah. The applications stemming from the differences in sunnah are not perceived as areas of conflict.
We should evaluate the validity and invalidity of our own opinions, thoughts and practices according to the Quran and the Sunnah.
The perception of some people of the sunnah consists only in the physical aspect. For instance, such people think that the most important thing is to trim the beard and moustache and the cleanliness of clothes, etc. Such people claim that they are applying the sunnah in their lives; yet they forget and ignore the other significant parts of the sunnah. In reality, issues like affection, moderation, clemency, fear, hope, chastity, compassion, generosity and the reflection of these in life are more important and have higher priorities.
While speaking of certain issues, some of us consider randomly reading from the Quran and the hadith as a form of devotion to the Quran and sunnah. Without understanding the significance of the Quran and sunnah, without following this path, without abiding by the contents of these two cornerstones, without directing our lives by the light of these principles, what does reading the Quran and hadith truly mean? Obeying the sunnah with the correct attitudes is more effective and accurate in approaching true Islam than merely uttering words.
MORALITY AND THE PROPHET'S STATUS AS A ROLE MODEL
A person cannot be considered to be a role model sent to guide people and at the same time be a person who commits deeds that are against the will of Allah. For this reason, all the prophets have been granted with a particular high-moral quality. They never intentionally or deliberately acted against the consent of Allah. The mistakes that they made and the faults which stemmed from forgetfulness caused Allah to remind or warn them. These mistakes and faults are not reflected to the people as an aspect of their status as role model. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) committed no mistakes that would harm the conveyance of the Quran and this is proven in the Holy Quran and is agreed upon by Muslim community. Those who accept that it was possible for Prophet Muhammad to make mistakes believe that in such cases he was immediately warned and corrected by Allah. No Muslim doubts the fact that Prophet Muhammad was free from faults in the conveyance of the Shariat (Islamic law) and that his conveyance was dependent on the revelation imparted unto him by Allah. According to the generally accepted perceptions and approaches, the sunnah put forward by Prophet Muhammad resulted from orders found in the revelations. It is understood from the verses of the Quran and the qualities granted to the Prophet by Allah that the revelations imparted to him do not only consist of the Holy Quran. Many verses in the Quran clearly state that each word and behavior of the Holy Prophet is proof of the existence of Allah.
It is clear that the revelations were all conveyed accurately to the Muslims, and that those types of sunnah that are attributed as being free of faults in the Quran are valid guides and examples that are relevant at all times. However, it is not possible to say that the level of importance for each of these types of sunnah is the same. As a result, from the very start Islamic scholars have drawn attention to the differences between the sunnah.
THE PROPHET'S STATUS AS A ROLE MODEL AND THE PRACTICES OF THE COMPANIONS
The verses in the Quran that command belief in, obedience to, conformity with and submission to the Holy Prophet are unambiguously clear. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) invited the believers to obey him, to devote themselves to the sunnah and to abstain from incorrect actions. In such conditions, if we want to witness the practices of the Prophet, we must look at the lives of the Companions. There are many clear accounts that provide us with adequate materials on this issue. As the revelations related to faith, obedience and submission were imparted to the Prophet, the Companions did not consider performing any practice without his permission or confirmation. At the same time, if the ruling of the Prophet was on something related to worldly issues, the Companions asked him how and why this was; when a ruling on religious issues was required, they would speak to him about the points revealed by the ruling; when it was a ruling imparted to Muhammad by Allah, they would ask him in order to understand its purpose and try to understand the truth. None of these questionings implies opposition to the Prophet; on the contrary it is known that the Companions adapted and implemented some of the attitudes of the Prophet without asking or knowing the reasons. What these actions do imply is that in Islam to ask questions and to understand the reason why something has been commanded is permitted, and even encouraged.
There were times when the Companions understood the rulings in the Quran and the sunnah in a way that was not intended and practiced them in an incorrect manner; in such cases they were corrected by Prophet Muhammad. Sometimes the Companions performed actions at their own discretion which were later ruled to be incorrect and subsequently they were corrected by the Prophet. All of these are examples of how strictly Prophet Muhammad trained his Companions, who were deemed as the "exemplary generation"
Another important attitude of the Companions is the way in which they dealt with problems when Prophet Muhammad was not available. They would seek the solution to the problem firstly in the Holy Quran, secondly, if they could not find the solution there, they would turn to the sunnah, thirdly, if they found no answer there either, they would practice what they thought was the best action. When they once again encountered the Prophet, they would state the matter and seek his opinion; they would correct their faults if there were any. There is no instance that shows that the Prophet's companions displayed an attitude that was opposed to the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad.
In conclusion:
The importance of the status of Prophet Muhammad as a role model is defined in the Holy Quran and in the sunnah; this constitutes one of the foremost practices for Muslims.
There is no disagreement among Muslims as to the fact that Prophet Muhammad constitutes the best example with his morality, actions, words and other features.
It would not be correct to demote the Prophet's status as role model to a limited number of fields. This status is related to all fields of life.
Prophet Muhammad's status as role model is important not only from the perspective of the individual, but also from the social perspective. Its binding features and determination of methods must be considered from these two perspectives.
Prophet Muhammad's status as role model and the validity of the sunnah are not limited to his life or to a certain time period. The Holy Quran and the notions of the sunnah state this issue clearly, and the fact that Muslim community practices his sunnah is proof of this issue.
Prophet Muhammad's status as role model and the continuity of his sunnah are the most important components that provide a unifying force in the Muslim world.
It is important to study the lives of the Companions in order to understand and comprehend the status of Prophet Muhammad as a role model.
1) None of the Bible’s Writers Believed That Jesus is God:
From: http://www.islam-guide.com/ch3-10-1.htm
Christians and Muslims both believe in Jesus, love him, and honor him. They are, however, divided over the question of his divinity.
Fortunately, this difference can be resolved if we refer the question to both the Bible and the Quran, because, both the Bible and the Quran teach that Jesus is not God.
It is clear enough to everyone that the Quran denies the divinity of Jesus, so we do not need to spend much time explaining that.
On the other hand, many people misunderstand the Bible; they feel that the belief in Jesus as God is so widespread that it must have come from the Bible. This article shows quite conclusively that the Bible does not teach that.
The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is not God. In the Bible God is always someone else other than Jesus.
Some will say that something Jesus said or something he did while on the earth proves that he is God. We will show that the disciples never came to the conclusion that Jesus is God. And those are people who lived and walked with Jesus and thus knew first hand what he said and did. Furthermore, we are told in the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible that the disciples were being guided by the Holy Spirit. If Jesus is God, surely they should know it. But they did not. They kept worshipping the one true God who was worshipped by Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (see Acts 3:13).
All of the writers of the Bible believed that God was not Jesus. The idea that Jesus is God did not become part of Christian belief until after the Bible was written, and took many centuries to become part of the faith of Christians.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke, authors of the first three Gospels, believed that Jesus was not God (see Mark 10:18 and Matthew 19:17). They believed that he was the son of God in the sense of a righteous person. Many others too, are similarly called sons of God (see Matthew 23:1-9).
Paul, believed to be the author of some thirteen or fourteen letters in the Bible, also believed that Jesus is not God. For Paul, God first created Jesus, then used Jesus as the agent by which to create the rest of creation (see Colossians 1:15 and 1 Corinthians 8:6). Similar ideas are found in the letter to the Hebrews, and also in the Gospel and Letters of John composed some seventy years after Jesus. In all of these writings, however, Jesus is still a creature of God and is therefore forever subservient to God (see 1 Corinthians 15:28).
Now, because Paul, John, and the author of Hebrews believed that Jesus was God’s first creature, some of what they wrote clearly show that Jesus was a pre-existent powerful being. This is often misunderstood to mean that he must have been God. But to say that Jesus was God is to go against what these very authors wrote. Although these authors had this later belief that Jesus is greater than all creatures, they also believed that he was still lesser than God. In fact, John quotes Jesus as saying: “...the Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28). And Paul declares that the head of every woman is her husband, the head of every man is Christ, and the head of Christ is God (see 1 Corinthians 11:3).
Therefore, to find something in these writings and claim that these teach that Jesus is God is to misuse and misquote what those authors are saying. What they wrote must be understood in the context of their belief that Jesus is a creature of God as they have already clearly said.
So we see then, that some of the later writers had a higher view of Jesus, but none of the writers of the Bible believed that Jesus is God. The Bible clearly teaches that there is only one true God, the one whom Jesus worshipped (see John 17: 3).
In the rest of this article we will explore the Bible in more depth, and deal with the passages which are most often misquoted as proofs of Jesus’ divinity. We will show, with God’s help, that these do not mean what they are so often used to prove.
Seeking Forgivenss from Allah
Istighfar: Seeking Forgiveness from Allah
From: http://www.islamicity.om/
5/28/2012 - Religious Education Social - Article Ref: AG0709-3371
Number of comments: 4
By: Khalid Baig
Albalagh* -
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"Truly, Allah loves those who repent, and He loves those who cleanse themselves." [al-Baqarah 2:222]
"O Allah! Make me among those who, when they commit an act of virtue, feel good, and when they commit a mistake, they seek forgiveness." [Ibn Majah]
Tawbah (repentance) and Istighfar (seeking forgiveness from Allah) are among the most meritorious acts of virtue for the believers. Tawbah means feeling remorse for our actions or omissions. Istighfar means expressing that remorse in words and begging Allah for forgiveness.
The act for which we perform tawbah and istighfar is not necessarily a sin, or an act of disobedience to Allah; it also includes our shortcomings. As we realize Allah's immense favors to us, all of our thankfulness and devotion clearly appears to be inadequate. As we realize the grandeur of Allah, Most High, our acts of worship and obedience clearly are seen to be insufficient. The higher a person is on the scale of taqwa, piety and God consciousness, the greater is this sense of inadequacy. Consequently the greater is his/her practice of istighfar.
That is why all the Prophets (as) preached and practiced tawbah and istighfar. We do not have to invent any sins, inherited or personal, to explain their repentance. In fact all the prophets were free of sin, as Allah appointed them as role models for humanity and Allah did not send defective role models.
The leader of all the prophets was Prophet Muhammad (saw) a fact which was also symbolized in his leading of all the prophets in Salah (prayer) in Jerusalem during Isra'. And what did the prayer leader of the prophets use to do after every prayer? He used to say astaghfirullah (I seek Allah's forgiveness) three times! This is the istighfar that comes out of the highest level of God consciousness! He taught us to perform istighfar profusely, as he himself practiced. The Companions have reported that he used to do istighfar hundreds of times during the course of a day.
Istighfar is also a means of enhancing that consciousness of Allah and strengthening our relationship with Him. We turn to no one except Allah in repentance. We confess our deepest errors, shortcomings, failures, and sins to Him and Him alone. In contrast, Christianity made a fatal mistake when it instituted confession to priests. As Martin Luther (1537) observed, "What torture, rascality, and idolatry such confession has produced is more than can be related". We seek His forgiveness, knowing that He alone has knowledge about all our deeds and thoughts and He alone can forgive us and save us from the consequences of our actions. Istighfar, thus, is a most intimate conversation with Allah. And during that conversation we are at our humblest. We can see why tawbah and istighfar are the essence of our servitude and submission to Allah!
We need istighfar to constantly purify and cleanse our heart. We are not born in sin, but we are born in weakness. We are prone to fall prey to the many temptations that are part of our test in this life. And when we do fall and commit a sin, it produces a dark spot in our heart. A famous hadith, reported by Abu Huraira (ra) describes this process. When a person shows remorse and repents, that dark spot is removed. Otherwise it will stay there and grow with each additional sin. A time may come when his heart is full of darkness because of un-repented sins. We can see this gradual darkness of the heart as people advance in their sinful behavior. In the beginning they have a lot of inhibitions. They commit the wrong hesitatingly and feel bad about it. If they do not turn back, they get used to it, so it just feels normal. Then a stage comes when vice becomes virtue and virtue vice. They defend and advocate evil and shun good.
Today, unfortunately, we see so many examples of this all around us. In the "everything goes" post-modern world, good and evil do not mean anything anymore. Then there is a whole crop of misguided psychologists who are ready to assure you that the only guilt you should feel is for feeling guilty in the first place! Is it any wonder that in the English language the word sin is now normally used to describe things that are delicious, attractive, fun, and highly desirable? That this darkness of the heart should be considered enlightenment only completes the inversion.
But there is hope for those who seek hope. No matter how corrupt we might have become, we can always make a U-turn. We can repent and seek forgiveness from our Beneficent and Merciful Creator Who is always ready to forgive those who turn to Him in sincerity. "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah. Verily, Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful" [az-Zumar 39:53]. Further a hadith declares: "When a person has repented from a sin, it is as if he had never committed that sin".
The Prophet Muhammad (saw) has taught us many words of repentance and it is good if we learn, understand, and use them. Of these one has been mentioned as Syed-ul-Istighfar (the master of forgiveness). A hadith explains its extraordinary significance: "If a believer says this with complete faith and sincerity in the morning and dies before that evening, he will enter paradise. If he says it during the night and dies before the morning, he will enter paradise." This powerful du'a is our daily pledge of allegiance. We will do well to memorize it in Arabic and never let a day or night go by without saying it with full consciousness:
"O Allah! You are my Lord. There is no God except You. You created me and I am Your slave. To the best of my ability, I will abide by my covenant and pledge to You. I seek Your protection from the evil of my own creation. I acknowledge Your favors to me and I admit my sins. So please forgive me for no one can forgive sins except You."
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلا أَنْتَ
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