Peacebook - Your Guide to Religions

Muhammad and the Jews of Banu Qurayza

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 12:38:00 +0000

Critics of Islam often ask me, "why did Muhammad (peace be upon him) kill the innocent Jews of the tribe of Banu Qurayza?"

First, they were not innocent. After his arrival in Medina, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) signed a Joint Defense Pact of Medina with the Jewish tribes. In which, they agreed to fight together against any army that attacks Medina and not to assist the enemy against one another. Soon after the Jewish power start fading away and the power of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Muslims kept increasing. This made the jews jealous of them and they secretly started inviting the enemy to attack the Muslims and promised the assistance. They also made attempts to murder the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Subsequently two these tribes, Banu Nadir and Banu Qaynuqa broke their treaties with the Muslims. They eventually had to surrender, when the Muslims besieged them. The Prophet showed mercy upon them and spared their lives. These two tribes were exiled from Medina.

Only the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza was left behind in Medina. When the pagans of Mecca with their confederates besieged Medina and the battle of the trench, Banu Qurayza broke their treaty with the Muslims and started preparations to attack the Muslims. When the Prophet came to know about it he sent Saad bin Muadh (may Allah be pleased with him) to remind Banu Qurayza of their treaty. Since Saad bin Muadh (may Allah be pleased with him) was the chief of Banu Qurayza's confederate, the Aws tribe. Saad bin Muadh (may Allah be pleased with him) tried to persuade the chief of Banu Qurayza not to break his treaty with the Muslims, but he wouldn't listen. One night a strong wind forced the padgan army to flee. Allah sent the Archangel Gabriel to the Prophet, who told him to teach Banu Qurayza a lesson for their treachery during the war. The Muslims besieged be tribe of Banu Qurayza. After the siege of almost a month, Banu Qurayza surrendered only on the condition that Saad bin Muadh (may Allah be pleased with him) would be allowed to judge concerning them instead of the Prophet because they didn't trust the Prophet. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) accepted the condition and allowed Saad bin Muadh (may Allah be pleased with him) to judge concerning Banu Qurayza.

Second, the verdict against Banu Qurayza had been given by their own favorite, they had chosen themselves to judge concerning them. Banu Qurayza had chosen Saad bin Muadh (may Allah be pleased with him) because he was the chief of their confederate, the tribe of Aws and he had always protected them in the past. Saad bin Muadh (may Allah be pleased with him) agreed to be the judge only on the condition that his judgment would be the final verdict and no one would challenge it including the prophet. Everyone including the prophet agreed to it. Saad bin Muadh (may Allah be pleased with him) judge them according to their own Holy law, the Torah. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) could not challenge it as he had already promised.

Banu Qurayza suffered that fate only due to their own treachery and utter stupidity that they did not trust the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to judge concerning them. The Prophet, of whom God says in His final revelation, “And We have no sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” (Al-Qur’an 21:107) Had they accepted him as the judge, Muhammad (peace be upon him) would definitely had shown mercy upon them, forgiven them and let them go alive as he had already forgiven and let go of the two previous Jewish tribes of Medina that had broken their treaties with him.

One may ask, why did Saad bin Muadh (may Allah be pleased with him) give such a harsh verdict, in fact the harshest in the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)? The reasons for his so hard a verdict have been put together by Martin Lings as such,
"Some of his clansmen went to him, and mounting him on an ass they brought him to the camp. "Do well by thy confederates," they said to him on the way, "for the Messenger of God hath set thee in judgement upon them for no other purpose than that thou mayst treat them with indulgence." But Sa'd was a man of justice; like 'Umar he had been against sparing the prisoners at Badr, and their opinion had been confirmed by the Revelation. Many men of Quraysh who had been ransomed on that occasion had come out against them at Uhud and again at the trench; and in this last campaign the strength of the invaders had been largely due to the hostile activities of the exiled Jews of Bani Nadir, If these had been put to death instead of being allowed to go into exile, the invading army might have been halved, and Bani Qurayzah would no doubt have remained faithful to their pact with the Prophet. The arguments offered by past experience were not in favour of leniency, to say the least. Moreover, Sa'd had himself been one of the envoys to Qurayzah at the moment of crisis and had seen the ugliness of their treachery when they had thought that the defeat of the Muslims was certain. It was true that if he gave a severe judgement most of the men and women of Aws would blame him, but that consideration would not have weighed much with Sa'd at any time and now it weighed not at all, for he was convinced that he was dying."
(MUHAMMAD his life based on the earliest sources - Martin Lings, page 231)

Islam: The Religion of Peace?

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 13:20:00 +0000

Assalam Alekum! Peace be upon you all! This post is a reply to an email that was sent to us asking if Islam really was the religion of peace. You can also send us your question from our contact page.

He wrote:

"Why do Islamic enthusiasts continuously preach that the Islamic faith is a religion of peace, when in fact it's the complete opposite. All across the Arab world where Islam reigns supreme we see time and again that there is no shortage of violence, misogyny, homophobia, and rape. Surely if Islam was a civilized religion of peace then in theory wouldn't an Islamic state be the most peaceful entity in the world? Then why is it that Islamic states seem to be the only place in the world where someone can be stoned to death for being raped? If Islam is the religion of peace why is it that the Imams of Islamic states advocate violence towards other religions, especially against Christians, and extremely against Jews, or even other third party eastern religions such as the Bahá'í Faith, who's ideology and teachings sound a lot more peaceful and tolerant than the Islamic law that persecutes them? So I ask you again, where do any of you get off saying that your religion is peaceful?"

Our Reply:

Islam means Peace

We claim that because we can logically and conclusively prove that it is a religion of peace. Even the word "Islam" itself comes from the Arabic root words "Selm", which means "to submit" and "Salam", which means "peace". So in short, Islam means "peace acquired by submitting your will to God." The very misconception that Non-Muslims and even many Muslims have is that, Islam reigns supreme in the Muslims countries around the World right now. Let me make it very clear that there is not a single country in the World at this time, which is 100% Islamic. As far as the Muslim majority countries around the World are concerned only some of them follow some aspects of Islam. For instance, Saudi Arabia follows the Islamic Criminal Law, but there are several other things in Saudi Arabia that are un-Islamic Malaysia follows the Islamic Economic System, but there are many other things in Malaysia that are un-Islamic. So in short, there is not a single country in the World right now, which is 100% Islamic.

Media Propaganda Against Islam

There is violence in many parts of the World including the Muslims countries as well, but these conflicts are due to a variety of different reasons. But the thing is that when Catholics do it, the media says "the Irish Republican Army did it." When other Christians do it, the media says "the Lord's Resistance Army did it." When Hindus do it, the media says "United Liberation Front of Assam did it." Other Hindus do it, the media says "Liberation Tamil Tigers Elam did it" and so on. But when some so-called Muslims go against the teachings of Islam and does something bad, the media starts blaming Islam for their un-Islamic actions and instead of referring to them by regional names as they do in the other cases mentioned above, the media refers to them as Muslims and followers of the Islamic faith. We know that no religion in the World teaches its followers to kill innocent human beings. That is why, we can not blame Christianity for the actions of IRA and Lord's Resistance Army. Nor can we blame Hinduism for the actions of ULFA and LTTE. In the same way, we can not blame Islam for the actions of some so-called Muslims, who are not really following the teachings of Islam. So don't fall for everything the media tells you, but rather do some research yourself as well.

Different Labels for the Same Person For the Same Actions

There are also other times, when people are given the wrong label. For instance, when George Washington and his men fought for the freedom of the United States of America, the British government called him a terrorist. When Bhagat Singh and his comrades fought for the freedom of India, the British government called them terrorists. When Nelson Mandela formed the armed wing of his party, the White Apartheid government of South Africa called him a terrorist and jailed and later he was a given the Noble Prize for peace for the same actions that he was jailed for. So think before you give anybody such a label.

Islam Prohibits the Killing of Innocent Human Beings

As far as Islam is concerned, Islam only allows fighting in self defense and against tyranny and oppression. Islam is against the killing of any innocent human beings. As Allah says in the Qur'an Chapter 5 Verse 32, "If anybody kills any human beings, lest it be for murder or spreading corruption in the land, it is as though he killed the whole humanity and if anybody saves any human being, it is as though he saved the whole humanity." Which means that if anybody kills any innocent human being, whether Muslim or Non-Muslim, it is as though he killed the whole humanity. And if anybody saves any human being, whether it be Muslim or Non-Muslim, it is as though he saved the whole humanity. This is the most peaceful verse found in any religious scripture on the face of the Earth. You claimed that the Bahai faith was more peaceful than Islam, I challenge you to show me any verse from the Bahai religious scriptures or any other religious scriptures on the face of the Earth, which is more peaceful than this verse.

Misogyny & Islam

For those who don't know, Misogyny means hate of women. Right now Islam is the fastest growing religion in the World and two thirds of those Non-Muslims, who accept Islam are women. If there was anything in Islam that promoted misogyny then so many women would not have accepted Islam. So this very fact proves that there is no misogyny in Islam, but rather Islam and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) are the biggest benefactors of women in the human history. Islam gave women their due rights fourteen centuries ago, including the right to cast their votes (through the system of "Baaiyah"). While the earliest that any western country allowed women to vote was in the 20th century in USA.

Homophobia & Islam

Homophobia means "fear of homosexuality". So is Islam afraid of homosexuality? No! Islam is against homosexuality because of the disastrous effect it has on family life. So Islam is against homosexuality, not afraid of homosexuality or homophobic. In the 50's Homosexuality was considered a psychological disorder and including in the list of psychological disorders. But after the homos took to the streets, homosexuality was struck off the list of psychological disorders and Homophobia was included in the list of disorders.

Rape & Islam

As I already mentioned that Saudi Arabia, though not 100% Islamic, follows the Islamic Criminal Law. In the Islamic Criminal Law, if someone rapes a woman, he is given death penalty. In Saudi Arabia hardly one or two rape cases take place in a whole year. Do you know how many rape cases take place in the western countries? According to the US Department of Defense report page 23, about two personnel across the security services were sexually harassed in every single hour in 2011 and a woman was raped in every 28 seconds in the year 2005 in USA. So the number of rape cases that take place in a whole year in Saudi Arabia is equal to the number of people sexually harassed every hour across the US security services and the number of women raped per minute in USA. From these stats it is quite evident where rape cases take place. I don't know whether the reports of women being punished for being raped are true or not because majority of the times such things are reported by blogs or websites, but if you check the policy statement of those blogs and websites, they clearly state that the information there can not and should not be trusted as it is user submitted. So beware of such false information submitted on certain blogs and websites by users. As far as the Islamic ruling is concerned a rape victim is not punished for being raped. In fact, it is the rapist who is given death penalty.

The Correct Way to Know About Islam

You should not look at what Muslims or the Muslim countries do to know about Islam. For instance, if you give a Mercedes car to a bad driver and he bangs the car that does not mean that the car has a problem. It is the driver, who does not know how to drive it. So if you really want to know about the car, you should look at the specifications of that car. In the same way if you want to know about Islam, you should look at the Qur'an and the authentic Hadith (sayings and traditions of Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him]). And if you want to see the car in action, then you should put a good driver behind the stirring wheel. In the same way if you want to see Islam in action, you should look at the lifestyle of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who is the apt representation of Islam.

Islam on Non-Muslims

If you look at the Qur'an, you would find that it instructs Muslims to just and kind to those Non-Muslims, who do not fight them. Allah says in the Qur'an Sura Al-Mumtahana Chapter 60 Verse 8 and 9, "Allah forbids you not with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just. Allah only forbids you with regard to those who fight you for (your) Faith and drive you out of your homes and support (others) in driving you out from turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to them (in these circumstances) that do wrong." Islam even makes it compulsory on the Islamic state to protect the Non-Muslims and the Non-Muslim places of worship in the Islamic state.

We can not blame Christianity for what Hitler did, though he was a Christian and even though he was supported by the Roman Catholic Church. Because what Hitler did is against the teachings of Christianity. In the same way, we can not and should not blame Islam for the deviant actions of some deviant and so-called Muslims. Islam is a religion of peace and at the same time, it is against tyranny and oppression.

A Christian Not Offended by Blasphemy Against Muhammad is Not a Christian

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:46:00 +0000

Previously, we discussed if YouTube should remove the anti-Islamic movie or not. Since then I have interacted with many Christian brothers and sisters concerning the anti-Islamic movie and the caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) published by a French magazine. Many of the Christian brothers and sisters have told me that they are really upset with all this bigotry. Some them have even demanded that the anti-Islamic movie and the movie trailer should be removed from YouTube, while others upset with it have said that YouTube should not remove it because there is freedom of speech. While unfortunately some have even gone to the length of supporting all this bigotry. But anybody, who is not upset with this movie or supports this movie, can not be a follower of Jesus Christ. Wanna know why? Lets analyze.

The Jews used to allege that a Roman soldier named Pandora had raped mother Mary (God Forbid) and thus Jesus had been born. That is why they called Jesus "Bin Pandora, the son of Pandora". But Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) put an end to this abuse against mother Mary and Jesus. Today about one and half billion Muslims believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus, that he was born without any male intervention. Suppose, if somebody's father has not been home to meet him and his mother for the last 5 years and suddenly one day his mother comes and tells him that somehow she dreamed about his father and she became pregnant. Would he believe his own mother? No, of course not! But today we, Muslims believe that Jesus was born miraculously without any male intervention. A son would not believe his own mother, but one and half billion Muslims believe that Mary was a virgin, when she gave birth to Jesus. We believe this on the solitary statement of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is impossible for any Christian to logically prove the miraculous birth of Jesus and even many modern-day Christians even do not believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus. But we, one and a half billion Muslims believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus on the solitary statement of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Christian World can never repay what obligation Muhammad (peace be upon him) had done upon Jesus and his Mother Mary by supporting the miraculous birth of Jesus and his miracles.

Furthermore, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the final prophet and the spirit of truth, whose coming Jesus promised. As Jesus said in the Gospel of John chapter 16 verse 12-14: "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you unto all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me". Someone asked us that did Muhammad (peace be upon him) glorify Jesus? Yes, as it is clear from what we mentioned about Muslim belief in the miraculous birth of Jesus that Muhammad (peace be upon him) truly glorified Jesus by putting an end to the years of abusing.

Islam is the only non-Christian faith, which makes it an article of faith to believe in Jesus. A Muslim can not be a Muslim, unless he believes in Jesus Christ. We believe that he was a mighty Messenger of God. We believe that he was the Messiah, translated Christ, that he was born miraculously without any male intervention. We believe that he gave life to the dead with God's permission and healed those born blind and lepers. Can any Christian in the World today logically prove that Jesus gave life to the dead? No! In fact, any sensible Christian would shy away from mentioning this in front of any atheist because the mockery that he would make of this belief can not be exaggerated. But one and half billion Muslims believe this, not that the Christians proved it to us, but only because Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said so.

Chapter 19 of the Glorious Qur'an is named after Mary, the mother of Jesus. Please note that there is no such book or chapter in the Bible, which is named after Jesus or his mother Mary.

So the Christians should respect Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and oppose all such bigotry, first because of the respect, love and reverence that Jesus and Mother Mary get from Muslims only because of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Second, because Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the final prophet and the spirit of truth prophesied by Jesus himself. Third, because Jesus said that you should even love your enemy and after all Muhammad (peace be upon him) is not even the enemy, but in fact the man whom Christianity is the most indebted to.

Even after all this if any Christian believes that abusing Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) should be allowed, he surely can not be a follower of Jesus Christ. But there are those, who are upset with the movie, but say that it should be allowed because there is freedom of speech. By saying this, they probably are believers in freedom of speech, but they surely are not believers in Jesus Christ.

Should YouTube Remove the Anti-Islamic Movie?

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 18:25:00 +0000

A trailer of an anti-Islamic movie uploaded on YouTube has unfortunately attracted a lot of attention and YouTube has refused to remove the video. It has raised a lot of question. In this post, we will try to answer some of these questions, most importantly whether if YouTube should remove the video or not. Since YouTube is under Google, we have analyzed both of their actions as one.

Update

It is being reported that an actress from the anti-Islamic movie has sued the producer of the movie and YouTube. She has accused the producer of fraud and unfair business practices and has asked YouTube to remove the video. She says that she and the crew had been lied to and tricked into doing the movie, thinking that it was about an ancient Egyptian adventure. But unfortunately has ruled against the actress.

Why do only Muslims react to such Movies?

People have been saying that why do only Muslims react to such content they consider blasphemous, while others do not react to such things about their religion? Especially Christian brothers and sisters have been saying that they do not react to anything about Jesus or Christianity. Well, it seems that they are seriously unaware of their recent history. For instance, lets look at the reaction to the movie "The Last Temptation of Christ". On 22nd October, 1988 a Christian fundamentalist group attacked the Parisian Saint Michel movie theater, when it was showing the movie and they threw Molotov cocktails, which injured 13 people, out of whom 4 were critically injured. There were similar other attacks on other theaters, which included graffiti, setting off tear-gas canister and stink bombs and assaulting filmgoers.

Killing of the US Ambassador to Libya

On September 11, 2012, the US ambassador to Libya was killed in an attack on the US Embassy there. Opinions are divided as to whether the attacks were in reaction to the movie or whether the attacks were pre-planned and the protests against the movie were only used as a cover for the attacks. But no matter, whether the attacks were pre-planned or in reaction to the movie, they are to be condemned because innocent people were killed and killing any innocent human being is against Islam. As the Qur'an says in Sura al Maidah Chapter 5 Verse 32, "If anybody kills any human being, lest it be for murder or spreading corruption in the land, it is as though he killed the whole humanity and if anybody saves any human being, it is as though he saved the whole humanity." Meaning that if anybody kills any innocent human being it is as though he killed the whole humanity and if anybody saves any innocent human being, it is as though he saved the whole humanity. So the attacks on the US Embassy and killing of the Ambassador are to be condemned.

Apart from that protests have reported in several other Muslim countries around the globe and by Muslims even in Non Muslim countries. Non Muslims have also condemned the movie and expressed their dismay. Different Governments and now even the Supreme Court of Pakistan have asked Google, the parent body of YouTube, to remove the video, but Google has refused to remove the video. Reasons for not removing the video have been the excuse of the First Amendment of the US constitution and YouTube's Terms of Service. Lets analyze both of them.

Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment

Some people claim that since the first amendment gives the freedom of expression about religion, that is why YouTube should not remove the video. But does Google really follow the first amendment? The Free Speech clause of the First Amendment prohibits the U.S. Government from punishing someone for the political views they express, even if those views include the advocacy of violence against the U.S. and its leaders. I am not saying this from myself, the first amendment says this. So the First Amendment permits free speech of political views, be it even advocacy of violence. On 31st July, 2012 Google and Apple removed Hezbollah's Lebanese based communication group Al-Manar's TV app from their respective app stores. In another case a certain man named Jubair Ahmed was arrested by FBI for uploading a video on YouTube containing "Jihad prayers". YouTube has removed his account. I am not talking about whether what Hezbollah or Jubair Ahmed did is right or wrong, I am simply referring to the fact that even such speech is included in free political speech in the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment. So when Google can not follow such parts of the Free Speech Clause, why should it use the same Free Speech Clause as an excuse for hosting the anti-Islamic video?

Terms of Service

Google and its products have removed content several times before. Just last month on request of the Indian gov't Google removed inflammatory content, including YouTube videos likely to incite violence, but has refused to remove the anti-Islamic video that has already incited and is still inciting violence. Google has been reported saying that the video is against Islam and not against Muslims, which is extremely stupid. It is the exact same rhetoric the most notorious anti-Islamic Facebook pages have been using for years to defend their propagation of bigotry against Islam and Muslims. It is like saying that if the mother is raped, the children are not harmed by any means because the children themselves have not been raped. Would such an answer be sufficient for the her children? No! It is stupid. You might be thinking that this anti-Islamic video is only defamation, but Google has even removed content simply because of defamation. For instance, according to Google Transparency Report, Google removed 180 items from Google Groups relating to a case of defamation against a man and his wife from January to June 2011 on the order of a French court. Google also removed 1,110 items from Google Groups relating to a case of continuous defamation against a man and his family from July to December 2010 on the orders of US courts. So these stuff were removed on court orders, so has there been any court order for the removal of the anti-Islamic video? Yes, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Chaudhry Iftikhar Hussain has ordered a ban on YouTube and all sites hosting the video until they remove it.

Latest Example of Double Standards Concerning Free Speech Against Muslims

Charlie Hebdo, the French magazine, which published caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the name of freedom of speech, fired the cartoonist Maurice Sinet in 2008 for writing a column deemed anti-Semitic. If Charlie Hebdo really believes in Freedom of Speech, then they should reinstate Maurice Sinet. Why these Double Standards?
Did you hear about the topless pictures of Prince William's wife Catherine, formerly known as Kate Middleton being published by a French magazine? The UK Royal family sued the magazine and yesterday the court ruled in favor of the Royal family and all pictures have been given back to the family and all others removed off the internet. The magazine has also been fined and the photographer is being hunted down and faces jail. But when another French magazine published blasphemous caricatures against Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the French Prime Minister comes up and says it is freedom of speech. A clear double standard. Plus, they never allowed the French Muslim women to wear Burqas, which is a freedom of choice. It is being reported that Pakistani hackers have taken down the official website of the magazine, which published these caricatures.

All these Double Standards towards Islam and Muslims only create a sense of alienation among Muslims. All such practices are harmful for the social fabric. YouTube should definitely remove this video because if any sane person watches the video he would realize that it is not free-speech, it is hate-speech. This video has only been created to incite the Muslims and then call Muslims violent people, who are always violent. The Newsweek just tried to the do the same and published an article by Ayaan Ali Harsi, an Islamophobic sympathizer of Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian mass murderer. The magazine also invited the tweeters to discuss their cover story using the hash-tag #MuslimRage, but the Muslim tweeters got the better of them and all this turned into a comedy show. Here are a few tweets, I found funny concerning what things cause Muslim rage.

My camel doesn't want to wear seat belt. #muslimrage twitter.com/Jamalmorgan/st…
— Jamal (@Jamalmorgan) September 17, 2012

Lost your kid Jihad at the airport. Can't yell for him. #MuslimRage
— Leila ليلى (@LSal92) September 17, 2012

The cure for #muslimrage - killing pigs ... on angry birds.
— Omar Usman (@ibnabeeomar) September 18, 2012

your shoes were stolen outside the masjid #MuslimRage
— Emy (@dee_emy) September 19, 2012

Opened my mouth so wide when I saw #Newsweek, a man next to me at the stand pointed and said, "OMG, it's the guy on the cover!" #muslimrage
— Ahmed Rehab (@Ahmed_Rehab) September 19, 2012

I wish they had conditioner for our beards. They do get split ends too. #MuslimRage
— Ohsamama93 (@Eatmymoldytoes) September 19, 2012

On a plane and people mishear the Muslim guy when he says "I'm a 'tourist". #MuslimRage
— Patrick Ptomey (@patrickptomey) September 19, 2012

A Non Muslim brother, who had been touched by the action of a Muslim brother tweeted:

Man next to me on subway reading Koran on his Samsung Galaxy tablet just offered his seat to an older lady. #MUSLIMRAGE truly affects us all
— Andy Greenberg (@a_greenberg) September 18, 2012

My personal #MuslimRage story is this:

When people ask me, how many times I beat my 4 wives, while I am single. #MuslimRage
— Liaqat Qazi (@LiaqatQazi) September 19, 2012

Please let us know about your views about the video, the reaction to it and Google's/YouTube's behavior towards all this. All opinions are welcome, but abusive language will be deleted. Please take 5 seconds to share as well.

9 11 Conspiracy Theories: Should You Pay Any Attention?

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 16:12:00 +0000

We are nearing the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, but still there has not been any proper investigation into the attacks. Several questions are yet to be answered and the government can easily answer them, but it has not answered them even after 11 years, which in itself raises more questions about the behavior of the people in the government. The mainstream media has not paid serious attention to these questions or would better say facts because of which even ordinary people do not know about these facts.

First let us, as Muslims, make our stand about the 9/11 attacks clear to you. We, Muslims condemn the 9/11 attacks because the Holy Qur'an condemns the killing of any innocent human being and innocent people were killed in the 9/11 attacks. The Holy Qur'an says in Sura al Maidah Chapter 5 Verse 32, "If anybody killed any human beings, lest it be for murder or spreading corruption in the land, it is as though he killed the whole humanity and if anybody saved any innocent human being, it is as though he saved the whole humanity." Which means that if anybody killed any innocent human being, it is as though he killed the whole humanity and if anybody saved any innocent human being, it is as though he saved the whole humanity.

In this post, we will look at the main reasons that the mainstream media puts forward for not looking at these facts.

Because they are Conspiracy Theories
A theory is either true or false. There is nothing such as a conspiracy theory. We have an official theory about the 9/11 attacks and an unofficial theory. We should examine both of these theories and analyze the facts that both sides put forward.

A Government would never kill or allow others to kills its own people
The resulting dust from the collapse of the buildings was toxic and the air was unfit to breath in, but the Government ordered EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to lie that air was fit to breath in. As a result many of the 40,000 people, including rescue and clean up workers, worked without using any protective gear. Many of them have permanent debilitative diseases and over a hundred have been affected by cancer and died. New York residents even sued EPA for lying after 9/11.

Such Government operations can not be kept secret especially with so many people involved
The Manhattan Project to build an atomic bomb remained so secret, despite involving over one hundred thousand workers, that even the vice president Harry Truman only came to know about it after he became the president. So government operations can be kept secret, very secret.

Some people claim that the attacks have been investigated already and there is no need for any other investigation. Lets analyze the investigation reports published so far.

9/11 Commission Report
9/11 Commission was run by Philip Zelikow, who was virtually a member of the Bush administration; he was brought by his friend and co-author Condoleezza Rice to write the 2002 version of the National Security Strategy of USA, which used 9/11 as the basis for developing a new doctrine of pre-emptive warfare. Even after completing the 9/11 commission report, Zelikow was given a job with Condoleezza Rice at the State Department. Zelikow had prepared a detailed outline of the commission's final report at the very start of the investigation. He had no credibility to head a commission as important as this and the families of the 9/11 victim's families called for his resignation.

NIST Report
NIST is an agency of the Commerce Department and therefore an agency of the Bush-Chenny administration. Some of NIST's tests were carried out by Underwriter's Labs and Kevin Ryan, an employee of the Underwriter's Labs, went public and challenged NIST's 9/11 report and he was fired from his job that very week.

Bush Administration Distorted Scientific Knowledge
Over 11,000 scientists including 52 Noble Prize Winners have endorsed a statement accusing the Bush Administration of "distortion of scientific knowledge for partisan political ends."

Popular Mechanics 9/11 Report
Even the Popular Mechanics book report was semi-official as it is endorsed by Condoleezza Rice of the State Department as "excellent material debunking 9/11 theories". Just before the magazine started working on 9/11, the President of Hearst magazine Cathleen Black, who is married to a former employee of the CIA at the Department of Defense, replaced much of the staff including the long-time director and the editor-in-chief. Moreover one of the senior researcher for the magazine for the magazine for the 2005 article about the 9/11, on which its 2006 book is based, was Benjamin Chertoff. Do you know who is this Benjamin Chertoff? According to his own mother, he is the cousin of the Head of the Home Security Michael Chertoff. But the new editor of the magazine James Meigs denies this and says that they do not know anything as such. So this magazine claims that they know everything about 9/11, but know nothing about one of their own researchers. Their report also contains several errors, which we will look into in the upcoming articles this month.

So in short, there has not been any proper investigation in the attacks of 9/11 and the ones published can not be trusted and are erroneous.

The official story claims that the alleged hijackers were devout Muslims looking forward to meet their Lord as martyrs, but none of them were devout Muslims. They drank, ate pork, gambled, received lap dances and had sex with prostitutes and all this is strictly forbidden in Islam. Most importantly, as I stated above even killing any innocent human being is very, very, very strictly forbidden in Islam.

Osama Bin Laden and the 9/11 Attacks
Do you know that FBI's own website does not describe the 9/11 attacks as one of Osama Bin Laden's terrorist acts? You can confirm it in these two 'Most Wanted' posters of Osama on the FBI website. First Poster & Second Poster. When FBI was asked that why weren't the 9/11 attacks mentioned in Osama Bin Laden's list of terrorist attacks on the Most Wanted Terrorist list on FBI's website. The FBI spokesman Rex Tomb said, " The reason why 9/11 is not mentioned on Osama Bin Laden's Most Wanted page is because the FBI has no hard evidence connecting Bin Laden to 9/11." But wait the story becomes even funnier because after Osama was allegedly killed, FBI published a report calling Osama Bin Laden "the Mastermind of the 9/11 attacks". It is funny because for years together they have kept calling Khalid Sheikh "the Mastermind of the 9/11 attacks". So one may wonder who is the Mastermind Osama Bin Laden or Khalid Sheikh?

Many months before the 9/11 Commission Report appeared, the Families Stirring Committee for 9/11 Commission, comprising the relatives of the victim's asked the 9/11 Commission to explain as to why "Bin Laden's profile on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives posters does not include 9/11 attacks?" The 9/11 Commission did not answer this and they even did not mention this in their report.

So no matter whether he is responsible for 9/11 or not, but when the evidence is not good enough to mention 9/11 even on a website page; then how come such weak evidence was used to kill thousands of innocent Afghans, including women and children?

So all these points make it clear that we should check all the theories about 9/11 and ask for a proper investigation of the 9/11 attacks. Because if we do not investigate 9/11 for yourselves and ask for another investigation, then it is very likely that even such other attacks may also take place in the future. So take action and save innocent lives. Don't forget visit us later, when we will look at several facts about the 9/11 attacks, InshaAllah! (If God wills!)

A Western Woman in the Hands of the Taliban

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 12:22:00 +0000

Yvonne Ridley is a British journalist, who worked for the Sunday Express, when she sneaked into Afghanistan on an undercover assignment during the Taliban rule. She was captured by the Taliban and released after being detained for 10 days. Following are the video and excerpt of the lecture, she delivered to an audience in New Zealand about her capture, detention and subsequent release.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious; the Most Merciful. Brothers and sisters Asalam Alekum. It seems there are many Non Muslims here as well. Don't be afraid I am not Islam's Billy Graham. I am only going to share my story with you so that you may learn more about Islam. The title of tonight's talk is "From Kabul to the Kaaba", but let me take you a little bit earlier to September 11. I bet that everyone in this room would remember where exactly they were. Who they were with and what they were doing, when they heard about the September 11 attacks. The Muslims that I have talked with, who saw the events unfold on television; the moment the second plane hit the tower and realizing it was a terrorist strike, their first reaction was "please God do not let this be the work of Muslims". I was in my newsroom in Fleet street in London, when I noticed that people were gathering around the television sets that were there. I already you about the reaction of Muslims and my immediate reaction was that this is big news, bigger than the assassination of J.F.Kennedy and even bigger than man landing on the moon. I have got to get out to New York. Obviously my reaction was different from that of the Muslims. By the time I got to Heathrow Airport, the twin towers had imploded; Pentagon had been hit and a plane had gone down in Pennsylvania. America was at war; under siege. Her airspace had been closed down. Her borders had been sealed. I, physically, couldn't get into the country; no matter which airline or route I looked at. It was impossible. So I hung around in and out of Heathrow for the next four days. Finally, I got the ticket to the first flight out to New York. As I was making my way to the departure lounge, my phone rang and it was my boss, the News Editor. He has there has been a change of plans. We want you to go to Pakistan. I was furious, the contacts that I had been making were in New York. The clothes, I had packed were for New York. I had never been to Pakistan. I probably needed injections. What is this country, why do you want to send me there? It is a Middle Eastern thing. Why don't I go to the Middle East. He said, "no the story is going to unfold in Pakistan and the neighboring Afghanistan. Within 12 hours I got down at Islamabad, dressed for New York, which went very well as you can imagine. Over the next few days, I was writing about the hopes and the fears of the people for the impending war, which was going to happen in the neighboring Afghanistan. Where the richest country in the World was going to bomb the poorest country in the World. By the end of the week about three thousand journalists from around the World had joined me. They were in Peshawar, Islamabad and down in Quetta. Thousand of journalists from all over the World, form Print, Radio, TV, Internet and every form of communication you can imagine. I worked for the a Sunday newspaper. I was the Chief Reporter of the Sunday Express. And I was trying to second guess what the news would be at the weekend; would I get a chance to be more analytical. I am not a journalist, who has ever been spoon-fed from governments. I don't trust them. So I began to think that the best story was probably in Afghanistan from the ordinary Afghan people. I wanted to know what their expectations and fears were. What life was for them living under the Taliban. We had read a lot of news. According to Bush and Blair, the Taliban was the most evil, brutal regime in the World. They subjugated and oppressed women; they killed them randomly. The tales that were coming out were terrible. I distinctly remember Tony Blair says, "these people are so evil that they would even not let their children fly kites. So I decided that I need to find out this myself. I went to the Taliban Embassy in Islamabad three times and I tried to get a visa and all three times, I was rejected. I had got two or three guides. So I decided to sneak into Afghanistan with my guides. The idea was planted in my mind by BBC's chief correspondent John Simpson, who had put on a Burqa and put his toe into Afghanistan. And had said, "Hey look, I have become invisible." So I thought, well if BBC's gargantuan correspondent could become invisible, so surely it will be easy for me. So we devised a plan that we would be part of a wedding party. I would go in with two guides. One would be from the Pakistani province NWFP (now called Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and the other one was born in Afghanistan. We went in as a group. I put on a Burqa. We drove through Khyber Pass. That was another eye opening experience, I imagine. It was 30 miles long, winding dramatic mountainous roads; amazing scenery. Traces of British imperialism everywhere. Then we went down right into a dust bowl known as Tourkham. And there was no man's land. We got out of the car and started to walk towards the Taliban checkpoint, where very scary looking men with big beards, big turbans and Kalashnikoves were sitting waiting. Suddenly, I could hear my heart thumping in my ears and I am beginning that may it is not such a good idea. I wanted to turn around and run away, but I had gone beyond the point of no return. But it was as I had predicted; I had become invisible. I didn't even attract a first look, never mind a second look as went across the Taliban checkpoint. I think, I got across on someone else's ID card. I went across, jumped into a taxi and headed for the first major city, which was Jalalabad.

Yvonne Ridley Sneaks into Afghanistan

I was very tense and very excited as well as I was going to see first-hand, how life in one of the major cities in Afghanistan, in this male-dominated regime where women were subjugated and oppressed according to Bush and Blair. When we went to the market-place, I was really surprised. Because who were doing all the shopping there? The Men! You can't get the Western men into the supermarkets to do shopping and there were all these men doing the shopping. I thought, well this is a good sign. The reason behind this was that under the Taliban rule women could not talk to any strange man. In fact, no other man except her father, brother, husband, son and close male relatives. So things as simple as buying a pack of sugar was impossible, unless she was related to the shopkeeper. There were women around and they were all wearing the Burqa. They were in the company of their 'Mahram' (male companion). I sat on the edge of the market-place and watched. There were lots of Taliban around and people seemed very excited and happy. They didn't seem as though they were going to be bombed by the most powerful nation in the World. People seemed relaxed and I was quite surprised. Our party then went with provisions to a tiny village, not even the size of this hall (the hall in which she is delivering the lecture). We went into the village and there were lots of cheers and laughter as one of their own had returned. And he had brought with him his cousin from NWFP with his wife and children. Then they asked, "Who is that?" Appointing to me. He told them in Pashto and I could tell from their reaction that were not at all happy. Why on Earth have you brought a Westerner into our midst at a time of war? That day, the Taliban Spiritual Leader, Mullah Omar had announced that anyone helping a Westerner will be executed. So naturally, they were angry, nervous and agitated. But after half an hour, the natural hospitality, curiosity and exuberance of the Afghan people overcame the villagers and they started talking to me. The first was a young girl in her 20s. I asked her, "what do you think about this impending war?" And she said, "I am so angry, I should be in a hospital qualified as a doctor and ready to help my people; ready to save lives. People are going to be wounded in this war and I could help and save them." So I asked her what her problem was. She said that her training had stopped a couple of years ago, the Taliban had closed down her training center and sent all instructors home. "And here I am rotting in this village, whereas I should be helping my people." I could feel her frustration and felt very sorry for her. That was one ambitious girl, whose life seemed to put in limbo. Just then, her elder brother came in. And he started talking to me through the translator. He also had been training in the same medical and when it had closed down for financial reasons, he too had been sent home. So it wasn't only the girl, who was affected; her brother was affected as well. And as we were talking with the help of the translator, an Afghan lady walked in and she looked at me very carefully; she put her hands on her hips and asked through the translator, "have you any children?" And I answered that I had one daughter. She confirmed, "only one daughter?" I replied, "yes!" She pushed me very strongly. I lost my balance and I went the other way. She said, "You English and you American women, you are so pathetic! All you can ever have is one or two children. Me, I can have fifteen and when you run out of male soldiers, I would be producing more. Don't think that Afghan women are shy retiring creatures." I thought; if this is what the women are like, then how on Earth are the men like. I asked that weren't you afraid of America and American soldiers. She said, "Dare one American soldier come in my village and I will get those pots and pans and I will fight him myself." And I thought she probably would. Then she said, "I am really sorry about this mishap. We are very sorry, but this mishap in New York has nothing to do with us." And she kept calling 9/11 a mishap and I thought that it was very provocative, really offensive and insulting. 6000+ people have died; that's what we thought at that time. And you are calling it a mishap!? And then I realized that under the Taliban televisions were banned. Nobody saw the dramatic images that we saw, which were plays on our TVs everyday, day and day out for about two or three weeks. Whipping the anger, the hysteria and the fear; watching the towers being hit, imploding. They didn't see any of that. They lived in single story buildings. So trying to convey to them the horror of someone trying to jump from the 101st floor, rather than face the inferno inside was very, very difficult. That is why the Afghan people kept referring to 9/11 as a mishap. They said, "we are very sad and what does it have to do with us and why the Americans want to bomb us. We didn't do it." And her argument had some logic to it. As the afternoon progressed, I could sense that people were getting more and more nervous by my presence in the village. We took some photographs after some persuasion and then we left. We thought we would get back early. But by the time we got back to Tourkham, the gates had closed, big metal gates. And we could not get through. Apparently Pakistan had sealed the border. They weren't letting anybody in or out. We stayed overnight and the next morning we went back to the area of Tourkham and again the gates were closed. I told my guides that if I didn't get back by a certain time, the news editor would raise the alarm and there will all sorts of panic. One of the guides suggested that we could go through a smuggling route. My eyes let up at this as I found it very exciting. This would give me something to write about and add to the humanitarian report that I would be doing. I agreed and thought that we would going through narrow mountain passes, ducking bush to bush and it would be very exciting. Because the border with Afghanistan is 1400 km long and there are said to be 300 to 400 smuggling routes. So you can imagine how porous the border is. We went to this area called Darababa, but there was nothing secretive about it. In fact, there were more people in Darababa than there are in this room tonight. There were camel traders, donkey traders, people selling refreshments, people selling carpets. There were Afghan families with all their goods packed in handbags going towards Pakistan. Unable to bear facing another war in their country, wanting to get to the safety of Pakistan. And there were lots of young men striding over from Pakistan looking for Taliban recruiting officers because they wanted to sign up and fight alongside Taliban against the Great Satan, as they referred to America.

Yvonne Ridley Gets Captured by the Taliban

By this time the Afghan shoes that I was wearing were cutting into my feet and they were bleeding. So I complained. One of my guides told me that we were only 10 minutes away from the border, but we can go by donkey. And he asked, "can you ride a donkey?" Can I ride with a donkey? Of course, I can ride with a horse and jump with a horse and look at these donkey, they are the same shape, but much smaller. And probably even easier to control. So of course, I can ride a donkey. So we set off and did a deal with this man. How we were hiring it or how he was going to get his donkey back. But he was happy to part with the donkey. I got on its back and I don't know whether it sensed that it had an infidel on its back or what. But it bolted! It tore through the area and my feet were waving; my arms were waving. The window caught the Burqa that I was wearing and blew the Burqa. It made the donkey even more frightened and it ran even faster. I was screaming with my arms waving in the air, looking a giant bat trying to control this wretched beast. And as I tried to move forward and get hold of its strings to control it the camera, the only piece of equipment that I had taken with me and that was banned by the Taliban, slipped out of the folds of my Burqa right into the passing view of a Taliban soldier. He saw this and went crazy. I don't know whether the donkey stopped and threw me off or whether he stopped the donkey and pulled me off. I really don't remember what happened, but all I can remember is that I hit the ground at a great speed. And then picking myself up and as I drew myself up, I looked straight into the face of this Taliban soldier through the grill of my Burqa. He was screaming and shouting at me. When I got back to London, some of girl friends said, "what was going through your mind at precise moment, when you knew that the game was over?" And I said that for a nano second and it was a nano second that I looked at this Taliban soldier and thought, "O my God, you are gorgeous!" He had the most amazing green emerald eyes, very high cheekbones and a great big beard with a lot of live of its own; very, very striking. But I say it was a nano second and then I thought, "Oh I have been caught." So I took my camera off and handed it to him. Then I closed my eyes waiting to be shot in the head, but when I opened my eyes after a few seconds, he had gone. He had gone over to the man, who hired the donkeys. He wanted to know that who is in charge of this woman and then he would get to the bottom of the camera. I was glad that I could get away as he still does not realize that it is a Westerner under the Burqa. I turned and went to attach myself to another group to follow them over the border. As I walked away, I looked behind and by this time a group of about hundred men had surrounded my guides. A soldier was in the middle screaming, shouting and waving the camera at the guides. One of the guides had been smacked across the face and he had a bloody nose and the other one was trying to calm the situation. I looked and thought that I couldn't leave them behind, although we had agreed that things went wrong, none of us knows each other. I couldn't abandon them, so I went back. I tried to push my way through the group of these very angry men and they pushed me back. This was man's business and had nothing to do with women. At the end, I removed my Burqa and said in a very loud voice, "will somebody let me through?" You could have heard a pin drop and then there was a parting like the Red Sea. As I walked through towards the handsome Taliban soldiers, who had caught me; but by this time he was looking quite gormless. His jaw had just dropped as he saw a Westerner, blonde blue eyes come towards him. Well I thought that he would so happy to have got his hands on a Westerner that he would forget all about my two guides. As I passed, I shot a sideways glance at my guides and I could see from the full horror on their faces that just when they had thought that things couldn't get worse, they had. I went up to the soldier and demanded the return of my camera. And once he had recovered, he got three of us and we were bundled into a vehicle and taken into the direction of Jalalabad. During the journey, the driver and the Taliban soldier had a fierce exchange and they kept looking back at me. Arguing and looking back and suddenly the driver did an emergency brake. The soldier asked me to get out of the car and then he took me to this raised piece of ground and asked me to stand on it. And I stood on this raised piece of ground and then he went off. Went marching off to my left and I thought where he was going. I was standing on that tiny hill wretched with fear and I did not move from there and was looking around and all I could see were stones and pebbles and rocks. And I thought that it was the stoning corner. I am going to be stoned. He has gone off to get a crowd. He has probably gone somewhere to say, "hey, I have got a Westerner Stoning in ten minutes!" So I am standing there looking down and all I could see was blood-ridden nail polish coming out from my toes. I had lost my socks and shoes and I thought oh no nail polish is banned under the Taliban and if they see my toes, they will chop them off one by one. So tried to cover my toes. I don't know what it is about Afghanistan that the place could be deserted in one minute and then there could be a crowd in 20 seconds. And about 20 seconds later there were 80 scary looking men staring at me. And they were getting closer and closer. I thought, they were getting closer to get a better aim when the stoning starts. I kept looking around them to find a kind face, maybe a hero who would come to my defense and I couldn't see one. Everyone looked very hostile. Of course, the reason they were getting closer and closer was to get a closer look because under Taliban's rule, no Afghan man saw any woman's face unless she was the wife, mother, sister, daughter or a really close female relative. So seeing me would be like seeing a panda in the zoo for the first time. So that's why they were getting closer, but I thought that they were getting closer to get a better aim when the stoning starts. Well we can have a laugh about it now, but at that time I really thought that the last moments of my life were being played out in this God-forsaken area. As I looked around, they say that your life flashes in front of your eyes, but mine didn't. I was only thinking how could I get out of this situation and then I remembered my time as a Sunday School teacher. There was a Biblical scene of stoning, where Jesus had said that let him without sin cast the first stone. So I thought, " right! I would say that." Of course, it didn't occur to me that they won't understand me. So I was playing that in my mind, but then thought that maybe that was not such a good idea because maybe someone pious would come out and say I am that and start the stoning. While all this was playing out in my mind, the Taliban soldier came with a lady in a Burqa. She comes; turns me around very briskly and starts to frisk me. So I thought, "Oh they are not going to kill, not just yet anyway." They are just trying to find out if I am carrying any weapons. This is strange that he has gone to get a woman, why wouldn't he just search me himself. Obviously showing more courtesy than British police. All the fear and terror that I had felt, just melted away with relief and I became very angry. Those men had made me feel as though I was going to die. So I pulled away from the Afghan woman and I swung around to these wretched men. My Burqa had gone, but I was wearing shalwar kameez, a trouser and an orange dress down to the knees. I swung around to these men and said, "I am not carrying any weapons." And to emphasize this, I picked up the helm of my dress and said, "look!" There was a collective shock, intake of breath. Then they all turned around and ran. Of course, it was highly inappropriate behavior for a woman in Afghanistan as I was going to find out. The lady wearing the Burqa, swung me back around and whacked me across the face. She was in such a state of shock at this vulgar display. Anyway having established that I was not carrying any weapons, I was bundled back into the car and driven off to Jalalabad.

I was taken into the Intelligence quarters and introduced to the head of Intelligence, who understood a little bit of English. I apologized for causing any inconvenience. He asked me to write down my details and personal phone contacts to prove that I was a Journalist. After I did that, he said, "we are about to eat and you must have something to eat." I said, "that is very kind, but I have to use the telephone." He told me that I could not use the telephone. So I said, "in that case, I would not eat either as a guest or a prisoner of the Taliban, until I can use the telephone." So what started then was a "war of nutrition", which was to last 10 days. Now you would think that the most brutal regime in the World couldn't care less if one of their prisoners had gone on hunger strike, but these men were very, very upset. Despite my protest, saying that I am not eating, every morning and noon and evening they would bring me food. They would spread a cloth on the floor (beautiful carpeted floor by the way) and they would put some bread, stew and rice. They would bring a jug of water and a bowl and they would wash my hands. Then they would tell me in broken English, "you are our sister, our guest and we want you to be happy." And I thought what kind of evil brutal regime is this. Don't they understand the job description. And I am thinking this is just a trick to soften me up and then the really bad guys would come in with the electrodes. In fact, isn't it strange that everything I thought would have happened to me under this so-called savage primitive regime, happened to prisoners in Abu Guraib, Guantanamo Bay and other US holding facilities. This always prompts me to say that thanks God I was captured by the most evil, brutal regime in the World and not by the Americans. By the third day, they called the doctor. Not that I was feeling unwell at all, but they called the doctor. The doctor came. He was a little man, who trained in Germany. He looked in my eyes, ears, mouth, took my pulse and I thought they do this in death row in Texas just before they are going to execute somebody. They like to make sure that they are fit and healthy. And then he took my blood pressure and something bothered him because he took it again. I said, "Yeah, I know I have high blood pressure." And he said, "No you don't. Your blood pressure is normal." I said, "Don't be ridiculous! How can it be normal? I am about to be killed by the Taliban. How on Earth can my blood pressure be normal?" He said, "look" and he did it again and it was normal. I said, "There you go, three days with the Taliban and you have cured my blood pressure. Thank you very much!" On the fifth day, there was a little guy called Hamid, the doctor's son who acted as translator, came running into my room very excited. He said, "You are on the front page of papers" and he brought in the weekly paper from Jalalabad. Although pictures had been banned under the Taliban, there were two pictures of me from the Reuters on the front page with a little story and the headlines took over half the page. The headlines looked longer than the story. I asked, "What does the headline say?" He read it out and said that the headline said, "The Taliban have cured the blood pressure of Yvonne Ridley and she is very happy." Not the catchiest of the headlines! During those 6 days in Jalalabad, a procession of fierce, very scary looking men into the room and asked me questions through Hamid (the translator) and the interrogations would go on and on till 8 or 9 o'clock at night. They never physically threatened me. The worst thing that they said to me was that if you don't tell us the truth, you would be here for 20 years. I assured them that they would get sick long before I did. I had decided on quite a risky strategy. I had decided to be "the prisoner from hell". I had bought into the propaganda that it was the most evil, brutal regime in the World and no matter what I did or said to them, they were going to kill me at the end of the day whenever they wanted to. So I thought, if I am nice they are gonna kill; if I am nasty they are gonna kill me. So I am just gonna go down fighting. So I was very abusive and aggressive and the harder I pushed them, the nicer they were. They would say, "why are you angry? You are our guest. You are our sister." Hamid had to translate my words and one day he said to me, "I am terrified of these people and you should be as well. It is not nice for me to translate your words, I get scared." On the sixth day, Hamid came to see me and his face was nearly black with fear and his mouth was so dry, he could hardly talk. He said, "You have a very important visitor." I asked who he was. He told me, "I can't tell you, but you must be respectful." I asked, "well, who is he? Mullah Omar or?" He said, "Just be respectful, you have to show some respect. This is a very, very important person." I wondered who he could be. Ten minutes later, there was a knock on my door. Although I was the prisoner, I had my own key. So I unlocked the door. Opened it, Hamid stood aside and there in front of me was a man, who made my blood run cold. The hair on the back of my neck lifted. For six days, I had avoided talking about religion and there in front of me was a religious cleric. Everything in Afghanistan is dirty, ripped and torn and dusty; but he was wearing an immaculate ivory gown, one which went right down to the ground. The Taliban's clothes were above the ankles and this man's clothes were right down to the ground. You couldn't see his feet and he had a great big ivory turban. A very modest beard by Afghan standards, light brown modest beard and brown eyes. He had beans, like rosary beads, which he moved two at a time. There was something else about him that I thought was weird this guy was that he had a shine on his face. It was like a light in the inside coming out. I had never seen anything like it before. I was told by my Muslim friends back in England that this was the Noor, the light that comes out of somebody, who is very pious, a very practicing Muslim, a very good person. I didn't know it at that time, I thought it was something weird and spooky about this guy. After I recovered, I moved aside and invited him into my room. He was so graceful and elegant that he didn't even seem to walk, he glided in and glided down. I sat opposite him and Hamid acted as the translator. He asked, "What is your religion?" I thought, now here we go. I answered that I was a Christian. He said, "Yes, but what sort of Christian are you, a Roman Catholic or a Protestant?" I answered, "A Protestant from the Church of England." Smiling and moving his beads; he asked, "What do you think of Islam?" I said, "Oh it is fantastic! It is absolutely wonderful!" Of course, I knew nothing about Islam and the little I knew was totally wrong. I went on for 2 minutes praising his faith that I knew so little about. And he smiled and moved his beads and when I ran out of adjectives and stopped; he said, "Islam is a very beautiful religion." Oh! I couldn't agree more and again I went on praising Islam. He moved his beads and listened as Hamid translated and I said that people around here are so passionate about their religion that they pray 5 times a day, I know because I have watched and counted it. He must have thought, you stupid women because I did not know that Muslims were required to pray 5 times a day. He moved his beads and asked, "so would you like to convert?" I thought he has led me into a blind valley here. If I say, "Yes I want to convert", he would accuse me of being fickle and insincere and he would say, "take her away and get her stoned." And if I say, "No I am not interested", he would say, "How dare you insult Islam? Take her away and have her stoned." So I tried to come up with the right answer. At the end, I said, "Look I can't make such a life changing decision, while I am imprisoned. But if you let me go, I promise that I will read the Qur'an and I will study Islam." I smiled and did not say anything more; rose up and glided out of the room. He went after him and returned a few minutes later and said, "You are going home on a Red Crescent Plane." I punched the air with my hand and congratulated myself for having dealt with this religious cleric in such a clever way. Within minutes the goods that I had were in a bag and off I was in a truck towards Kabul. After a 7 hour dusty, bumpy ride; we came to Kabul and drove straight past the airport. But I was well with it because I thought there were other Westerners being held by the Taliban. We are probably gonna pick them up. All I know is that I am going on a red crescent plane. That night, I was to find another aspect to the character of the Afghan people that they don't like giving you bad news. They don't like telling you anything that will upset you or cause an adverse reaction. So we drove past the prison into a really grim prison. Everything that you would imagine a third World prison to be. I was asked to get out and I got out and we walked down this dark dingy corridor and they pushed open this little metal door with a little spy-hole in it. There sitting on the concrete floor were two Afghan women, one with a baby and the other heavily pregnant. They said, "Tonight you will stay here." I said, "No, no, no! You have made a mistake. I am going home on a red crescent plane." Well of course the thing is when you lead someone on, you have deliver the bad news at some point. So the bad news was delivered to me then. You are a bad woman. You had a fake passport. You entered our country illegally. You have to be punished. I screamed and shouted; there was no way I was going into that cell and to take me out to the airport and I said to them, "You can't do this to me. I am British." And they smiled. Just then another cell door opened and six women wearing hijabs came out. One of them asked me if I was from the Red Cross. I said, "You speak English!" She told me, "I am Australian. These three are Germans and the other two are Americans." And I went, "Oh, You are the Christian charity workers, who were arrested for trying to convert people to Christianity." They replied, "Yes!" I told them that there had been a terrible mistake. That I was supposed to be going home on a red crescent plane and if she would tell this to these people? The women spoke the language and I could tell from the heated conversation and the expression on everyone's face that I was going nowhere that night and certainly not on a red crescent plane. Diana Thomas, the Australian girls invited me to stay in their cell. I thought that I did not have family company for 6 days and these girls spoke my language and just in case if I got out of this pit-hole, I would have a better story to write about. So I agreed and followed them into their cell. I looked around and it was so grim, a typical third World prison. Suddenly I broke down and started to cry and finally thought that after stopping my tears for 6 days, the Taliban had finally broken me down. I felt for cigarettes because though cigarettes were banned under the Taliban, but when they realized that I smoke, they gave me lots of cigarettes. So I took cigarette out and as I was about to lit it, I asked if anybody would mind if I smoke a cigarette. I was sobbing and tears were rolling down my eyes, when I was about to lit my cigarette and the girls told me that it was a "No-Smoking cell". How could I be so unlucky to be in the only "No-Smoking cell" in the whole of Asia. They told me that if I wanted to smoke, I would have to go out to the courtyard as they were going to have a meeting in the cell. Suddenly my craving went and I asked, "a meeting?" And they said, "Yes, we have two meetings a day!" I looked around and thought what happens there that they have two meetings a day?" O, oh! This is the escape committee. They are digging a tunnel and this is a progress report. So I asked, "Would you mind, I listen to your meeting?" They said, "No, not at all!" So I forgot about my cigarettes for the time being and sat at the edge of a bunk bed. The six girls sat in a circle on the floor and pulled out their Bibles. I couldn't believe it. They had been charged under Sharia Law for trying to convert Muslims into Christianity and they are in serious trouble. They could be executed and now they are taking their Bibles out! I was expecting the Taliban to come bursting in and beat them up or do something really horrible to them, but nothing happened. And as read the Qur'an later, it states clearly that we should protect the people of the Book, Jews and Christians and we must allow them to carry on, carry out and perform their faith. And this was exactly what the Taliban were allowing the Christians, although I didn't realize it back then. So they loudly read from the Bible a passage appropriate for their situation. After 20 minutes, they put down their Bibles and took out hand written pieces of paper. And then they started to sing. Let me tell you that I was a practicing Christian in those days. By practicing I mean that I went to the Church maybe twice a month, which in some people's eyes is bordering on fanaticism and we would sing these Victorian hymns. These girls started singing very loud, very robust, happy-clappy, full on, Southern Baptist style Hallelujah type of singing. I went out into the courtyard and I smoke three cigarettes off the trout. Adhaan, the Muslim call to prayer started and I thought, I don't believe it. I have Muslims fundamentalists on that side of the wall and I have Christian fundamentalists inside that cell, no wonder why that religious cleric smiled as he left me; he must have thought if she does not convert, feed her to the Christians. Although I make fun of them, but I would have to say that those six girls were incredibly strong in their faith, which got them through their ordeal that last much longer than mine. After they finished singing, they started praying and again it was full on, in your face, Hallelujah type of praying. In fact they were shouting different things, at one point I could hear the American girl, Heather shouting; "Lord Jesus, Show me the way out of here!" I have a very gallous sense of humor and I felt like shouting back, "Straight down the corridor, turn left; but there is a great big Talib there!" That night I slept on the concrete floor with a vapor thin mattress and when I woke up the next morning, I was given a change of clothes. In fact, I am wearing the prison clothes now (during her lecture). Nobody put me in an orange jump suit, shaved, shackled or abused me or raped me or sodomized me or videoed me for the gratification or pleasure of others later on. As you can see from what I am sharing, my experience was completely different from those, who fell into the hands of the Americans. So that morning with a new change of clothes, I set about washing the old ones. One of the German girls took me into the courtyard and gave me a metal bucket and took me to a hand-pump and said that I could get my water from there. I looked at this contraption, which looked as though it had come from one of those old Western movies. I started cranking it and eventually some water came out. I thought this is amazing, how do they heat it underground. She started laughing and told me that it is cold. I was given soap and sat about washing my clothes. Then I hung them up on the washing line in the prison courtyard. Within 5 minutes as sat down enjoying the last days of the summer sun, the prison governor came in, a great big man with a huge beard and a really scary looking dude. He came in and growled at me in broken English, "Remove those garments!" I said, "I can't. I am washing my clothes. We dry our clothes on a washing line." He said, "well cover them up!" I looked and said, "You stupid man, you have obviously not done washing you whole life. How on Earth, will it dry if it is covered up." He stood there for a couple moments and then said, "Well take those items down". He looked the other way and not looking at the clothes, sort of pointed. And I realized that he was talking about my underwear. I said, "No, this is the female wing of the prison and if you don't like what you are seeing, then clear off." He said, "Remove them!" And I said, "No, if you don't like them, you remove them." He then went storming off and returned fifteen minutes later with the Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan. These people are about to be bombed by the most powerful country on Earth and a diplomatic incident was unfolding as a result of my underwear. The Deputy Foreign Minister said to me, "will you please remove your undergarments from the line?" And I said, "Look! This is the female wing of the prison and there are no male prisoners here. You both are the only men here, so if you clear off there will no men around." He said, "Yeah, but the Taliban soldiers live above the female wing of the prison and if they look out and see them and have impure thoughts." I said, "There is an easy solution to this." He said, "I knew, there would be." I said, "Tell you soldiers, not to look out of the window." He said, "No that is not possible." I thought, I can not believe this. America did not need to fly over in B52s and bomb these people. They should have just parachuted in a regiment of women soldiers, waving their underwear and the Taliban would have fled. But it gives you a great insight into the modesty of these people and the way they felt about issues such as women's underwear. The argument continued and went on long after the clothes had dried. Nobody emerged as a surreal winner, but I did get my dried clothes back. The next day (the 9th day), I was feeling really crotchety. I had 3 or 4 really lousy sessions with the Christian services. In fact, though the Taliban had banned singing and music, they allowed the Christian girls to sing, but they drew the line at music. And I am eternally thankful till this day that they had confiscated their guitars. Some feeling really wretched and bad tempered that I can't take any more of that overcame me. The Deputy Foreign Minister came with his sidekick, a man I used to call the smiling assassin. He said, "We want to ask some more questions." I said, "No, I am done with answering questions. I am finished with you people. I have had enough with you people." And then I launched into a series of insults and curses and swearing. Then I coupled it with something, I had never done in my life and you get sent off the football pitch for doing it; I spat at them. Then I went into my cell and started shaking; a couple of Christian girls asked, "Did you really do what we thought you did?" I said, "Yes, I have gone beyond the line and am in serious trouble. I can sense it." Just then the female prison officer came and said (which was translated for me later on), "Let this English woman know that she is gonna be flogged for it. She can't do this to high-ranking people." I stood there, wretched with fear, cursing myself and my big mouth; wondering if there will be a public flogging and will Al Jazeera be there to cover it. What is gonna happen? About 10-15 minutes later we heard the gates being open in the courtyard. Heather the American girl ran in, saying they have returned and Yvonne is going to be flogged. Just then 3 of the Christians threw themselves at me and grabbed at my clothes and started saying, "Lord Jesus, don't let Yvonne feel any pain!" And I am standing there looking at them and thinking, you are making it worse. Just then the smiling assassin walked in and he had in his hand, the one thing that I wanted. The very thing, I had gone on a hunger strike for 9 days earlier, he had in his hand a Satellite Phone. He strutted around the cell showing everyone the Satellite Phone and said, "All of you can ring home. You can all ring your families today apart from this English woman, she is horrible. She spat at us and she has to be punished." It is interesting, this is how the most evil, brutal regime in the World punished me. They allowed my cell mates to call home, which was fantastic for them since they had not talked to their families for 2 months, but did not allow me. One of the German girls went to him and made a special plea and said, "Yvonne needs to talk to her daughter, so please let her call home." And he said, "No, she is a horrible woman and she has to be punished." So that was my punishment and looking back, I say that it had a degree of wisdom and insight on their part, which is more than can be said for my behavior and my only mitigation was that look I had not eaten for 9 days and I was getting fractious. That afternoon, the senior officers came and removed me with prior warning; got my things together and said, "You are going." Then they took me out of the prison and upstairs into the Taliban sleeping quarters. One of the senior officers had vacated his room and said, "You complained about the prison. Is this good enough for you?" It was a very good room by Afghan standards. He said, "You are going home tomorrow, InshaAllah!" And I said, "What is this 'InshaAllah', you people keep using after every sentence and it never happens?" Of course, now I know that this 'InshaAllah' means 'God willing'. They put me in this room; they gave me the key and I locked myself in. I had a fantastic view over the city of Kabul. Looking up to the Kabul hills, where all the anti-aircraft units were. I sat on the bed, contemplating my future and wondering how genuine their claims of letting me go tomorrow were, as they kept saying InshaAllah and InshaAllah it never happened. why had removed me from the Christians? Is this my last night on Earth? Will they execute me tomorrow? I didn't know anything and all this was going through my mind.

America and Britain Attack Afghanistan

Suddenly there was a huge rip; as if though someone had torn the sky open. There was a great big light. It was the start of the war. That night America and Britain dropped 50 cruise missiles on Kabul. You can hear a cruise missile from 20 miles away. These were coming from a quarter of a mile away from the prison. I had covered wars before and I don't know why it had not occurred to me before. But it certainly occurred to me that night. These bombs do not discriminate. There is nowhere to run. There is nowhere to hide. These bombs can not tell the difference between civilians, military, man, woman or child. I am going to be blown by a British bomb and I have no doubt that Tony Blair will blame the Taliban. And that would be the end of that. It was truly terrifying and I also thought there is no way, the Taliban will let me go now. Absolutely no way at all!

The Taliban Release Yvonne Ridley on Humanitarian Grounds

The next morning, there was a knock on my door and I was told that there was a vehicle outside and they were going to release me. I couldn't believe it. But sure enough there was a vehicle. They put me in it and we drove down from Kabul through Jalalabad and down to Tourkham and eventually I was handed to the Pakistan authorities. As I walked back across no man's land to Pakistan, the camera lights went up and the journalists started shouting, "How did the Taliban treat you?" In truth, up until the point I was released, I still didn't trust them at all and I thought that everything they were doing, had a hidden motive. It was only at the point that they released me that I thought they were an honorable bunch of guys. So when this journalist shouted out at me, "How did the Taliban treat you?" I thought for a while and then said, "With respect and courtesy!" This is not what the Western media wanted. The Western media wanted Abu Guraib like tales. They wanted abuse, rape, torture. They wanted to scars and tears. There was nothing, I could give them other than the truth. But sadly for some people the truth is never enough.

US and British War Crimes During the Afghan War

When I got back to London, two weeks later one of my guides from the Pakistan called me. He said, "Madam, the village that you visited has been bombed by the Americans." That was the village 'Kama', which was smaller even this hall that we are in (the lecture hall). And I said, "Look Pasha! I know these terrible things happen in the fog of war and it is awful, but these accidents do happen." He said, "But Madam, how can you accidentally bomb a village such as Kama for 3 days in the running." Now the American were telling us all about their strategic strikes, their surgical strike. Their B-52 bombers flying coming at 30000 feet, Kama would have even looked like a dot from 30000 feet. It was quite clear to me that it was indiscriminate bombing of innocent civilian areas. In many ways the Talibans were to blame because they kicked out all of the Western journalists. Whatever you may think of the journalists, but we do have our functions and our roles. We are the eyes, the ears, the witnesses and by kicking out Western journalists, they made sure that Britain and America could and would bomb indiscriminately across the country slaughtering innocent civilians, which Britain and America did. It propelled me into the anti-war movement and made me become very, very active as an anti-war campaigner.

Starts Studying Islam and eventually converts to Islam

At the same time, I remembered the promise I had made to the religious cleric. Well I thought against all the odds they had kept their word, while they hung on to the Christians they let me go. Really I should keep my promise know and I started to read the Qur'an. Soon groups of Muslims found out and somebody gave me a wonderful English translation of the Qur'an written by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, with an index on the back. So I thought, great I will get down with very soon. I am going to cherry-pick and read all about the subjugation and oppression of women and what promotes people to slam planes into towers. So I started cherry picking and reading all about women's issues and I had other Islamic literature to support my reading of the Qur'an. I couldn't believe what I was reading. The Qur'an makes it perfectly clear, crystal clear, without any second opinion that women are equal to men in spiritually, work and education. Furthermore the first convert to Islam was a woman. First martyr to Islam was a woman. Women played major roles right from day one in Islam. They fought alongside the men. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) singled out one woman for praise in the battle of Uhd and he said, "Everywhere I looked, this woman was there protecting me; fighting alongside me." I thought, from where did we get this idea that women are oppressed and subjugated? Who put this poison in our minds? Where did we get this from? Then I started looking at property rights, inheritance rights, divorce rights; what is yours is yours and what is his half of it is yours. Yeah, Brilliant! Much of it could have been written by a Californian lawyer, in fact this is from where they probably their inspiration. All these tales in the tabloids about these superstars having prenuptial contracts and teams of lawyers drawing up and thrashing out these prenuptial contracts, they were available to Muslim women from day one. So I began to see Islam in a totally different light. But I thought, OK this is right, but what are the people like? So I went out to the Muslim communities, specifically to meet the sisters. And it didn't matter, where I went in the World, whether it was Pakistan or it was Saudi or Canada or America or Australia and now even in New Zealand, the Muslim women that I have met whether they have been formally educated or not they are very resilient, strong, politicized, internationally aware, multi-skilled, multi-talented. A few years ago, I would have looked around this room and picked out everyone who was wearing Hijab and I would have thought, look those poor oppressed women. How did they manage to sneak out of their homes to get here? Now I am looking and trying to find out, who is a doctor; who is an engineer? Who is the lawyer? Who is the teacher? Who is doing Ph. D? I see incredibly diverse women. I remember a sister in Canada, who said to me, "Yvonne, my head might be covered, but my mind is not." The most valuable lesson that I learnt from the sisters that I met is that never ever would I judge a person's liberties and freedoms from the length of their skirt. So this was wonderful. The other thing that I learnt about the Muslim community is that they have a very gossipy community network. I would visit someone in Glasgow and the next day I would get a phone call from someone in Karachi saying, "I heard, you were in Scotland. How did it go?" The communication is amazing. But sometimes there were tiny whispers and people had false information that I had taken my Shahadah, the oath to become a Muslim. One day, I got a call from Sheikh Abu Hamza Al Masri, the firing Brimstone cleric from Pennsbury Park mosque, who is currently detained at her Majesty's pleasure in Belmarsh. He said, "Sister Yvonne, welcome to Islam!" And I said, "I am sorry to disappoint you, but I have not taken my Shahadah yet. I will get there, InshaAllah!" He said, "Well, take your time. This is going to the most important decision that you have taken in your life. Don't be rushed into it. Don't be pressurized into it. Make sure that you read as much as you can. Be convinced before you take your Shahadah. We are all praying for you." And I thought, I couldn't believe that this is the firing Brimstone cleric from the Pennsbury Park mosque. The tabloids loved to hate him because of his hooks and his eye-patch. They really have demonized him. I said, "Thank you very much for your understanding and I will keep you informed about my progress." And when I was just about to close the line; he said, "Well there is just one thing, I want you to know." I asked, "And what is that?" He said, "If you go out tomorrow and get hit by a bus, you will go straight to hell-fire!" I said, "Thank you!" and closed the line. It made me very nervous, so I took a copy of the Shahadah and carried it with me. Whenever I used address any gatherings I would say, "If you heard the sound of any accident and someone calling for two Muslim eye witnesses, then come quickly running because I want to enter before it is too late." Happily there was no such accident and on 30th June 2003 at 11:30 am, I took my Shahadah and declared my belief that there is only One God and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His Messenger." I joined then what I consider the best and the biggest family in the World and I know that wherever I go in the World no matter how remote it may be, I would find brothers and sisters who would give me their love and support and help, if I need it. I was also lucky enough in April this year to go to Hajj, the annual pilgrimage, which Muslims are required to do at least once in a lifetime. The Saudi women don't think for one minute that they are subjugated and oppressed. They are like a tightly coiled spring, ready to launch into the political sphere in Saudi Arabia. There were elections in Saudi Arabia this year and women weren't allowed to vote, but let me tell you that I really believe that in next elections women would be able to vote and not only vote, but they will be standing as well. These women are really remarkable and they are in the wings ready to launch. Unfortunately due to Saudi's restrictive media laws, we hardly find out any real news that is happening there. But the sisters told that how distressed they were during the second Intifadah, the uprising in Palestine. They had been discussing this in the mosque after the Friday prayers and they wanted to show their solidarity to their Palestinian sisters, so they did something that is forbidden under Saudi. They have a spontaneous demonstration and they shouted and demonstrated. The Police were called because of the public disorder and the Police moved in. One of the Saudi women stood in front of them and said, "Dare one touch us, we are Saudi women and you can't touch us!" And the Police sprang back and they thought, what on Earth could they do with these women. They can't let them keep demonstrating and we can't manhandle them and put them into the jail either. There was this stand-off for half an hour as the women continued with their protest. In the end, the Police Chief had a better idea and they went and arrested their husbands instead. They took them to the Station and told that next time their wives did this, they would be charged. Obviously you are all aware of the London Bombings. I live in Central London. We were shocked by the ferocity of the atrocity, but not surprised. Because the anti-war movement and the party that I belong to called Respect led by George Galloway, MP had said, "Long before the first bombs were dropped on Baghdad, we had told Tony Blair that if you take us into a war with Iraq, our security will vanish. London will become the target." In his arrogance, Tony Blair dismissed us. He dismissed the fears of 2 million people, who marched in London. He would rather take his orders from Washington. I really salute New Zealand for its strength and determination to stand up to America over many different issues. That stand has made New Zealand one of the safest places on Earth in terms of security and your anti-nuclear stance is admirable. Beware of siren calls from politicians like Winston Peters, who thrive only on hate. I can't tell you, who to vote for in your elections. But be wary of those, who want stand shoulder to shoulder with people like George Bush because you will end up in serious trouble as we have in Britain.

So this was the story of Yvonne Ridley as told by herself. If you want to hear more from her on different current issues, check out her official website YvonneRidley.org and don't forget to follow sister Yvonne on twitter.

Birth of Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:42:00 +0000

The miraculous birth of Jesus was long held as an article of faith in Christianity, but many modern Christians do not accept this. That is why even some Churches have also removed the miraculous birth of Jesus from the list of articles of faith. Lets analyze, what does Almighty God say about the Virgin Mary and the birth of Jesus.

Almighty God says, "Behold! the angel said: "O Mary! Almighty God has chosen you and purified you; chosen you above the women of all nations. "O Mary! worship your Lord devoutly; prostrate yourself and bow down (in prayer) with those who bow down." After mentioning the high place of Mother Mary, Almighty God moves on to mention the birth of Jesus. "Behold! the angel said "O Mary! Almighty God gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus the son of Mary held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Almighty God. "He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity and he shall be (of the company) of the righteous." She said: "O my Lord! how shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?" He said: "Even so: Almighty God creates what He wills; when He has decreed a plan He but says to it `Be' and it is!"

All Christian brothers and sisters can you just guess that the verse, you just read above, are from which version of the Bible? If you have read the Roman Catholic version, you would think it is the Protestant version. And if you read the Protestant version, you would think it is the Roman Catholic version. In fact, these verses are not from the Bible. They are from the Holy Qur'an. Yeah, from the Holy Qur'an! These are the verses from the Qur'an Sura ale Imran Chapter 3 Verses 42-43 & 45-47. At a time when many Christians do not believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus, Islam makes it compulsory on its followers to believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus without any male intervention. A Muslim can not be a Musim, unless he believes in it.

The version of the story of Jesus' birth mentioned in the Qur'an is far more acceptable and honorable than that mentioned in the Bible. For instance, when the Virgin Mary asks the angel that how can she give birth to a son when she has not been touched by any man. The Biblical version says in the Gospel of Luke 1:35, "And the angel answered and said unto her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you." We know that here the words "come upon you" and "overshadow you" do NOT give their literal meaning here. But this wording is really distasteful. While in the Qur'anic version the angel says, "Even so: Almighty God creates what He wills; when He has decreed a plan He but says to it `Be' and it is!"

Chapter 19 of the Holy Qur'an is named after Mary, the mother of Jesus. But there is no such chapter in the Bible. Now the question arises that why did Muhammad (peace be upon him) say that Mary is chosen above the women of the World; why didn't he say that his own mother or his beloved wife or his beloved daughter was chosen above the women of the World? Maybe some would say that he wanted to get some Christian followers. The point, they would be missing is that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) lived in Makkah and Madina all his life. People around him were either Jews, who hated and abused Mother Mary and Jesus or pagans, who also hated Mother Mary and Jesus. So if Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had not defended Jesus and Mary, he might have had more followers from among these people.

But Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) defended Mother Mary and Jesus because Muhammad (pbuh) upon him was a prophet of God and Almighty God revealed all this to him. Exactly as Jesus had prophesied in the Gospel of John chapter 16 verse 12-14, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you unto all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me." And Muhammad (peace be upon him) truly glorified Jesus and Mother Mary; that's why there are more than a billion Muslims around the World, who love and revere Jesus Christ and Mother Mary.

So the Muslims believe that Jesus was born miraculously without any male intervention; that Jesus gave life to the dead with God's permission and healed those born blind and lepers. The only difference between Muslims and Christians is that some Christians believe that Jesus Christ is God. But if you read the Bible, there is not a single statement in the complete Bible, where Jesus Christ himself says that words "I am God" or "worship me". Though there was some verses, which are misquoted to prove that Jesus is God. We have already answered all such verses in the post "Did Jesus Claim Divinity?"

Is Jesus God?

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 12:30:00 +0000

It seems that the only teaching left in Christianity is to believe that Jesus is the Almighty God and paid for our sins. That may sound straight forward, but it is not. As there are several reasons to believe that Jesus is not God, out of which we have written about the 7 most important ones. So you can either watch the video or read the text below the video, whichever way you prefer it.

1 - If Jesus is God, how can he die for our sins because God is Eternal?

The Christian philosophy is that God came in the form of Jesus to die for our sins because any human being could not pay for or die for our sins. As it is written in Ezekiel 18:20 that the son can not pay for the iniquity of the father, nor can the father pay for the iniquity of the son. Christians explain that therefore Almighty God himself had to come to die for our sins. But Almighty God is Eternal and He can not die. So if Almighty God can not die for sins, then there is no reason for Him to come to the World.

2 - Jesus Christ taught Monotheism, not Trinity

Jesus Christ never taught Trinity in the Bible. In fact the word 'Trinity' does not exist in the Bible and the verse closest to Trinity, 1 John 5:7 has been thrown out of the Revise Version of the Bible as an interpolation, a concoction and fabrication. According to the Biblical scholars, this verse, 1 John 5:7 does not exist in the earlier manuscripts of the Bible. But when Jesus was asked that what is the most important commandment, Jesus repeated what Moses had said earlier, "Shama Israelu Adonai Ila Hayno Adonai Ikhad" (Mark 12:29). Which means, "Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord."

3 - Jesus Christ never claimed to be God in the Bible

In fact, there is not a single clear statement in the complete Bible, where Jesus Christ himself says the words, "I am God" or "Worship me." Though there are some some verses in the Bible, which are misquoted to prove that he claimed divinity. But we have already answered such verses in our post "Did Jesus Christ Claim Divinity in the Bible?"

4 - Statements of Jesus contradict any suggestion of divinity

There are statements of Jesus Christ in the Bible, which contradicts any suggestion of divinity. As Jesus said, "my Father is greater than I" (John 14:28) and "I can of my own self do nothing." (John 5:30) Even furthermore when a man comes to Jesus and says "O my good master", Jesus replies, "why do you call me good, when only God is good." (Matthew 19:17) So leave aside being called God, Jesus even did not want to called good.

5 - Jesus was not perfect as Almighty God is supposed to be

Before you start reading this paragraph; let me tell you that as Muslims we believe Jesus was a mighty messenger of God and he would not do any of these things which the Bible attributes to him. But since the Christians believe in the Bible to be the word of God, that is why I am quoting all this. But as Muslims we do not believe any of this about Jesus.
The Bible attributes things to Jesus, which can not be attributed to the Almighty God. For instance, the Bible says that Jesus addressed his mother with a phrase he used to address a prostitute, "you women." The Bible also says that Jesus rushed the pigs down the steep bank into the river, where all the pigs drowned and died. (Matthew 8:32) That Jesus says in the Revelations 2:22-23 that he would kill the children of an adulteress, while the children themselves are innocent and it is their mother, who has committed adultery. Such actions and statements depict imperfection, while Almighty God is perfect.

6 - Jesus worshiped the Almighty God & prayed to Him

It is recorded in the Bible that Jesus Christ prostrated and prayed to the Almighty God. (Matthew 26:37-39) Now if Jesus was God, how could he prostrate, worship himself and pray to himself. All this proves that Jesus was not God and that Jesus himself worshiped the Almighty God.

7 - If you had nursed Mary, you would have never considered Jesus God

Imagine, if you were a nurse and attended Mary, when she delivered Jesus. Jesus would have been covered with all the dirt that every child is born with. Completely on your mercy to wash him and clean him of all the dirt. You would never consider him to be God.

These are some strong facts, which go against the alleged divinity of Jesus Christ. Christians claim that Jesus is God, so that they may prove how Jesus was crucified for their sins. But it can even proved from the Bible itself that Jesus Christ was not crucified. So even the only purpose of his divinity, his crucifixion is also doubtful.

Do Muslims Worship the Kaaba or the Black Stone? A Rare Look Inside the Kaaba

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 16:55:00 +0000

Muslims often narrate that they take Non Muslims to a tour of their mosque. After the tour is finished, the Non Muslims would start looking around the mosque and the Muslims would ask them. Bro! Anything special you are looking for? The Non Muslims asks, "where is the idol you worship?" The Muslim has a good laugh at that and then explains that we Muslims do not worship any idol, we worship the One true God. Islam is against idol worship. A question then asked by Non Muslims is that when Islam is against idol worship why do the Muslims worship, and bow down to the Kaaba in their prayer? This is a valid question, so lets analyze wheter the Muslims really worship the Kaaba or not.

Kaaba is the Qibla i.e. the direction Muslims face during their prayers. It is important to note that though Muslims face the Kaaba during prayers, they do not worship the Kaaba. Muslims worship and bow to none but Allah.
It is mentioned in Surah Baqarah Chapter 2 Verse 144,
“We see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the heavens: now shall We turn thee to a Qiblah that shall please thee. Turn then thy face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque: wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction.”

Islam believes in fostering unity

For instance, if Muslims want to offer Salaah (Prayer), it is possible that some may wish to face north, while some may wish to face south. In order to unite Muslims in their worship of the One True God, Muslims, wherever they may be, are asked to face in only one direction i.e. towards the Kaaba. If some Muslims live towards the west of the Kaaba they face the east. Similarly if they live towards the east of the Kaaba they face the west.

Kaaba is at the Centre of the World Map

The Muslims were the first people to draw the map of the world. They drew the map with the south facing upwards and north downwards. The Kaaba was at the centre. Later, western cartographers drew the map upside down with the north facing upwards and south downwards. Yet, Alhamdullilah the Kaaba is at the center of the world map.

Tawaf around Kaaba for indicating one God

When the Muslims go to Masjid-e-Haram in Makkah, they perform tawaf or circumambulation round the Kaaba. This act symbolizes the belief and worship of One God, since, just as every circle has one centre, so also there is only one Allah (swt) worthy of worship.

The Black Stone

The Black Stone has been broken into a number of fragments and is now cemented into a silver frame in the side of the Kaaba. Its physical appearance is that of a fragmented dark rock, polished smooth by the hands of millions of pilgrims.

Hadith of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) Regarding the Black Stone

Regarding the black stone, hajr-e-aswad, there is a hadith (tradition), attributed to the illustrious companion of the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh), Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
According to Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, book of Hajj, chapter 56, H.No. 675.
Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit nor harm. Had I not seen the Prophet (pbuh) touching (and kissing) you, I would never have touched (and kissed) you”.
One may even kiss the forhead of his son, but that does not mean that he worships his son.

People stood on Kaaba and gave the adhaan

At the time of the Prophet, people even stood on the Kaaba and gave the ‘adhaan’ or the call to prayer. One may ask those who allege that Muslims worship the Kaaba; which idol worshipper stands on the idol he worships?

Once a smart Christian chap asked me, "so if you do not worship the Kaaba, then would you kick the Kaaba?" I asked him, "do you worship your parents?" He said, "No!" I asked him, "so do you go kicking them around?" He fled and never gave me an answer, but I think, he got the answer:)

Here is a rare look inside the Kaaba a original video and a 3D video. Here is a 3D video video of inside the Kaaba.

Here is a original video made inside the kaaba.

Here is the bonus, Live Webcast from Makkah. So Enjoy and Share!

Family Planning: Permitted or Prohibited?

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 17:38:00 +0000

As far as all permanent methods of family planning are concerned, it is unanimously agreed upon by all Islamic scholars that they are prohibited. Tubctomy, Vesectomy are prohibited. Even abortion is prohibited, unless it is done to save the life of the mother. For instance, if the mother has a heart problem and if she conceives again it may be a danger to her life. Or if she has had multiple scissor incisions and one more might be detrimental to her health. In such cases abortion and all permanent family planning methods are permitted to save the life of the mother. Otherwise all permanent methods are prohibited.

Abortion is prohibited because Allah (God) says in the Qur'an in Sura al Anaam Chapter 6 Verse 151, "kill not your children for want of sustenance for it is Allah (God), Who will give sustenance to you and your child." The message is repeated in Sura al Isra Chapter 17 Verse 31, "kill not your children for want of sustenance for it is Allah (God), Who will give sustenance to your child and you."

How can one kill such beautiful children, be it even at any age or even as a zygote? That is inhuman!

As far as temporary methods or contraception is concerned, the most common is copati. It is taught that it is a contraception, but it is not a contraception, it is a contraimplantation. Because the sperm and egg have already met and they have formed a zygote and it prevents the zygote from clinging to the utrine wall so it is nothing, but early abortion and even copati is prohibited. Oral contraceptives are also prohibited because many complications occur and they change the physiology of the body and Allah (God) says in the Qur'an in Sura al Room Chapter 30 Verse 30 that do not change the physiology of your body.

As far as other temporary methods are concerned, there is a difference of opinion. Once a companion came to the prophet and said that he practiced coetusinteruptus (breaking the sexual act early and not allowing the male's fluid to enter the female body). The prophet remained silent to this. So a group of scholars say that since the prophet remained silent, it is permitted. While another group of scholars say that since the prophet remained silent, it is prohibited. So there is a difference of opinion concerning the temporary methods.

But lets get back to the cause that why do we need family planning. Broadly there can be two major reasons why a person would want to do family planning. One, because he is poor and can't look after the financial needs of many children. Two, that maybe the person is rich, but he wants to have a gap between his children so that he can make them doctors, engineers, etc. Lets look at both these causes.

First reason, if a person is poor, Islam has the solution to poverty. And it is Zakat, that every rich person who has the savings equal to 85 grams of Gold, should give 2.5% of his savings every lunar year in charity. If every rich person in the world pays Zakat, poverty would be eradicated and not a single person would die of hunger. So the solution is Zakat, not killing the people.

Second reason is that may be the person is rich, but he wants to give spacing between his children so that he can make them doctors, engineers, etc. Almighty God has given a natural spacing between children known as "Lactational Amenorrhea" that if a woman breastfeeds her child there occurs a natural spacing between them. But modern women do not want to breastfeed their children because they will lose their figure.

How can you know that the child you are killing is a genius or not?

There is a falacy that if you have less children you will be able to educate them better. If you check the history of Noble Prize winners, all of them were not the single child of their parents. Some were the second child; some were the third; some were the fourth and even some were fifth child of their parents. And they were intelligent and were Noble Prize winners.

I quoted two verses of the Qur'an in the begining. First verse is of Sura al Anaam Chapter 6 Verse 151, "kill not your children for want of sustenance for it is Allah (God), Who will give sustenance to you and your child." This verse is referring to the first group, the poor people who think if they have another child they will die and even their children will die. But Allah (God) promises them that He will give sustenance to them and their children. The second verse is of Sura al Isra Chapter 17 Verse 31, "kill not your children for want of sustenance for it is Allah (God), Who will give sustenance to your child and you." In the first verse Allah (God) says, "I will give sustenance to YOU AND YOUR CHILD". In the second verse the order is reversed and Allah (God) says, "I will give sustenance to YOUR CHILD AND YOU". Why is the order reversed? The order is reversed because the second verse refers to the rich people. He is worried about his children, so Almighty God says that He will take care of his children as well as him.

In America they encourage population. The children wear a T-shirt saying "I am my father's tax saver." The more children you have the less tax you have to pay. Same in Canada. Same in Australia. But it is in the third world countries that they discourage population. The problem is not with population. The problem is with the govts of these third world countries and their wrong policies. China has the biggest population in the world and India has the second biggest population in the world. These two countries are two future super powers of the world only because of their big populations. China and India are developing at a rapid pace and are competing neck to neck to become the biggest super power of the world in the future and the developed countries of the world are nowhere to be seen in this race. Population is a boon not a bane. The countries should only know how to utilize this man power.

How can you kill a life to enjoy your own life?

There is a third category of people who are rich and who are not worried about the up-bringing of their children; they are not worried about their children becoming doctors or engineers, but do not want to take care of children. They want to enjoy life. There are certain communities, such as Gujratese in India, who get married earlier; have children early and by the time they turn 35 to 40, their child gets 15 to 20 years old and takes over the family business. By the time the father turns 45, he can retire. He does not have to wait till he becomes 60. So the parents can set back and relax and enjoy life. So even if you are among this third category, you should get married early; have children and let the children take care of the business and then you can enjoy life.

So as far as planning is concerned, Allah (God) says in the Qur'an in Sura ale Imran, "they planned; Allah too planned and Allah is the best of planners." So if you think Almighty God can plan your family better, then leave it to Almighty God. But if you think that you can plan your family better, then the choice is yours. I believe in Almighty God and I will let him plan my family.

Personal Note:- My cousin and his wife decided to do family planning after having 2 children and last year their one year old son passed away. It is a year since then that they are praying for another child and regretting their earlier decision. So please let this not happen to you! And pray that may my cousin soon have another child, Ameen!

Purpose of Creation - From the Perspective of Human Beings - Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 13:23:00 +0000

This is the last part of our series on the purpose of creation. Previous posts were:
1- Purpose of creation from the perspective of Almighty God
2- Destiny & Free-will

Now lets try to answer another question about the purpose of creation from the perspective of human beings that what is the purpose of our existance in this world. Allah gives the answer in the Holy Qur'an in Sura al Mulk Chapter 67 Verse 2, "It is Allah, Who has created death and life to test which of you is good in deeds." And Allah says in the Qur'an Sura ale Imran Chapter 3 Verse 185, "Every soul shall have a taste of death: and only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the fire and admitted to the garden will have attained the object (of life): for the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception." So this life of ours in this world is a test for the Hereafter. If you obey the commandments of Allah (God), you will go to paradise in the next life. But if you do not obey the commandments of Allah (God), you will go to hell.

Allah (God) says in the Qur'an in Sura al Ankaboot Chapter 29 Verse 2 that do you think that just by saying "we believe", We will let you go. We will surely test you. So one would not go scoot free just by saying he believes; Allah (God) would surely test him. And Allah says in Sura al Baqara Chapter 2 Verse 155, "Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil) but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere." Allah (God) says that He will test everyone.

Allah (God) test different people in different ways. Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura an Nahl Chapter 16 Verse 71 that He has favored some human beings in sustenance over others. Allah repeates the message in the Qur'an Sura al Anaam Chapter 6 Verse 160 that Allah (God) has given some human beings more gifts and based on what He has given you, He will test. Now a question often asked is that how can Allah (God) be just, when some people are born in a poor family. Some people are born in rich family. Some people are born healthy, while many others are born with diseases. It is unjust! This world has life and death, health and disease, wealth and poverty and these all are tests. Allah (God) says in Sura al Anfal Chapter 8 Verse 28 that surely your wealth and you progeny (children) are a test for you. And Allah (God) says in the Qur'an in Sura al Mumin Chapter 63 Verse 9 that let not your wealth and your children deviate you from the remembrance of Allah (God).

One of the best deeds in Charity. If all the people have the same wealth ,so how can Allah (God) test whether some people are charitable or not. This test can only take place, if some people are rich and some people are poor. One of the pillars of Islam is Zakat that every rich person who has the saving of more than the Nisab level (85 grams of Gold), he should give 2.5% of that saving in charity every lunar year. So a rich person has to give away this amount of money to get the marks, but many people do not give Zakat and they will fail. But a poor person does not have to give Zakat and he will get all the marks for Zakat. So it is more difficult for a rich person to go to paradise, but it is much easier for a poor person to go to paradise. Our beloved prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that it is more difficult for a rich man to enter paradise. So wealth is a test.

It is stupidity that we often look upto the rich men that O lucky man! He is rich and look down upon the poor men that O this poor fellow! He does not have anything. But wealth is a test and there are high chances for a rich man to fail in this test thus making it difficult for him to enter Janah (paradise). Suppose if in last year's question paper a very difficult question came and none of the students could solve it, but in this year's question paper that question did not come. Now the student will not be sad that why such a difficult question did not come this year, but they would be happy. So since wealth is a great test, if a poor man does not have it, it only makes his test easier and it would be stupid to say that why his test is not more difficult.

The other test is contentment. It is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari Volume 8 Hadith 447 that our beloved prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that even if a person owns a valley of Gold, he would want to own another valley of Gold. The maximum he can take in his mouth is the dirt of the grave. Even if someone is the richest person in the world, he would still crave for more wealth. Most of the human beings are not content. Allah (God) says in the Qur'an in Sura an Nisa Chapter 4 Verse 32 that do not ask from Allah (God) that, which He has favored other people with. It would be loss for you. It is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari Volume 8 Hadith 328 that prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that look at those people, who are less fortunate than you. Do not look at those people, who are more fortunate than you; lest you would be ungrateful to your Lord. It is said that there was a man, who complained that he did not have shoes, until he came across a man, who had no feet and he started thanking Allah (God) that at least he had feet.

So contentment is a test. It is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari Volume 4 Hadith 304 that prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that the real wealth is contentment; it is not property. So whatever you have thank Allah (Almighty God) and such is a true Muslim, a true believer.

Some people ask that how come Allah (God) has created some people, who are born with disease. Maybe heart disease or handicapped. So isn't Allah (God) unjust? Allah (God) says in the Qur'an in Sura an Nisa Chapter 4 Verse 40 that Allah (God) is not unjust even in the least degree. All this is a test. Allah (God) tests different people in different ways. The children, who are born, are sinless. But Allah (God) says in the Qur'an in Sura al Anfal Chapter 8 Verse 28 that your wealth and your children are a test for you. Allah (God) repeats the message in the Qur'an in Sura al Mumin Chapter 63 Verse 9 that let not your wealth and your children deviate you from the remembrance of Allah (God). So maybe it is possible that it is a test for the parents. Whenever any calamity comes upon any person, it is either a test or a punishment. For those who have deviated from the true path of Allah (God), it is a punishment for them. For those are on the true path, it is a test for them. Maybe the parents are very good Muslim. They offer 5 times Salah (obligatory prayer). They pay Zakat (obligatory charity). They have gone for Hajj (pilgrimage). Now Allah (God) gives them a child, who has congenital heart disease. A true Muslim would say that Alhamdulillah! Thank you Allah! Allah (God) is testing them. While a person, who is ungrateful, would complain that why did Allah (God) give him a child with a disease.

More difficult the test; more higher is the reward. For instance, if you pass the Bachelor of Arts exams, you would become only a graduate. But if you pass the MBBS exams, besides being a graduate, you would Dr, Doctor written written in front of your name. But to pass MBBS is multiple times more difficult than to pass BA. So more difficult the test, the more higher the reward. So maybe Allah (God) wants to give those parents not only Janah (merely paradise), but Janat-e-Firdous (the Highest and the Best Paradise). So even though they are pious, Allah (God) wants to give them a higher reward. That is reason our beloved prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in Sunan Abu Dawud Volume 3 Hadith 3677 that when a person asked him, who had the maximum tests in this world. Prophet replied that the prophets of Allah (God) had the most difficult tests. After that those people had the maximum tests, who were like the prophets and after those who were like the second people. The more pious a person is, the more difficult would be his test. For instance, you get admission in MBBS, only if you got good marks in 12th standard. So MBBS is a more difficult test. So though the piety level of the prophets is high, still they were tested with more difficult tests. So if any calamity befalls a true believer, he says, "Alhamdulillah! Thank you Allah!" He takes it as a test. So any calamity is either a test or a punishment. The prophets of Allah (God) were pious, so it was a test for them and they passed the tests.

If any good things happens to you, it is either a reward or a test. Maybe you have done good deeds and Allah (God) has rewarded you with wealth or maybe Allah (God) wants to test you with wealth. For those, who have deviated from Allah (God), they pray for wealth and Allah (God) gives them wealth and tests them and they fail. So in this world, they would have the luxury. But in the Hereafter, it is nothing but loss. So Charity is a test. Contentment is a test. Children are a test.

Many a times, we complain that we pray to Allah (God) and nothing happens. Allah (God) says in the Qur'an that you ask Me and I will answer your prayer. And here we ask and ask and nothing happens. So it sounds contradictory that Allah (God) says that He will answer our prayers, but we pray everyday and nothing happens. Allah (God) says in the Qur'an in Sura al Baqara Chapter 2 Verse 216 that you may like a thing, which is not good for you and you may hate a thing, which is good for you. You know not, but Allah (God) knows. For example, a young boy is praying that Allah (God) give me a BMW motorcycle. But Allah (God) does not give him a motorcycle. Because Allah (God) knows that if He will give him a motorcycle, he will ride fast and have an accident. So by not answering his prayer, Allah (God) is answering his prayer. Because he is a good person and he is asking for something, which is not good. He does not know, but Allah (God) knows.

Allah says about the hypocrites in Sura al Baqara Chapter 2 Verse 15 & 16 that Allah gives them grow, so that they go to and fro. So many people, who are associate partners with Allah (God), they ask for wealth and Allah (God) gives them wealth. Allah (God) is testing them and they are digging their own graves. So we should never despair, Allah is always there. Have faith in Allah (God). That is why committing suicide is prohibited in Islam. Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura an Nisa Chapter Verse 29 that kill not yourselves. The moment a person commits suicide, he is being ungrateful. Saying that Allah (God) has given him so much trouble. He is unjust. It is not worth living and he ends his life. Allah (God) says in the Qur'an in Sura al Baqara Chapter 2 Verse 286 that Allah (God) does not lay a burden, greater than he can bear. This is the first part and the other part of the verse we pray that O Allah (God) lay not on us a burden, greater than we can bear. Since Allah (God) has already promised that he will not lay on anyone a burden that he can not bear, then why do we have to pray that lay not on us such a burden that we can't bear. It is because we dig our own grave. We lay a burden upon us that we can not bear. We are responsible. We ask, "give me wealth" and Allah (God) gives us wealth. So we pray to Allah (God) that do not make us the cause to put a burden on ourselves, greater than we can bear.

So we should faith in Allah (God) and worship Him alone. The purpose of our existence in this world is to worship Allah (God) and no one else. This life is a test for the Hereafter. Obey his commandments and be grateful. Whatever test He gives you, a true believer is thankful to Allah, the Almighty God. We often complain that we do not have this or that. The most important thing for living is the air that we breathe. If we do not air for a few minutes, we will die. But how many times have we thanked Allah (God) for the air, He has given us? Since its free, we do not even realize it. We should reflect upon the signs of Allah (God) and thank Him for the blessings that He has given to us.

Now lets come to the last question that why did Allah (God) create this world? What is the purpose of this world? Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura Ibrahim Chapter 14 Verses 32 & 33 that Allah (God) has created the Heavens and the Earth and let water come from the sky; with it He has given fruits. Has caused the ship to sail by the commandment of Allah (God). He has caused rivers to flow for human beings. He has made the sun and moon for you. He has made the night and the day for you. So all these creation and the world is for human beings. All this world is for us human beings. And it is our duty to thank Allah for all these blessings and besides thanking, it is our duty to take care of these things. Allah (God) has created animals, but killing animals is prohibited. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that do not kill animals for target practice. But for food among the Halal (permitted) animals, for which Allah (God) has given permission that you can have, with the way the prophet of Allah (God) has showed us. But for target practice, NO! People wanna conquer these blessings. They kill animals to place their heads on the walls of our house to show off. Allah (God) has created mountains, but instead of giving thanks people wanna conquer them. Hundreds try to climb mount Everest each year and several of them die. Though Allah says in the Qur'an that the camels have been created to carry your load, but we have to love them and respect them. It is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari Volume 8 that there was a man, who gave water to a thirsty dog by going into the well and carrying the water in the socks and he was granted Janah (paradise). In another Hadith mentioned in Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, there was a prostitute, who gave water to a thirsty dog and he was granted Janah (paradise) for this. Companions asked that do we get reward even for giving water to a thirsty dog. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), yes why not! Even the animals, which is prohibited to come into our house, even if we give water to that animal Allah will reward us for that. There is a Hadith that a lady tied a cat and did not give it food and Allah put her in hell for this. At least she should have let it go free and it would have fed on roadents. So we have to love and take care of the animals and even the vegetations. You can eat them for food, but you can not kill the plants unnecessarily. Even in war, prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that do not cut down the trees and do not burn the vegetation. All these are creations of Allah, the Almighty God.

In the Qur'an in Sura al Adiyat Chapter 100, Allah swears by the steeds of war and says that sparks come out from the hooves of these horses. Clouds of dust rise. They enter the enemy with, that these horses are without any fear. Just because their master, the horse rider commmands them. Allah, the Almighty God swears by these animals that when their master commands them, they run into the enemy lines without fearing the enemy, their swords and other weapons. At the end Allah, the Almighty God says, "But man is ungrateful." Meaning that the horse is obeying his master by hook or crook, but we human beings are ungrateful to our Master, our Lord. That is why it is the duty of every human being to reflect upon the purpose of creation that why have we been created. Allah, the Almighty God is our Creator. He is Merciful. He is Kind. He is Forgiving. He is Just. It is the duty of every human being that he should worship Allah, the Almighty God. Worship Him and no one else. We should remember that this life is a test for the Hereafter. If you follow His commandments, you will go to Janah (paradise). But if you do not follow His commandments, you will fail the test and you will go to Jahanam (hell). And we have to take care of the blessings that Allah has given us.

Duty of Muslims -

Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura ale Imran Chapter 3 Verse 110, "O ye Muslims! You are the best of people evolved for mankind." We are called the best of people, which is a honor and whenever there is honor; it comes with a responsibility and there is no honor without responsibility. Allah tells us our responsibility in the same verse. "Because you enjoin what is good and you forbid what is bad and you believe in Allah." It is the duty of every Muslim that whatever you know, if you know the purpose of creation, tell it to the others. That why were created. That we should worship Allah, the Almighty God alone. Exhort people to the truth and prevent them from going towards wrong. It is the duty of every Muslim. Dawah (exhorting people to the truth) is compulsory and if we do not exhort people to the truth and do not prevent them from going towards wrong, then we are not fit to be called Muslims; we are not fit to called as the best of people. Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura an Nahl Chapter 16 Verse 125, "Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious."

Destiny & Free Will - Purpose of Creation - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:15:00 +0000

Previously, we discussed the Purpose of Creation from the perspective of Almighty God that what was the purpose of Almighty God for creating us. An important question often asked is that if Almight God has already destined everything then if I commit murder or rape or any other sins then God is responsible? And it is a very logical question. To answer this we must understand the conception of Destiny or Predestination correctly.

Destiny - Qadr
Certain things are fixed. Such as, where will you born, which family will you be born in, when and where will you die? These things are fixed.

Almighty God has Ilm-e-Gayb. Almighty God has perfect and infallable knowledge of the future. Almighty God knows in advance what you will do in the future out of your own will and choice. So Almighty God writes it down in advance that you will do it. So It is not because God has written it down that you do it. But it is because you will be doing it out of your own free-will that God has already written it down.

Let me explain it with an example of a classroom. Suppose the teacher has taught the class for the whole term and exams are approaching and the teacher makes some predictions in the classroom. The teachers says that Student A will come first in the class and Student B will fail in the exams. And after the exams when the results are declared, Student A comes first and Student B fails exactly as the teacher had predicted before the exams. Now Student B can not blame the teacher that she predicted that he will fail and that is why he has failed. Because the teacher had taught the class and had knew that Student A is a hard working student and will come first, but Student B does not study and plays all the time, hangs out with his friend and obiviously because of all this he will fail. So the teacher had knowledge of all this and with the help of her knowledge she made correct predictions. So Almighty God has perfect knowledge of the future, which never fails and thus Almighty God knows in advance what people will do and He writes it down in advance.

For instance, if in your life you come at a crossroad and there are three roads. Road 1, road 2 and road 3. You are free to chose whichever way you want and you chose you take road 2. Almighty God already knows in advance that you will choose road 2 out of your own will and that is why He has already written it down in your destiny. Or suppose if you choose road 2, but after walking a few steps you change your mind, get back and choose road 3. Almighty God already knows in advance that you will first choose road 2, but after a few steps you will change your mind and choose 3. So it is not that Almighty God has already written it down that you are choosing this road, but it because you will out of your own free-will choose this road and Almighty God knows it and He has written it down.

Lets try to answer the question of creation from the perspective of the creation, the human beings. That why Allah created us human beings. Allah says in the Glorious Qur'an Sura al Araaf Chapter 7 Verses 172 & 173 that He will bring out from the lions of the children of Adam (may peace be upon him) all the desendants and will ask them am I your Lord and all will say that we testify that you are our Lord lest on the day of judgement they may say that we were unaware that you are our Lord or that our ancestors worshiped somebody else and we just followed them so they should be punished not us. So before we were sent into this world Allah brought all the Children of Adam and asked them who is their Lord and they all testified that there is one Allah and He is our Lord and now is our test in this world.

Allah says in the Holy Qur'an Sura al Zariaat Chapter 51 Verse 56, "We have created the men and the Jinn not but to worship Me." The English word "Worship" according the Webster's Encylopedia Dictionary means 'acts of devotion honoring the Diety.' The Arabic word for 'worship' is "Ibada" derived from the root word "Abd", which means 'a slave'. It is the duty of the slave to be obidient to all the wishes and will of his master. So 'Ibada' means 'total submission to the will of the Creator, Almighty Allah.'

One of the forms of worship is Glorification of the Creator, Almighty Allah. Allah says in the Holy Qur'an Sura an Nasr Chapter 110 Verse 3 , "Glorify the praises of thy Lord." One may ask why does Allah require us human beings to glorify Him? Is Allah dependent on the praises of human beings? Even if all the human beings praise Allah, it will not make Him greater and if nobody praises Him, yet it will not diminish Him. He is the same. If you say 'Allahu Akbar' (God is the Greatest) a hundred times it will not make Him superior or if you do not say 'Allahu Akbar', it will not make Him less. He is the Greatest and He will remain the Greatest. Allah says in the Qur'an Sura Anfal Chapter 8 that Allah does not require us. It is we who require Him and He is worthy of all praises. So the question remains that why does Allah then require us to praise Him? In fact it is for our own benefit because it is human tendency that if we praise a person or a person is famous, we tend to follow his advice. For instance, if your mother is suffering from a heart disease and you have two options. One is the best doctor in the world and the other is a plain MBBS doctor and both are giving free treatement. Whom would you go to? Of course, you will go to the best doctor in the world and whatever advice he gives you, you will act upon it with your eyes closed because you accept him to be world famous, the best. That is the reason when we praise Allah and call Him the Greatest, the Most Merciful so the moment we praise Him, we tend to follow His advice, the Glorious Qur'an and the advice that He revealed to His Messengers including the final prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). For instance, when you agree that He is the Most Wise, then Allah, the Most Wise tells you not to have alcohol then stop having alcohol. Allah tells you not to rob then do not rob. So it is not for the benefit of Allah that we praise Him, it's for our own benefit because when we praise Him, it is human tendency that we will follow His advice.

That is why Allah says in the Holy Qur'an Sura at Taha Chapter 20 Verse 14 that Verily I am Allah and there is no God besides Me, so remember Me regularly and offer (Salaah) prayer regularly. Allah is advising us to offer Salaah (prayer) regularly because there is so much evil around us that we tend to deviate at times and this Salaah (prayer) is a programing towards righteousness and we are getting programed. As a doctor say that we require 3 meals a day for a healthy body in the same way we require a minimum 5 times daily Salaah (prayer) for a healthy soul. So all forms of worship are beneficial for us.

Allah says in the Holy Qur'an Sura al Baqara Chapter 2 Verse 183 that fasting has been prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those, who came before you so that you may learn self restraint. So when we fast we learn self restraint. We learn to control our desires. Today psychologists tell us that if we control our hunger, we can control all our desires. When we fast, we abstain from food and drink from dawn to sunset and when control our hunger, we learn to control almost all our desires. So who is benefitting we or Allah? Of course, we are benefitting; we are learning self restraint.

Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura al Maidah Chapter 5 Verse 90, "O you who believe! Verily intoxicants and gambling, dedication of stones (Idol Worship), divination of arrows (Fortune-telling), these are Satan's handywork. Abstain from this handywork, so that you may prosper." And Allah says in the next verse 5:91 that Satan creates enimity and hatred among the human beings through intoxicants and gambling and this takes you away from Allah. So here Allah is guiding us to offer Salaah, fast and not to drink.

Any commandment of Allah that you follow is a form of worship as long as you do it in the right way. Two critera are required. First, any act that you do, you should do it for the pleasure of Allah and not for golory, praise or fame. Second, it should be done the way Allah and His Messenger Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has told us. The way mentioned in the Qur'an and Saheeh Hadith (Authentic Sayings & Traditions of Prophet Muhammad). If you do in any other way it will not be accepted as worship. It is mentioned in Saheeh Muslim Volume 2 Hadith 1885 that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that the worst of all affairs is innovation in the religion. It is a curse and innovation in religion will take you to hell fire. So there is a general rule that all types of worship is prohibited except that mentioned in the Qur'an and Authentic Hadith (sayings & traditions of the prophet).

The purpose of creation of human beings is to worship Allah and when we worship Him, we benefit. It helps us.

It is a misconception that Islam is a new religion and prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is its founder. In fact, Islam is there since time in memorial, since man set foot on the Earth and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is not its founder. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last and final Messenger of Allah. There have been many other Messengers as well. As Qur'an says that there is not a nation to which a messenger was not sent. There are names of 25 messengers mentioned in the Qur'an. Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, Aaron, Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them all) were messengers of God and they were Muslims. The word 'Islam' comes from the root words 'Salam' meaning 'Peace' and Selm' which means 'Submission', so in short Islam means "peace acquired by submitting your will to Allah". Muslim is a person, who acquires peace by submitting his will to Allah. So all these prophets were Muslims, submitting their will to Allah. All the messengers brought the same message and anyone who submits his will to Almighty God, he is a Muslim. Moses was a Muslim. Abraham was a Muslim. Jesus was a Muslim. Since our Creator is one. Human kind is one. So the religion should be one. That is why Allah says in the Qur'an Sura ale Imran Chapter 3 Verse 19, "The only religion acceptable in the sight of Allah is Islam (peace acquired by submitting your will to God)." Allah repeats the message in the Qur'an Sura ale Imran Chapter 3 Verse 85 that if anybody desires any other religion besides Islam, it will never be accepted of him and he will be among losers. All the messengers taught the same message of submitting your will to Allah and worshiping Him alone and no one else.

Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura al Bayinah Chapter 98 Verse 6 that those who have faith do righteous deeds are the best of creation. There are many greater creations than human beings such as the Heavens and the Earth, but Allah calls human beings the best of creation because human beings have a free will of their own. If with this free will we follow the commandments of Allah, we reach the best of creation. We become even better than the angels because angels do not have a free will of their own and if human beings with their free will obey the commandments of Allah, they become superior to the angels. But if you with free will we disobey Allah, then we become the brothers of Satan. So human beings are the best creation of Allah.

The gravest sin mentioned in the Qur'an in Sura an Nisa Chapter 4 Verse 48 that if Allah wills, He will forgive any sin. But the sin of 'Shirk' He will never forgive for anyone, who has done Shirk has strayed far away. Allah repeats the message even in Verse 116 of the Chapter. The gravest sin any human being can do is 'Shirk' means associating partners with Allah and worshipping anyone besides the One true God Allah.

One of the qualities of Allah is Love. Allah loves His creation and that is why because of His Grace He has bestowed us with all the blessings He has given us. The air that we breathe. The water that we drink. For those of us, who follows His commandments, Allah has prepared a place for us in the paradise in the next life out of His love. It is mentioned in Saheeh Muslim Volume 1 Hadith 67 that Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "that person has tasted the sweetness of faith, who do three things. One, who love Allah and His Messenger more than everyone in the World. Two, they love other people for the sake of Allah. Three, who hate to go back to disbelief from where Allah has saved them and they don't want to go to the hell-fire." Allah commands Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the Qur'an in Sura ale Imran Chapter 3 Verse 31 to say that all those who love Allah, follow me for Allah will love and Allah will forgive you.

If we analyze, we love other people, our mother, father, wife and children because they have done certain favors upon us. For instance, we love our mother because they bore us in her womb for 9 months. She took care of us when we were young. She brought us up. We love our brothers because either they have given something to us or we want something from them. In that context, if we count the favors Allah, the Almighty God has done upon us we won't be able to count them up. As Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura Ibrahim Chapter 14 Verse 34 that if you count the favors of Allah, you will not be able to add them up. Imagine, if we love our parents so much for the few things they have given to us, how much should we love Allah. Love differs. For instance, we love animals but our love for animals on a different level than our love for other human beings. In the same way, our love for Allah is on a much superior level than our love for other human beings.

It is mentioned in the Qur'an in Sura al Fatiha Chapter 1 Verse 5, "Thee alone we worship. Thee alone we ask for help." Allah says in Sura al Ghafir Chapter 40 Verse 60, "You ask me and I will answer your prayer." Allah says in Sura al Baqara Chapter 2 Verse 186, "O Messenger, when they ask you about Me, tell them that I am near to them and I will answer their prayers." So worship should only be done to Allah and no one else. He is the only One, who deserves worship and nobody else.

Purpose of Creation - Part 1 - From the Perspective of the Creator

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:17:00 +0000

This question arises in the mind of every individual sometime or the other irrespective whether he is rich or poor, king or cooper, black or white, whether he lives in USA or India. Most of the human beings think that there has to be a Supreme Creator, Almighty God and because of Him we are here. However there is a small minority who do not believe in the existence of the Creator, Almighty God. They assume that the whole world has come into existence by chance and we human beings too have come into existence by chance. Suppose you see the footprints of a person on the beach, immediately a logical person thinks that these footprints have been created by the walking of a person. A logical person will not assume that the footprints came into existence by chance or that the waves created the footprints.

The question of the purpose of creation can be answered from two perspectives.

1 - The perspective of the Creator, the Almighty God:

2 - The perspective of the Creation, the Human beings:

Those who do not believe in the existence of Almighty God and believe that we have come into this world by mere chance. According to this philosophy, there is no difference between the human beings and the other creations; there is no difference between human beings and animals. All have come by chance. These people do not have any particular purpose of life at all. They do not have a purpose for existence. They live the same way as animals. They eat, drink, sleep and procreate. Therefore they strive for excellence in eating, drinking, sleeping and procreating. They become materialistic and materialism becomes their god. Because of this such people create drugs and weapons of mass destruction to make a better living. They involve in pornography, fornication, adultery and homosexuality. It doesn't make any difference to them as to what they create or what they involve themselves in because they only believe in materialism.

1 - Purpose of Creation from the perspective of the Creator, the Almighty God:

Almighty God says in the Qur'an in Sura al Ghafir Chapter 40 Verse 57, "the creations of the heavens and the earth are far greater than the creation of the human being, but most of the human beings realize it not." Many human beings say that we are the greatest of the creations, but Almighty God says that the creations of heavens and earth are far greater, but the human beings do not realize it. One of the attributes of Almighty God is 'The Creator, The Best Creator' and Almighty God says in the Qur'an in Sura al Mominun Chapter 23 Verse 21, "Almighty God is the best to create." Since one of the attributes of God is 'the Creator', there must be a creation of His. But that does not mean that Almighty God is dependent on His creations. Almighty God says in the Qur'an in Sura al Zumur Chapter 39 Verse 62 "It is Almighty God, who creates everything and He is independent of all His creations." The Arabic word for 'Creator' is 'Khaliq' and the Arabic word 'Khalaqa' means 'to create'. 'Khalaqa' (creating) can be divided into two types. One meaning of 'Khalaqa' is 'to create something from something', which besides Almighty God even we human beings can do. For instance, a carpenter creates a chair from wood and nails. But the wood is obtained from the trees and nail from metal and the trees and wood have not be created by the carpenter. So all of the creations of human beings are dependent upon the basic elements created by Almighty God. So this type of creation is a limited type of creation. The ultimate and the true creation is to create something from nothing and this no one besides Almighty God can do. None of the creations can create something from nothing except the uncreated Almighty God, the Creator of all the creations. So He is the Creator, there has to be creation.

There are up to 99 attributes of God mentioned in the Qur'an and the authentic sayings of prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). One of the attributes of God is "Ar Rehman, the Merciful", "Ar Raheem, the Kind", "Al Ghafir, the Forgiver". Human beings are a unique creation of Allah Almighty. Human beings have a free-will of their own. We can either obey or disobey our Creator. Because of having a free-will, we can sin. The other creations of Almighty God do not have any free will of their own and they can not sin. They follow each and every commandment of Almighty God. Only when the human beings sin and repent and ask for forgiveness can the Mercy of Almighty God, the Kindness of Almighty God, the Love of Almighty God, the Grace of Almighty God and the Forgiveness of Almighty God can be known.

The other attribute of Almighty God given in the Qur'an is Love. Almighty God says in several places in the Qur'an that He loves those people, who trust in him, those who are patient, those who are righteous, those who are pious, those who have patience and perseverance and those who approach Him. Almighty God commands the prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) in the Qur'an in Sura Ale Imran Chapter 3 Verse 31 to tell the people, "if you love Almighty God, follow me and Almighty God will love you and forgive your sins." According to a saying of prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) recorded in Sahih Tirmidhi Volume 2 Hadith 2805, prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) said that Almighty God says if you approach me, I will answer you. If you ask for forgiveness, I will forgive you, Even if your sins reach up-to the clouds, I will forgive you. Even if you sins are as big as the whole earth, I will approach you with the same forgiveness as long as you ask for forgiveness and do not associate partners with Me.

One of the attributes of Almighty God is 'the Grace'. It is mentioned in Sahih Muslim Volume 4 Hadith number 6765 prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) said that do good deeds to the best of your ability and be happy for no one can enter the heaven only on the basis of his deeds. The companions asked, what about you prophet Mohammed? The prophet replied, Not even I. I can not enter the heaven unless the Grace and the Mercy of Almighty God envelopes me. Almighty God says in the Qur'an Sura Anaam Chapter 6 Verse 160, "if you do any good deed, I will multiply it ten times into your account and if you do any evil deed, I will count it only as one. For Almighty God is the most Forgiving and He does not do anything wrong." Had both our good deeds and evil deeds been counted as one each without multiplication of our good deeds, none of us would have managed to enter the heaven. It is the Grace of Almighty God that He multiplies our good deeds ten times so that we may enter the heaven. So goods deeds are important, but the Grace of Almighty God is more important to enter the heaven.

One of the attributes of Almighty God is 'Absolute Justice'. Almighty God has divine knowledge of everything. The moment a person is born Almighty God knows whether he would do good deeds or evil deeds. Whether he would obey Him or disobey Him. Almighty God even knows whether this person would go to the heaven or to the hell. But if the moment a person is born Almighty God puts in the heaven, the person deserves the heaven and puts in the hell, the person who deserves hell. The people put in the heaven would not object. But the people put in the hell would object. Saying how come they have been put into the hell even without a test, without a chance to lead their lives? Almighty God is just. As the Qur'an says in Sura an Nisa Chapter 4 Verse 40, "Almighty God is never unjust in the least degree." That's why Almighty God lets the people live in this world and whoever follows His commandments would pass the test and whoever disobeys fails the test. Almighty God says in the Qur'an in Sura al Sajda Chapter 32 Verse 12 that these people who will go to hell on the day of judgement, they will never object to the justice of Almighty God. But they will bow down their heads and ask for forgiveness. They would agree with the Lord and would say that give us another chance and send us once again in the world and we would surely be believers this time. But Almighty God knows in His divine wisdom that if He forgives them and sends them back in the world, after whitewashing their memory of what they have seen in the hell, they would again commit the same mistakes. This is mentioned in the Qur'an Sura al Anaam Chapter 6 Verse 28 that if these people were again sent in the world, they would repeat the same mistakes because they are liars. So because of the attributes of forgiving, loving, kindness and grace are manifest in the Creator, Almighty God.

Now the question arises that is Almighty God dependent on His creation to ask His forgiveness or glorify Him to make Him somehow superior? Certainly Not:) We would discuss this in detail in our next post of this series and also discuss the all important question of destiny and free that since everything is destined by Almighty God, then why should we be responsible for any evil things we do, but rather Almighty God should be responsible because He destined so. If you need a reminder for our next post of this series, subscribe to our updates from the options on the right sidebar.

Jihad

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:07:00 +0000

There are misconceptions about the meaning of the word 'Jihad' not only among the Non Muslims, but even amongst the Muslims. Most of the people think that any war fought by any Muslim for any reason whatsoever is Jihad. Wheter it be for personal reasons, political gains, for regions, for language or for any other reasons. This misconception is found among Non Muslims and Muslims alike.

Note:- This is part of our series answering the top 3 misconceptions about Islam, which are:

1 - Jihad

2 - Muslims are Fundamentalists & Terrorists

3 - Islam was spread by the sword

What is Jihad?

Jihad comes from the Arabic word 'Jahada', which means "to strive, to struggle, to exert effort." In the Islamic context Jihad means to strive against one's own evil inclinations. Jihad in Islamic terminology also means to strive to make the society better. Jihad even also includes fighting in the battlefield in self defense and it also includes fighting against tyranny and oppression.

Jihad means 'to strive, to struggle.'

For instance, If a student strives to pass in his examination, in Arabic we say he is doing Jihad. If an employee strives to satisfy his employer, irrespective wheter the work he is doing is good or bad, it is called Jihad. If a politician strives to get votes, irrespective wheter he is good or bad, it is referred to as Jihad in Arabic. Jihad merely means to strive.

Who can do Jihad?

Another misconception about Jihad is, people think that Jihad can only be done by Muslims. But there are verses in the Qur'an, in which Almighty God says that even the Non Muslims did Jihad. The Qur'an says in Sura Luqman Chapter 31 Verse 14 that And We have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents: in travail upon travail did his mother bear him and in years twain was his weaning. In the next verse, Sura Luqman Chapter 31 Verse 15 Almighty God says, but if your parents do Jihad (strive, struggle) and force you to worship anyone besides Me, of which you have no knowledge, then do not obey them. But live with them in compassion and love. Here the Qur'an says that even the Non Muslim parents of Muslims children do Jihad to force their children to worship things beside Almighty God. So even the Non Muslims do Jihad. Further the Qur'an says in Sura an-Nisa Chapter 4 Verse 76 that the believers strive in the way of Almighty God and the unbelievers strive in the way of the Satan. So strive against the brothers of the Satan. Here the word Jihad is being used for both the believers doing Jihad in the way of God and for the unbelievers doing Jihad in the way of the Satan. So even the evil people can do Jihad (strive).

Jihad in the way of Almighty God & Jihad in the way of the Satan

The believers strive in the way of Almighty God, it is called 'Jihad fi sabilillah' and the evil people strive in the way of the Satan, it is called 'Jihad fi sabi Shaitan'. So Jihad is of two types, good Jihad and bad Jihad also. Striving for a good cause and striving for an evil cause. But in the Islamic context if Jihad is not precisely specified as 'Jihad for the Satan as in 4:76, then it is taken for granted that whenever Jihad is mentioned it means 'Jihad fi sabilillah', Jihad in the way of God Almighty, Jihad for a good cause.

Jihad does NOT mean 'Holy War'

Most of the people think that Jihad means 'Holy War'. In fact the word 'Holy War' is not mentioned anywhere in the Qur'an and authentic sayings of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). The Arabic translation of the word 'Holy War' is 'Harbon Muqadasa' and this word 'Harbon Muqadasa does not occur anywhere in the Qur'an and authentic sayings of the prophet. The word 'Holy War' was first coined by the orientalists when they started writing about Islam. But unfortunately even many Muslim scholars have also used the word 'Holy War' thinking that it is the most appropriate translation for Jihad, which is totally wrong.

Qital - Fighting

The word used for fighting in the Qur'an is 'Qital'. Again fighting can be of two types, fighting for a good cause and fighting for an evil cause. Fighting for a good cause is 'Qital fi Sabilillah' Fighting in the way of God Almighty and Fighting for an evil cause is 'Qital fi sabi Shaitan' Fighting in the way of the Satan.

Jihad in the Qur'an & Ahadith (Sayings of the prophet)

The word 'Jihad' is used in several places in the Glorious Qur'an and in several sayings of prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). Qur'an says in Sura al Haj Chapter 22 Verse 78, "Strive in the way of Allah as you ought to strive with sincerity and discipline." Further it is mentioned in the Qur'an in Sura at Tauba Chapter 9 Verse 20, "As for those believers who suffer exile and who strive with might and main in the way of Allah with their body and wealth and possession, these are the people who will attain the highest rank in the hereafter and will attain salvation." It is mentioned in a saying of the prophet in Sahih Bukhari Volume 4 Hadith 46 that a person who strives in Allah's way and Allah alone knows who really strives in His way with true intentions, is like a person who continuously fasts and prays. If he is killed, he will go to pradise and if he returns back, he will come back with a great reward as well as the booty of war. It is mentioned in the Holy Qur'an in Sura Ankaboot Chapter 29 Verse 6, "Strive in the way of Allah, but Allah is free from all wants." It means that if you are striving and struggling in the way of Almighty God, it is for your own benefit, it is not for the benefit of Almighty God because Almighty God is not dependant on any of His creation. Almighty God says in the Qur'an in Sura Tauba Chapter 9 Verse 24, "Say: If it be that your fathers your sons your brothers your mates or your kindred; the wealth that ye have gained; the commerce in which ye fear a decline; or the dwellings in which ye delight are dearer to you than Allah or His apostle or the striving in His cause; then wait until Allah brings about His decision: and Allah guides not the rebellious."

The Best Type of Jihad Keeps on Differing Depending Upon the Situation

The best type of Jihad keeps on differing according to the situation. It is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari Volume 4 Hadith 2784 that Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the prophet asked the prophet that shouldn't we (women) go for Jihad and the prophet (peace be upon him) replied that the best type of Jihad for you is the perfect Haj. It is recorded in Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5792 that a person approaches the prophet and asks, Should I go to Jihad (referring to fighting against evil people). The prophet (peace be upon him) asks the man, do you have parents? The man replies, yes! The prophet tells him that the best type of Jihad for you is to serve your parents. On another occasion mentioned in Sunan Nisai 4209, a person asked the prophet that what is the best Jihad? The prophet said that the best Jihad is to speak a word of truth against a tyrant ruler. So the best Jihad keeps on differing depending upon the situation. It is recorded in Sahih Ibne Habban Hadith 4685 that Mujahid (a person who strives) is a person who strives against his own self for the cause of Allah and Muhajir (a person who migrates) is a person who migrates from evil to good.

Jihad Against the Devil

Almighty God says in the Qur'an Sura al Baqara Chapter 2 Verse 208, "O you who believe enter Islam whole heartedly and do not follow the foot-steps of the Devil." Now what is the difference between following Devil and follow the footsteps of the Devil? For example, if a young lady tells a believer that lets spend the night together and a person who has faith would say No! But if a young lady calls the same person, he would talk to her thinking what's the harm in speaking to a young lady on the phone! After talking for a few days, they would go to MacDonald, the believer thinking there is no problem in just meeting. Then they may go to a movie and someday they would even spend the night together. So all these are the footsteps of the Devil and a believer has to strive against the Devil 24/7.

Dawah

One of the best type of Jihad is Dawah, conveying the message of truth to those who are not aware of it. Allah says in the Qur'an Sura Ale Imran Chapter 3 Verse 110, "O you Muslims, you are the best of people evolved for mankind." So it is a honor and honor comes only with responsibility and Allah continues and gives us our responsibility, "Because you enjoin what is good and forbid what is wrong." And if a person does not enjoin what is good and forbid what is bad then he is not fit to be called a Muslim, to be called the best of people. Qur'an says in Sura Isra Chapter 17 Verse 81, "when truth is hurled against falsehood, falsehood perishes for falsehood by its nature is bound to perish." So it is the duty of every person, who has the truth that he should convey the truth to those people who do not have it. That's why it is one of the criteria to attain salvation. Qur'an Sura al Asr Chapter 103 Verses 1-3, "By the token of time, man is verily in a state of loss. Except those, who have faith, righteous deeds, extort people to the truth and exort people to patience and perseverence." So only faith will not save you. You must also have righteous deeds, exort people to the truth and patience and perseverence. In normal circumstances if any of these criteria is missing one would not enter paradise.

Does Qur'an tell the Muslims to kill the Non Muslims wherever they find them?

The critics of Islam pick up verses of the Qur'an out of context saying that Qur'an says that everywhere you find a Kafir kill him. The most misquoted such verse of the Glorious Qur'an is that of Sura Tauba Chapter 9 Verse 5. If you start reading from the first verse of Chapter 9, you would get the context. There was a peace treaty between the Muslims and the pagans of Makkah and it was unilaterally broken by the pagans of Makkah. In the Glorious Qur'an Chapter 9 Allah tells the pagans of Makkah to put the things straight in a period of 4 months or it is declaration of war and in the battlefield fight them and if required kill them. So Qur'an 9:5 is revealed in the battlefield. In order to boost up the morals of his soldiers any Army General would tell his soldiers to fight the enemy and kill them. He will not tell them to get scared and run away. These critics do not quote the verse 6, but jump to verse 7. Why? Because Verse 6 has the answer to their allegation. Verse 9:6 of Qur'an says that if the enemies want peace, grant them peace and escort them to a place of security so that they may hear the word of God Almighty. The most generous Army General today would say, Leave the enemy. But Allah says escort/take the enemy to a place of security.

All Major World Religions Encourage Doing Jihad against Evil

All major religious scriptures talk about fighting against falsehood. Same thing is mentioned in the Bible. Book of Exodus Chapter 22 & Chapter 32 talk about fighting. Book of Numbers Chapter 31 talks about fighting. Even Jesus Christ tells his disciples to take the sword and go and fight in the Gospel of Luke Chapter 22 Verse 36 and in Gospel of Mark Chapter 14 Verse 47. Same in the Hindu Scriptures. Marbharat is all about fighting. Bhagwad Geeta, the most widely read Hindu scripture is an advice that Shri Krishna gives to Arjun to fight. It does not mean that we should quote verses out of exodus or Bhagwad Geeta out of context to give any wrong impression. To get communal harmony, we should go back to our religious scriptures, which are the most authentic sources for every religion. So if a Christians reads his Bible carefully, he would have any problem with the Qur'an saying that we should fight for the truth against falsehood. Same with the Hindu, who would read his own Bhagwad Geeta.

Qur'an Condemns the Killing of Any Innocent Human Being

Qur'an says in Sura al Maidah Chapter 5 Verse 32 that if anyone kills any human being, whether it be a Muslim or Non Muslim, unless it be for murder or for spreading corruption in the land it is as though he killed the whole humanity and anyone who saves any innocent human being it is as though he saved the whole humanity. So according to the Qur'an, if anyone kills any innocent human being, it is as though he killed the whole humanity.

Guidelines for doing Jihad

Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura al Baqara Chapter 2 Verse 190 that fight against those who fight you and commit not transgresses for Allah does not like transgressors. Allah says in Sura al Buqara Chapter 2 Verse 194 that fight those who fight you until there is no tumult and tyanny. Even if as a last resort you have to fight against the evil people, there are certain guidelines laid down in the Qur'an and in the sayings of prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), which you have to follow. When you fight, you should not harm the women and children. You should not harm the elderly people, who are at their home. You should not break monasteries. You should not harm the religious people. You should not cut down or uproot the trees. You should not burn the crops. You should not harm the cattle.

Number of people killed in all the fighting at the time of prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him)

According to a book written by Rama Krishna Rao about the life history of prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). He says that in all the fighting that took place at time of the prophet in 23 years, 1018 people were killed. Do you know the number of people killed in the two world wars. In the First World War 20 million people were killed, 10 million soldiers and 10 million civilians. In the second World War 30 million people were killed and another 34 million were injured. Just compare!

Biography of Prophet Mohammed by Martin Lings

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 17:59:00 +0000

Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) is the final Messenger of God to the mankind. Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) still remains the most influential person in the world even 14 centuries after his demise. Here you can read his complete biography by Martin Lings and even download it, embed it on your site or share it on your social profiles.

Open publication - Free publishing

Is Muhammad Really a Prophet of God also for the Christians?

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:01:00 +0000

The latest trending debate between the Christians and Muslims is wheter Muhammad is really a prophet of God to the Christians as well or not. What happens in these debates is that Christians put forward a big bunch of arguments against Muhammad and allege that Muhammad committed sins and then they ask the Muslims that how can he be a prophet of God after all this? Then the Muslims spend hours answering all these allegations one by one. That sounds like an endless debate:) Also quite counter-productive as all this ends without any conclusion and creates more chaos and confusion.

This is the main argument that Christians brothers and sisters put forward for denying the prophethood of Muhammad. If God wills, in this post will discuss a conclusive answer to the above questions through a brief Comparative study.

Muslims believe that prophets may make minor mistakes, but can not commit any major sins and the Muslims believe that the prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) and the other prophets of God did not commit any major sins.

The Christians believe in the theory of fallen prophets and fallen angels. The Christians believe that both the prophets as well as the angels commit sins. So when the Bible says that someone is a prophet, the question that whether he committed sins or not, becomes irrelevant for the Christians. So even if the Christians keep their present belief that Muhammad committed sins and Muslims keep their own belief that prophet Muhammad and the other prophets did not commit any major sins, the Christians still can not deny the prophethood of Muhammad based on this one argument. Because they already believe in the theory of fallen prophets, theory of prophets committing sins.

So the Question whether Muhammad committed any sins or not becomes irrelevent for our Christian brothers and sisters. The main question that the Christian brothers and sisters should now think about is, what does the Bible say about Muhammad?

Lets analyze what does the Bible say about prophet Muhammad. I will quote some references about prophet Muhammad from both the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. You can read more references about prophet Muhammad in our post, Prophet Mohammed in the Bible.

Prophet Mohammed in the Old Testament

Muhammad (pbuh) is prophesied in the book of Isaiah chapter 29 verse 12:

"And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned."
When Archangel Gabrail commanded Muhammad (pbuh) by saying Iqra - "Read", he replied, "I am not learned".

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is mentioned by name in the Song of Solomon chapter 5 verse 16:

"Hikko Mamittakim we kullo Muhammadim Zehdoodeh wa Zehraee Bayna Jerusalem."
"His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters
of Jerusalem."
In the Hebrew language im is added for respect. Similarely im is added after the name of Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) to make it Muhammadim. In English translation they have even translated the name of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as "altogether lovely", but in the Old Testament in Hebrew, the name of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is yet present.

All the prophecies mentioned in the Old Testament regarding Muhammad (pbuh) besides applying to the Jews also hold good for the Christians.

Prophet Mohammed in the New Testament

Gospel of John chapter 16 verse 7:

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you".

"Ahmed" or "Muhammad" meaning "the one who praises" or "the praised one" is almost the translation of the Greek word Periclytos. In the Gospel of John 14:16, 15:26, and 16:7. The word 'Comforter' is used in the English translation for the Greek word Paracletos which means advocate or a kind friend rather than a comforter. Paracletos is the warped reading for Periclytos. Jesus (pbuh) actually prophesised Ahmed by name. Even the Greek word Paraclete refers to the Prophet (pbuh) who is a mercy for all creatures.

Some Christians say that the Comforter mentioned in these prophecies refers to the Holy Sprit. They fail to realise that the prophecy clearly says that only if Jesus (pbuh) departs will the Comforter come. The Bible states that the Holy Spirit was already present on earth before and during the time of Jesus (pbuh), in the womb of Elizabeth, and again when Jesus (pbuh) was being baptised, etc. Hence this prophecy refers to none other than Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Gospel of John chapter 16 verse 12-14:

"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you unto all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me".
The Sprit of Truth, spoken about in this prophecy referes to none other than Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

Now we leave it up to you to read and analyze these and the other prophecies in our post Prophet Muhammad in the Bible and decide for yourself whether Muhammad is a prophet of God or not. You do not need to tell us or anyone else out there what you decided, just be honest to yourself and ask God Almighty to guide you to the truth no matter whatever it maybe. You can also get your free copy of the Holy Qur'an revealed to Muhammad (pbuh) and analyze it yourself.

Is Islamic Sharia Against the Freedom of Speech

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:13:00 +0000

We have already discussed different issues concerning the Islamic Sharia Law and now we will discuss if Islamic Sharia is against freedom of speech or not.

If freedom of speech means that a person can speak what he wishes without hurting anyone, without causing harm to any community, then Islamic Sharia is not against freedom of speech.

But if freedom of speech means that a person can abuse, criticize or blame anyone without any hesitation, then Islamic Sharia is against and as well as not against freedom of speech.

Let me clarify my statement.

There are different types of freedom of speech. If someone blames, criticizes or speaks against anyone without any proof or any solid fact, based on falsehood then Islamic fundamentalism is against such freedom of speech. As Qur'an says in Sura Humaza Chapter 104 Verse 1, "Woe to every kind of scandal mongerer and backbiter." Further the Qur'an says in Sura Hujurat Chapter 49 Verse 11-12, O you who believe, do not defame, do not be sarcastic, do not give offensive nicknames to anyone. O you who believe do not spy on one another, do not backbite. And the Qur'an asks, are you willing to eat the dead meat of your own brother? The Qur'an then replies, No you will abhore it!

What does Qur'an mean by comparing backbiting to eating the dead meat of one's own brother? Because eating dead meat is itself a sin and any doctor would testify that it can cause several diseases. But eating the dead meat of your own brother is a double crime and even cannibals, who eat dead meat and eat human beings, even they do not touch their own brother. In the same way speaking false against someone without proof is itself a sin and speaking behind their backs is a double crime because they are not even there to answer and is hence like eating the dead meat of your own brother.

Some may argue that writing or speaking bad against someone does not harm them physically. I agree! But many a times the mental torture is much more harmful and over-lasting than physical torture.

Suppose, a teacher slaps a student in a closed room with no one seeing around and that without any reason. Now lets take another example, in which the teacher abuses the same teacher in front of the whole class without any reason and calls him all sorts of bad names and all sorts of other non sense. In the first example, the pain of the slap would fade away within minutes. But in the later example, the mental torture caused by abusing would be much more over-lasting and much more harmful. So many a times speech and writing can be much more harmful and over-lasting than physical torture. Not always! But many a times. That's why, the pen is mightier than the sword.

Lets analyze what does the Qur'an say about free speech. Qur'an is one of the only holy scriptures, which gives the mankind several ways to prove the Qur'an wrong. Among one of the ways is mentioned in Sura Nisa Chapter 4 which states, "Do not they consider the Qur'an with care for had it been from anyone besides Allah, there would have had been many discrepancies, many contradictions." So if anyone wants to prove the Qur'an wrong, all they have to do is take out false in the Qur'an. So easy:) But at the same time Qur'an says, "produce your proof if you are truthful." Qur'an & Islam give freedom of speech with proof.

For instance, you must have heard the famous quotation from the Qur'an that wherever you find a Kafir, kill him. Suppose when USA and Vietnam were at war and a US army general told his troop that wherever you find a Vietnamese, kill him. That happened decades ago and now if I tell you that the US army general is saying that wherever you find a Vietnamese, kill him. It would be out of context because he said it during the battlefield because in the battlefield the other party is the enemy and if the enemy attacks you have to fight back and if necessary even kill the enemy. The Qur'an says the same that in battlefield if the enemy attacks, fight them and if necessary kill them, the enemy in the battlefield not innocent people. So if you wanna exercise your freedom of speech with the Qur'an, do not misquote and do not quote out of context.

Regarding the last type of freedom of speech that you can blame or criticize anyone with solid proof. It is divided into two sub-types.

Some facts are meant to be secret and some are not. Suppose if an American official working for the American govt gives the secrets of the American govt to the enemy. Mind you! He is speaking the truth and with solid proof and with photocopies, blue prints and photographs. Would the American govt award that person? Certainly not! It would try him and punish him. So Qur'an is against revealing such type of truth, which is meant to be secret.

Now can one defame, blame and criticize someone with proof, which is not a secret. Suppose if an American official speaks against the corruption of the American govt, Islam encourages such truth to be told in public. As the Qur'an says, "When truth is hurled against falsehood, falsehood perishes for falsehood by its nature is bound to perish."

Is Allah The Moon God?

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 03:18:00 +0000

We have already discussed why Muslims prefer using the Arabic word Allah instead of the English word God and also showed you that this word Allah is also used for God in other Religions scriptures. Such as in the Bible & the Hindu scriptures. But some critics of Islam claim that Allah is a moon god, which the pagan Arabs worshiped before the spread of Islam in Arabia and is not the One True God. Lets analyze this claim and also answer some questions concerning this.

Qur'an proves - "Allah" is not a 'moon god':

"And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Do not bow down (prostrate) to the sun nor to the moon, but only bow down (prostrate) to "Allah" Who created them, if you (really) worship Him." (Qur'an 41:37)

We have also discussed the real Concept of God in Islam in detail, which you can refer to.

What is the significance of the crescent moon in Islam?

The Quran answers this question before you asked it. Read this verse:

"They ask you about the new moons. Say: These are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage." (Qur'an 2:189)

Why does Islam follow a lunar calendar?

In both the Bible and the Qur'an religious festivals are regulated by the lunar calendar. Jews and Muslims have kept to these regulations which they believe to be from God. Why does Christianity follow a solar calendar?

Why is the fast of Ramadan marked by the appearance of the crescent moon?

God commanded Muslims in the Quran to fast from dawn to sunset during the month called Ramadan (see Quran 2:185, 187). The beginning and end of the month is determined by the crescent (2:189) based on the instruction of God's Messenger, on whom be peace.

Why this method and not another is not for us to say but for God and His Messenger to prescribe. However, I find it an efficient method. It is a universally applicable method, and it allows for Ramadan to move through all the seasons. This allows believers to have the pleasure of worshipping God by fasting in all the various seasons: one year in the summer, some years later in the winter.

Why does the Quran place the Sabians on the same level with Jews and Christians when scholars have clearly proven that the Sabians were involved in the moon cult?

I am not aware that the Quran has placed the Sabians on the same level with Jews and Christians. Perhaps you have in mind the following verse:

"Those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians and Sabians, whoever believes in "Allah" and the Last Day and do righteous good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve."
(Qur'an 2:62; also 5:69)

This verse, however, does not place the Sabians on the same level as the Jews and Christians except in a particular context. The verse speaks of four distinct communities, and offers all four the opportunity to fear not nor grieve if only they would believe in "Allah" and the Last Day and do right. The four communities are:

the Believers (i.e., the Muslims)
the Jews
the Christians
the Sabians

While they are all offered the same opportunity for improvement, nothing, is said in this verse about the validity of the existing faiths of these four communities. Otherwise the Jews and Christians who are criticized in the Quran for their deviations will not be placed on the same level with the believers. The matter becomes clear when you realize that believers here does not mean saved persons but those who ostensibly belong to the community of Muslims. They, as well as the other three groups, must do the following to be saved: believe in "Allah", believe in the Last Day, and do right. Doing right, according to the Quran, includes following every teaching of Muhammad.

Did the Meccans worship the true God since they recognized "Allah"? Was "Allah" one of the gods of the Ka'bah? And if so, where did the Meccans derive the recognition and the name of "Allah" from?

First, "Allah" was not one of the 360 idols which were in the Ka'bah, although Morey has claimed this without evidence. When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) entered Makkah victorious he went into the Ka'bah and broke the idols therein.

Second, the word "Allah" has been used all along for the name of "God" in the Arabic Bible for Jews and Christians alike. The proof is easy to verify; simple go to any hotel or motel on the earth and look in the drawer next to the bed and take out the complimentary Bible, placed there by the Giddeons and then look on page 5 or 6 where they list the examples of translations they have made into other languages. The second example given is for Arabic speakers. The verse is from the Gospel of John, chapter 3, verse 16. Everyone knows this one; "For God so loved the world..." and the word in Arabic for "God" is "Allah." Then if you have a Bible in Arabic, look on page one in Genesis, and you will find the word "Allah" 17 times.

Next, the word for "God" to the Arabs, ever since the time of Abraham (peace be upon him) has been "Allah" and He is to them, the Lord of the Ka'bah (the black box in the center of the Holy Sanctuary in Makkah). He was the unseen God whom they would call upon when in distress. Yes, they worshipped the true God but their worship was not purely for Him. They also worshipped other gods thinking that they would act as intermediaries between them and the true God Allah.

The Arabs know of Allah because Abraham visited Makkah and together with his son Ishmael laid the foundation of the Ka'bah. The descendants of Ishmael retained some of the worship rites and beliefs from Abraham. This included their knowledge of the true God Allah.

Courtesy: GodAllah.com

Sharia: Barbaric or Perfect?

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:48:00 +0000

Sharia is the complete code of Islamic law, which pertains to the rights and duties of the Muslims. It regulates the lives of the people. It is comprehensive and includes from the minutest details of eating, drinking and dressing to the complex details of law making.

The word "Sharia" literally means "the clear path to follow."

The Islamic Sharia is derived from four sources.

The first source is the Glorious Qur'an. The Qur'an is the last and final revelation of Almighty God revealed to the last and final Messenger of God Prophet Mohammed The Qur'an is the word of God and is also called "Furqaan", the criteria to judge right from wrong. It was revealed in a span of approximately 23 years to Prophet Mohammed through Archangel Gabriel fourteen hundred years ago. It contains 114 surahs or chapter and more than six thousands signs or verses. The Glorious Qur'an was revealed in Arabic, but the scholars have translated it into almost all the major languages of the World.

The second source is the Sunnah, which means the way of the Prophet, the authentic sayings of the Prophet. They act as a commentary of the Qur'an and are supplementary to it. Allah says in the Qur'an in several places including Sura Nisa Chapter 4 Verse 15 "Obey Allah, Obey the Messenger." Obey the Messenger means follow the Sunnah of the Prophet. Many a times for the details of the prophet's commandment we have to look into the life of the Sahabas, the companions of the Prophet. The Prophet said that first look in the Qur'an, then at my example and then if you want more details, look at first three generations of Muslims called Salaf-e-Saleheen.
First the Sahabas (the companions of the Prophet), who saw the Prophet, lived with him and died as believers. Then comes the next generation Tabiyen and then comes the third generation Tabetaiyen. So if there is difference of opinion regarding the Sunnah, you have to look at the lives of the Salaf-e-Saleheen (first three generations). So the Sunnah the Prophet (the authentic sayings) are the second source of Sharia.
The third source is the Ijma that is the consensus of opinion of the companions of the Prophet, followed by the consensus of opinion of the Salaf-e-Saleheen and is followed by the consensus of opinion of the Muslim Jurists of the first three centuries of the Hijara.
The fourth source of Sharia is Qiyas, which means to judge and come closer. If you can't find any direct indication in the Qur'an or in the Sunnah of the Prophet or in the Ijma, then you can use your own logic to try and find the answer based on the verses of the Qur'an or the Sayings of the Prophet or the Ijma using analogy. But Qiyas can only be used in a Islamic state, where proper Islamic Sharia is followed.
So there are four sources of Sharia. The first and highest in authority is the Qur'an, the word of God. The second is the life style of the Prophet. Third is the Ijma and fourth is Qiyas.

The Islamic Sharia is a complete of conduct and a complete way of life. But unfortunately the media and the critics of Islam present the Islamic Sharia as barbaric. Most of their allegations revolve around two aspects. The first aspect is the punishment in Islam. They show a poster or the front cover of a book of a man being whipped. The second aspect is the women in Islam. They may show a woman in Hijab and say she is subjugated.

Punishment in Sharia:

Most of the religions only speak good things, but Islam besides speaking good things it shows us a practical way to achieve that state of goodness.
For instance, all religions says that you should not rob. But Islam goes a step further and tells us how to stop robbery. The third pillar of Islam is Zakat that every rich person, who has the savings more than 85 grams of Gold, should give 2.5% of that saving every lunar year in charity. If every rich human being gives charity, poverty would be eradicated from the world and not a single person would die of hunger. God says in the Qur'an in Surah al-Hashr Chapter 59 Verse 7 that Zakat (obligatory) has been prescribed, so that it may prevent the wealth from circulating only in the hands of the rich people. Obligatory Charity (Zakat) is a part of Islamic Sharia. All the rich people have to pay 2.5% of their savings every lunar year in charity.
And after that Allah says that you should not rob. If anybody robs after that Allah says in the Qur'an Sura Maidah 5 Verse 38, "As to the thief, be it a man or woman chop off his/her hands as a punishment from Allah." Many people think that if they go to Saudi Arabia, where this law is practiced, every second person they would see with chopped hands:) But in fact if you go to Saudi Arabia, you may hardly see or more likely never see anyone with hands chopped because the law is so strict that a potential thief would think ten times before robbing.
The Islamic gives you advice that don't rob, but not everyone would not follow this advice. So what is the solution? The solution is that there has to be a punishment.
Though an advanced country America has one of the highest rate of theft and robbery in the world. If Islamic Sharia is implemented in USA that every rich person should give 2.5% of his savings in charity every lunar year. Then impose the law that anyone who robs his/her hands should be chopped off. I ask you will the rate of theft and robbery in America increase, decrease or remain the same? Definitely it will decrease. It is a practical law and you will get results as soon as it is imposed. We make laws to get results not only to be mentioned in books.

You may argue that since so many people are robbing, we will have to cut the hands of thousands of people. But what you fail to realize that the moment the law is imposed except a few all others would stop robbing because of the severity of the punishment. The moment you implement the Sharia, the punishment need not be implemented. It may be implemented once in a blue moon.

People fail to realize that the Islamic Sharia is perfect. Therefore does not mean that if a poor steals bread it does not mean his hands would be chopped off. Only if you rob or steal a particular big amount, then it is implemented. It is the duty of the Islamic state to provide food to him, it is the duty of the Muslim Ummah, the Muslims.

That is the reason the least rate of robbery in any part of the world is in Saudi Arabia, where this law is practiced.
This was just an example of punishment in the Islamic and the logic behind it.

Women in Islam:

Unaware of Women's Rights in Islam, the critics of Islam claim that women are subjugated in Islam. These critics say that in Islam the men and women are not equal.
In Islam men and women are equal, but they are not identical. Our Creator has made the men and women biologically, physiologically and psychologically different. Depending upon biological, physiological and psychological makeup our Creator has given different roles to men and women. In many aspects men and women are equal. In some aspects women have a degree of advantage. In some aspects men have a degree of advantage. But overall men and women are equal.
For instance, it is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari Vol 8 Book of Aadab Chapter 2 Hadith 2 that once a man asked Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) that who deserves the maximum love and companionship in this world. The prophet said your mother. The man asked after that who? The prophet repeated your mother. The man asked again after that who? The prophet again repeated your mother. Once the man asked after that who? The prophet answered your father. So it means as far as love and companionship of the children is concerned the mother gets three times more than the father. Here the women have a degree of advantage.
Suppose, if a robber enters my house, I would not say that I believe in Women's liberalization. I will not tell my mother, sister or wife to go and fight. Since Allah has given us, men a degree of advantage in physical strength. It is our duty to protect and support the women.
In this post, I will only answer a few questions about women in Islam. For more answers refer to the post Frequently Asked Questions About Women in Islam.
Another common objection is that the Islamic Hijab is not for modesty and it is for subjugating the women. If we look around us today, the level of modesty keeps on differing from individual to individual depending upon the surronding and society. For instance, in certain Muslim Arab countries even looking and staring at a woman is considered immodest. In India you can look at woman. You can talk to her it is considered modest. But if you touch her it is considered immodest. Therefore the Indian greetings is with folded handed. In certain Western countries touching a woman and shaking hands with her is modest, but kissing a woman is considered immodest. In some Western countries kissing a woman on the cheeks, on the lips is considered modest. In certain Western countries, the man and woman can do whatever they want with eachother's permission and it is considered modest. If a woman wears mini skirts and short in USA, it is considered modest. But if a woman wears the clothing in the Indo-Pak subcontinent, it is considered immodest.
So who is to decide what is modest and what is immodest? The best one to decide is our Creator, Allah, God Almighty.
If we look at the history, we would come to know about the low status the women were given to the extent that they were denied basic human dignity.
In Babylonian Civilization, the women were degraded and were denied all rights under the Babylonian law. If a man murdered a woman, instead of him being punished, his wife was put to death.
Greek Civilization is considered the most glorious of all ancient civilizations. Under this very ‘glorious’ system, women were deprived of all rights and were looked down upon. In Greek mythology, an ‘imaginary woman’ called ‘Pandora’ was considered the root cause of misfortune of human beings. The Greeks considered women to be subhuman and inferior to men. Though chastity of women was precious, and women were held in high esteem, the Greeks were later overwhelmed by ego and sexual perversions. Prostitution became a regular practice amongst all classes of Greek society.
When Roman Civilization was at the zenith of its ‘glory’, a man even had the right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were common amongst the Romans.
The Egyptian considered women evil and as a sign of devil.
Before the spread of Islam in Arabia, the Arabs looked down upon women and very often when a female child was born, she was buried alive, but after the Qur'an was revealed this evil practice stopped.

Islam is the first religion and Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) is the major benefactor, who uplifted the women and gave them their due rights. After gaving rights to the women, Islam also showed them the way how to maintain their rights, their status and their modesty. That's why Hijab was prescribed. People normally talk about Hijab for women, but in the Qur'an God Almighty first speaks about Hijab for Men and then for women. God Almighty says in the Qur'an Chapter 24 Verse 30 “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty.” The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.

The next verse of Qur'an Chapter 24 Verse 31 speaks about the Hijab for Women. “ And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons...” And a long list of Mehrams, whom she can't marry.

There are six criteria for observing Hijab.

1. First is the extent, which is different for men and women. For men the extent is from the navel to the knee. For women the complete body should be covered. The only parts, which can be seen are the face and the hands till wrists.
The rest of the criteria are the same for both men and women.
2. The clothes worn should be loose and should not reveal the figure.
3. The clothes worn should not be transparent such that one can see through them.
4. The clothes worn should not be so glamorous as to attract the opposite sex.
5. The clothes worn should not resemble that of the opposite sex.
6. The clothes worn should not resemble or be a sign of the unbelievers.
God Almighty says in Sura Ahzab Chapter 33 Verse 59 “O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad); that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

Hijab has been prescribed for the women so that it will prevent them from being molested. Suppose two sisters who are twins, and who are equally beautiful, walk down the street. One of them is wearing the Islamic hijab i.e. the complete body is covered, except for the face and the hands up to the wrists. The other sister is wearing western clothes, a mini skirt or shorts. Just around the corner there is a hooligan or ruffian who is waiting for a catch, to tease a girl. Whom will he tease? The girl wearing the Islamic Hijab or the girl wearing the skirt or the mini? Naturally he will tease the girl wearing the skirt or the mini. The Qur’an rightly says that hijab prevents women from being molested. After that if any man rapes any woman, he should be given capital punishment, death penalty. Some people object saying death penalty is barbaric and Islam is a barbaric religion. I ask them. God forbid! If someone rapes their mother and the rapist is brought in front of them, what punishment will they give him? Everybody would say death penalty. Then why this double standard. When someone rapes their mother, death penalty and if someone else's mother is raped, death penalty is barbaric?

According to a FBI report, in the year 1990, every day on an average 1756 cases of rape were committed in USA alone. Americans got bolder by the year 1996. According to the US department of justice in the year 1996 every day on an average 2713 cases of rape were committed. It is a rape in every 32 seconds. For how many minutes have you been reading this post? Maybe about 5 minutes, in these 10 minutes about 8 to 9 rape cases may have taken place in USA. I ask you! If you implement the Islamic Sharia that if any man looks at woman and any brazen thought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze. The women should wear the Islamic Hijab, the complete body covered except the face and the hands till wrists. After if any man rapes a woman, he should get capital punishment, death penalty. I ask you, will the number of rapes in the US increase, decrease or remain the same? Naturally, it will decrease. Islamic Sharia is a practical law, which gives positive results as soon as implemented.

Marrying 4 Wives in Islam:

There are many critics, who say that Islam is barbaric because it allows a man to have 4 wives. Qur'an is the only religious scriptures on the face of the earth, which says marry only one. No other religious scripture says marry only one, not the Bible, not the Vedas, not Bhagwad Geeta. No religious scripture says this except the Qur'an.

It is mentioned in Ramayan that the father of Sri Ram, King Dashrat had more than one wife. It is mentioned in Vishnu Sutra Chapter 24 Verse 1 that a Brahman can have 4 wives. If you read Mahabharat, how many wives did Sri Krishna have? Shri Krishna had 16,108 wives. When Sri Krishna could have 16,108, why can't we have 4 wives? If you read the Old Testament, Suleman had 4 wives, Abraham had 3 wives. In the Jewish religion you can marry as many wives as you can. Later on in the 10th and 11th century Rabbi Gershom ben Yehudah passed a synod that a Jew should marry only one wife. The Jewish Sephardic communities living in Muslim countries used to marry more than one wife as late as 1950. According to the Bible a Christian can marry as many wives as he wants. Nowhere the Bible says marry only one. It is later on that the church said that a Christian should marry only one. Hindu religious scriptures allow a Hindu to marry as many women as he wants. It is the Indian Penal Court, which passed a Hindu Marriage Special Act in 1954 saying Hindus should marry only one. According to the the 1975 census of India, the percentage of polygamous marriages between the years 1951 and 1961 was 5.06% among the Hindus and only 4.31% among the Muslims in India.
Lets analyze what does the Qur'an say. Allah says in the Qur'an Sura an-Nisa Chapter 4 Verse 3 "Marry women of your choice in twos, threes or fours, but if you can't do justice then marry only one." This verse "Marry only one" is only being mentioned in Qur'an", but marrying more than one is only allowed if you can do justice between the wives. Otherwise you can't. In fact marrying more than one wives is not compulsory in Islam. It is only optional. Lets analyze what is the logic behind allowing a man to marry more than one wife. By nature male and female are born in equal proportion, but any pediatrician would tell you that in the pediatric age itself more male children die as compared to females children. Because a female child has more immunity than a male child. As life goes on more males die in wars and accidents, more males die due to alcoholism and cigarette smoking. Today there are more females in the world than males. Only in a few third world countries due to the evil practice of female foeticide and infanticide. Fetuses are aborted after they are identified as females. If this evil practice stops then even in these third world countries the number of females would exceed that of males. In USA alone there are 7.8 million females more than males. In UK there are 5 million females more than males. In Germany alone there are 4 million females more than males. In Russia alone there are 9 million females more than males. And God Almighty alone knows how many females are more than males throughout the world. Suppose even if I agree with the person, who says that men should marry only one and suppose my sister or his sister lives in USA. Every man finds a partner for himself. Yet there would be 7.8 million females without any partner. The only options for these females would be to marry a man, who already has a wife, or become public property. Though the word "Public Property" is harsh, yet it is the most sophisticated word I can use. Any modest woman would prefer being the wife of a man who already has a wife rather than becoming public property. In the Western countries having a Mistress is very common. One can have as many mistresses as he wants. American statistics say that an American man has 8 sexual partners on average before settling down with one. Having on average 8 mistresses goes down their throat, but having more than one wife does not go down their throat. If we compare, a mistress is degraded and does not have any rights while a second wife is protected, gets her due rights and gets honor. The reason Islam allows some men to have more than one wife is to protect the modesty of women, not to degrade her.

In Islam women are considered as a "Mohsina" as a fortress against the devil, unlike other religions where she is considered a sign of the devil. Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) said in Sahih Bukhari Volume 7 Book of Nikaah Chapter 3 Hadith 4, "O young people, whoever has the means to get married, should get married." The prophet said, "There is no Monasty in Islam." The prophet also said that whoever marries, he completes half his deen. That does not mean that if you marry twice, you complete your full deen. The prophet meant that marriage protects you from fornication, pornography, homosexuality and adultery, which are harmful for the society. Only if you marry you have a chance to become a husband or wife and a father or mother, which are important duties in Islam. So whether you marry once or twice, you only complete half your deen. The prophet also said, "Anyone who does not marry is not of me." In Sura an-Nisa Chapter 4 Verse 21, the Qur'an describes Nikaah as a Meesakh, a sacred covenant. And for marriage to solemnize the permission of both the would wife and husband is compulsory in Islam. It is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari Volume 7 Book of Nikaah Chapter 69 Hadith 49 that Once a lady by the name of Hansa Bint Khadima Al Ansaria approached the prophet and said that her father has forced her to marry a man, she does not like. And the prophet nullified the marriage.

In Islam for a marriage to solemnize Mehr is compulsory. The would-be husband should give an amount of marital gift to the would-be wife. In the Indo-Pak subcontinent the bride has to give an amount of dowr to the bridegroom. In Islam demanding dowry directly or indirectly is prohibited. You can not say that my son likes driving a Mercedes car or living in a 3 bedroom apartment indicating you want a Mercedes car or a 3 bedroom apartment in dowry. Demanding dowry directly or indirectly is prohibited in Islam. Willingly if the parents of the bride give you something as a gift, there is no problem. In fact in Islam the man gives dowry to the wife. This is how Islam protects the status of women.

Allah says in the Qur'an in Sura an-Nur Chapter 24 Verse 4 that if anyone lays an allegation against the modesty of a woman and if he can not support it with 4 witnesses, he gets 80 lashes. Suppose if he gets 4 witnesses and if any of those 4 witnesses falter during cross examination, they get 80 lashes each. Some may say 80 lashes is barbaric, So is laying a allegation against the modesty of a woman not barbaric? So it depends on what is barbaric to you.

The rule of the Islamic Sharia protects and uplifts the modesty of women, unlike the Western Culture which in the name of women's liberalization has actually degraded her to the status of concubines, mistresses and society butterflies, which are hidden behind the colorful screen of art and culture. They are selling their daughters; they are selling their mothers. The famous ad, which I have heard about, shows a girl standing in a bikini in front of a BMW car, which is famous among the youngsters and the caption says, "Test Drive Her Now." Who the girl or the car? They are selling their mothers and daughters. We in Islam protect our women. We love them. We revere them. We respect them and we honor them. We do not want to sell them.

Why women inherit half the share as compared to men in Islam?

Furthermore they ask why women inherit half the share as compared to men. Several verses of the Qur'an deal with the matters of inheritance. There are some instances, where females inherit more than that of males, but as a whole I agree that men inherit double than that of women. It is because in Islam women are financially more secure than men. In Islam, it is the duty of the father and brother before she is married and it is the duty of the husband and the son after she is married to look after her lodging, boarding and clothing. So after laying the whole financial burden on the shoulders of men, Allah has to be just because Allah is never unjust in the least degree.(Qur'an 4:40) Suppose if a man dies and after giving away other shares, $15,000 are left. According to Islam the son gets $10,000 and the daughter gets $5000. Now I ask you! Would you prefer getting $10,000 and spending $9000 on the family as men have to look after the family. Or would you prefer getting $5000 and not spending even a single penny even on yourself and sit back and enjoy from your brother's share as well. See! We Muslim men should be complaining, not the women:)

There is a misconception not only among Non Muslim, but even among Muslims that any war fought by any Muslim for any reason is called Jihad. Jihad does not mean any war fought by any Muslim for any reason.

The word "Jihad" comes from the Arabic root word "Jahada" which means "to strive, to struggle".

In the Islamic Sharia, Jihad means to strive against one's own evil inclinations, to strive to make the society better, to strive in the battlefield in self-defense or against tyranny and oppression. Jihad means to strive, to struggle. Many people translate Jihad as "Holy War", but if we translate the word 'Holy War' into Arabic, it is "Harbon Muqadasa". The word 'Harbon Muqadasa' does not occur anywhere in the whole Qur'an or any Hadith of the prophet. So Jihad is not Holy War. The word 'Holy War' was first used by the orientalists to describe the crusades, when the Christians conquered many countries and killed thousands of people in the name of Christianity. One of the types of Jihad is fighting (Qital), which is only allowed in self defense and against tyranny and oppression.

The critics of Islam pick up verses of the Qur'an out of context saying that Qur'an says that everywhere you find a Kafir kill him.

The most misquoted such verse of the Glorious Qur'an is that of Sura Tauba Chapter 9 Verse 5. If you start reading from the first verse of Chapter 9, you would get the context. There was a peace treaty between the Muslims and the pagans of Makkah and it was unilaterally broken by the pagans of Makkah. In the Glorious Qur'an Chapter 9 Allah tells the pagans of Makkah to put the things straight in a period of 4 months or it is declaration of war and in the battlefield fight them and if required kill them. So Qur'an 9:5 is revealed in the battlefield. In order to boost up the morals of his soldiers any Army General would tell his soldiers to fight the enemy and kill them. He will not tell them to get scared and run away. These critics do not quote the verse 6, but jump to verse 7. Why? Because Verse 6 has the answer to their allegation. Verse 9:6 of Qur'an says that if the enemies want peace, grant them peace and escort them to a place of security so that they may hear the word of God Almighty. The most generous Army General today would say, Leave the enemy. But Allah says escort/take the enemy to a place of security.

All major religious scriptures talk about fighting against falsehood.

Same thing is mentioned in the Bible. Book of Exodus Chapter 22 & Chapter 32 talk about fighting. Book of Numbers Chapter 31 talks about fighting. Even Jesus Christ tells his disciples to take the sword and go and fight in the Gospel of Luke Chapter 22 Verse 36 and in Gospel of Mark Chapter 14 Verse 47. Same in the Hindu Scriptures. Marbharat is all about fighting. Bhagwad Geeta, the most widely read Hindu scripture is an advice that Shri Krishan gives to Arjun to fight. Arjun says in Bhagwad Geeta Chapter 1 Verse 43-46 that how can I fight my cousins. I would prefer getting killed unarmed than fighting my relatives. Shri Krishna tells Arjun in Bhagwad Geeta Chapter 2 Verses 2 & 3 that how can such impurities come into your mind that you don't want to fight? How can you become so impotent? Shri Krishna further says in Bhagwad Geeta Chapter 2 Verse 31-33 that you are a Shatriah. You should fight. Only if you fight you will get paradise.
When I quote Luke 22 to Christians and Bhagwad Geeta to Hindus, they say, "You know, this fighting about truth afainst falsehood." Same is in the Qur'an about truth against falsehood. Every country has a law. In USA it is prohibited to rob or rape, but still people rob and rape. To stop this every country has a military force, a police force. That is what Qur'an is telling the Muslims that they should also have such a force in their state, which should be ready to fight the enemy. What's the harm?

Jizya, Poll Tax:

People object that why Islam takes Jaziya, tax from Non Muslim? If you know the background of Jizya, you would appreciate it. If the Khalifah (head of state) tells that you should take part in a war, it is compulsory on every Muslim to take part in the war. No matter whether you are a doctor, engineer or lawyer, you have to fight. Jaziya is just about a couple of bucks. When a Non Muslim pays Jaziya, the Islamic State provides him protection and he need not to fight. Jizya is just about a couple of bucks. If one gives me the option whether to go and fight or stay at home and get protection by paying a couple of bucks. I would prefer staying at home and letting others protect me for just a couple of bucks.

Similarly there are various verses about Non Muslims rights in Islam. Allah says in the Qur'an Sura Mumtahina Chapter 60 Verse 8, "as to those Kafirs who do not fight your faith and do not drive you out of your homes, Allah advises you to deal justly with them for Allah does not like those who are unjust." The next verse 60:9, "As to those Kafirs who fight your faith and drive you out of your homes, Allah forbids you to go to them for protection." If a Muslim an innocent Non Muslim, the Muslim is give death penalty. If a Muslim harms a Non Muslim, the Muslim gets punished. If a Muslim robs from a Non Muslim's house, the Muslim robber's hands are chopped. That is Justice.

The Islamic Sharia tells you the good things you should do. Not to rob, Not to rape, etc. But everyone will not follow, then the punishment is laid down. But the complete Sharia also includes the fifth pillar of faith, Belief in the Hereafter, Life after Death. Allah says in the Qur'an Sura Mulk Chapter 67 Verse 2 “It is Allah who created Death and life to test which of you is best in deed." Life after death is compulsory for Emaan (faith). There are many people, who say life after death is illogical. I have already proved Hereafter: Life after Death logically. Many people do bad in this world and do not get punished, but on the day of judgement total justice is done. So if any culprit escapes punishment, he would get punished in the Hereafter as he deserves.
For instance, Hitler incinerated 6 million Jews. Suppose if Hitler had been caught what punishment could you give him. Maximum, Death Penalty. But what about the 5999999 other innocent Jews he incinerated? We can not punish him for all he did, but God Almighty can. On the day of Judgement God can burn Hitler more than six million times in hell-fire. As the Holy Qur'an says in Chapter 4 Verse 56 “Those who reject Our signs, We shall sooncast into the Fire;as often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the penalty: for Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise” On the Day of Judgement total justice will be done. Since Life after Death is a compulsory part of Sharia that is why Sharia is perfect.

If you wanna judge Sharia, judge it on the basis of Qur'an & the Sunnah (sayings & tradition of the prophet), not on what individual Muslims do. Because the media picks up the black sheep of the Muslim community and present them as though they are exemplary Muslims. If a 60 years old Arab man marries an 18 year old girl, it comes in the News Headlines. But if a 50 year old Non Muslim rapes a 6 year old girl, it comes in the News Brief. I am aware that there are black sheep in the Muslim community, who do not follow the Sharia and do bad things. Suppose if you give a Mercedes car to a bad driver and he crashes it. That does not mean that the car has any defect. If you wanna know about the car then look at its specifications. In the same way if you wanna know about Islam, read the Holy Qur'an. If you wanna see the car in action, then give it to a good driver. In the same if you wanna see Islam in action, then look at prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) in authentic sources because he is the apt representation of Islam.

Did Jesus Claim Divinity?

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:52:00 +0000

There is NOT a single verse in the complete Bible, where Jesus Christ himself says "I am God" or "Worship me." There are some statements which are misquoted by Christian missionaries to prove that Jesus Christ claimed divinity in the Bible. This post refutes such false claims.

"I and my Father are one." (John 10:30)

If we read in the context from John 10:23-29, we come to know that when Jesus Christ enters the temple of Solomon the Jews surround him. The Jews accuse Jesus Christ of blasphemy. Jesus Christ senses their evil intentions and explains to them from their scripture how his words were NOT blaspheming. Jesus Christ tells them to get away because they are NOT his followers. Jesus says that he and God help the believers remain on the right path.
And then Jesus Christ says in John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."
One in what? In their Omniscience? In their Nature? In their Omnipotence? NO! One in purpose! That once a believer has accepted faith, the Messenger sees to it that he remains in faith and God Almighty also sees to it that he remains in faith. This is the purpose of the "Father" and the "prophet" and the "Holy Ghost" and of every man and every woman of faith.

"In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". (John 1:1)

It is mentioned in the Gospel of John, Chapter 1 verse 1
"In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God".
These words are not the words of Jesus (pbuh), but of St. John (or whoever is the author of this Gospel). Christian scholars say that these were the words of a Jew called Philips of Alexandria, who wrote them before Jesus and John (pbut) were born and claimed no divine inspiration for them.
The New testament is written in Greek. The first time God occurs in the quotation is "Hotheos" which literally means "the God" i.e. "And the Word was with God". But the second time when the word "God" appears in the quotation, the Greek word used is "Tontheos", which means "a god" i.e. "and the word was with god." In Hebrew there is nothing like Capital ‘G’ and small ‘g’ like in the English language. Thus Hotheos is ‘the God’ with capital ‘G’ and Tontheos is ‘a god’ with small ‘g’. Tontheos('god' with small 'g') is used for prophets in the Bible when refering to Jesus and Moses(pbut).
So the correct translation would be "In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was god(a prophet)".
In the same manner even Moses(pbuh) is called 'god'(Tontheos) in Exodus Chapter 7 Verse 1
"And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh". [Exodus 7:1]
Why is a small ‘g’ used here for God instead of Capital ‘G’?
This is nothing but playing with words by the Biblical scholars.

"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the father, but by me." [John 14:1-6]

1.     Gospel of John Chapter 14 verses 1 – 6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. In order to understand the verse better we should read the context i.e. Gospel of John chapter 14 verse 1 to 6
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.’ Thomas saith unto him, ‘Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?’ Jesus saith unto him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the father, but by me.’" [John 14:1-6]
2.     Every prophet in his time is the way to God
Jesus (pbuh) being a prophet of God rightly said that he was the way to God. Every Prophet of God, is the truth and the way to God. Moses during his time and for his nation was the way, the truth and life and no man could come to God but through Moses. Every prophet of God in his time is the ultimate path and guidance to God. Today the last and final messenger of God is prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the way, the truth and the life; no man comes unto God but through his teachings
3.     Jesus said he that has seen me has seen the Father
Some Christians consider that Jesus by stating that "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father" in the verses to follow is a proof that Jesus claimed divinity. If you further read it is mentioned in Gospel of John, 14 verse 7 to 10:
"‘If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.’Philip saith unto him, ‘Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.’
Jesus saith unto him, ‘Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." [John 14:7-10]
4.     Knowing God is seeing God
Jesus (pbuh) says in the verse no 7 "If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." [John 14:7]
Seeing according to Jesus means knowing. Thus he who knows Jesus (pbuh), also knows God. The miracles and works of the prophet bear testimony to the existence of God.

"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one."[1 John 5:7] (Trinity)

The word "Trinity" does not exist anywhere in the whole Bible. The verse in the Bible which is closest to "Trinity" and is often quoted by Christian missionaries is the first Epistle of John, chapter 5 verse no 7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one."
In the Revised Standard Version of the Bible (R.S.V.) revised by 32 Christian scholars of the highest eminence backed by 50 different co-operating denominations, this verse which is the keystone of the Christian faith has been removed as an interpolation, as a fabrication and as a concoction. It has not been expunged from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible by the Muslims or by non-Christian scholars, but by 32 Christian scholars of the highest eminence backed by 50 different cooperating denominations as an interpolation, as a concoction and as a fabrication because this verse does not exist in the original manuscript.
Jesus never spoke about Trinity i.e. three in one. On the contrary he says in:
The Gospel of Mark ,chapter 12, verse 29 "Shama Israelu Adonai Ila Hayno Adonia Ikhad" It is
a Hebrew quotation which means:
"Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord."

"I am alpha and omega." [Revelations 1:8 & 22:13]

If we look in context, this is in fact A DREAM which John sees. John sees many Non-existent creatures like unicorns etc in the very same dream. Then he goes on to dream about Jesus saying "I am alpha and omega." Meaning "the first and the last" and we all very well know that Jesus Christ was not the first as the Bible itself says that Jesus Christ was born in stable. We also know that he was not the last. Even the Christian brothers and sisters themselves believe that Jesus Christ was crucified (which we, Muslims do not believe).
So this is nothing, but a dream and is as authentic as the unicorns that John saw in the very same dream.

Thomas falls at Jesus’ feet, exclaiming, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28)

After the alleged crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Jesus returned to the upper room and the disciples were afraid because they thought he was a ghost, a spirit. But Jesus Christ told them to touch his hands and feet and see that he was NOT a spirit because spirits do NOT have bones which Jesus had. Seeing their master alive the disciple were overjoyed and after touching the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, Thomas exclaims out of surprise,"My God, my Lord." Thomas did not call Jesus "God", he just exclaimed and referred to the Father in the Heaven. Suppose, that I am talking with you without realizing how much time has passed. Suddenly I look at my watch and seeing how much time has passed, I exclaim,"My God, my Lord." That does not mean I am calling you God. Same was the case when Thomas exclaimed,"My God, my Lord."

“ I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) “ I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved." (10:9)

Even prophet Mohammed is called the Light. So does this mean that he and Jesus are God? Certainly not! Every prophet is a source of light, knowledge and guidance for his followers because he receives the true guidance from the Lord and conveys it to the people. Anybody who follows the commandments revealed to the prophets, goes to paradise and is saved.

Jesus said that those who believe in him would be saved

Jesus rightly said so because whoever believes in the commandments revealed to the prophet of his time is saved. so whoever believed in Jesus in his time is saved. Now whoever believes in the Oneness of God and all the prophets of God from Adam to the final prophet Mohammed (peace be upon them all), would be saved.

Jesus gave life to the dead

Lets see what Jesus says about all this himself. Jesus said in John 5:30. "I can of my own self do nothing as I hear I judge and my judgement is just for I seek not my will but the will of God." So Jesus did give life to the dead and healed those born healed those born blind, and the lepers, but only with God’s permission. If you still argue this means Jesus is God, then Moses has to be a greater God than Jesus because Moses gave life to his staff and also changed it from a plant to an animal, which even Jesus never did:)

Jesus is the Son of God

Bible has sons of God in tons. As the Bible says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8:14) So whoever follows the commandments of God is a son of God meaning a follower of God. But Christians claim he is not any ordinary son, but is in the "begotten" son of God and as the lambs are little sheep. Thus son of God should be little God. But the sheep beget the lamb by the function of sex. The word "begotten" means sired. How dare they attribute such a thing to God?
Some Christians claim that no they do not mean this. No problem! If you say that it does not mean that, then Jesus is simply one of the thousands of other sons of God in the Bible.

Jesus Refuted even the Remotest Suggestion of his Divinity

Consider the following incident mentioned in the Bible: "And behold, one came and said unto him, ‘Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?’
And he said unto him, ‘Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." [The Bible, Mathew 19:16-17]
Leave aside being called God, Jesus Christ even refuses to be called good.

Statements by others in the Bible saying Jesus is God

I have already proved that Jesus Christ himself never claimed divinity, then the statements of others are worth nothing. Don't waste your time with them because Jesus himself never claimed divinity. So throw the other statements to the wall.

Challenge!

I have always challenged and I still challenge that if any Christian brother or sister quotes to me a single statement from the entire Bible in which Jesus says "I am God" or "Worship me," I will convert to Christianity. But make sure you do not repeat the statements already refuted above. If you can't quote then why do you believe in something Jesus Christ never told you to believe in?

Melody At Its Best

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Assalam/Sholam Alekum! May Peace be on you!

If you have visited Peacebook before, you must have noticed the major upgrade it has received. I thought, why not celebrate this upgrade in a way that leads us closer to our Creator (God Almighty). So I selected some of my favorite Halal melodies to share with you all.

Ahmed Bukhatir is an internationally renowned singer. Though majority of his songs are in Arabic, his English songs are equally melodious. But before proceeding to his songs, lets enjoy a minute with Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens.

Adhan (the call to prayer) by Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)
The translation of Adhan (the call to prayer) is:

God is the Greatest. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God. I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God. Come to prayer! Come to success! God is the Greatest. There is none worthy of worship except God.

At first, I had decided to include only the English songs by Ahmed Bukhatir, but it would have been a great injustice not to include his best song.

Iqra by Ahmed Bukhatir
Iqra means to read, recite or proclaim. In fact, it was the first word revealed to prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). Archangel Gabriel commanded the prophet by saying Iqra -"Read". He replied, "I am not learned." Fulfilling the prophesy of the coming of the last prophet in Isaiah 29:12.
"And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned."

Forgive me by Ahmed Bukhatir

A touchy song reminding us to use all our abilities rightly and ask God for forgiveness for misusing any of them. And to constantly thank God for them for we are able to walk, talk, see as compared to those who suffer from disabilities.

Hijab by Ahmed Bukhatir
Hijab protects the modesty of women and prevents molestation. Suppose there are twin sisters who are equally beautiful. One of the sisters is wearing the Western clothes the short skirts and minis while the other is wearing the Islamic Hijab. They both are walking down the street and on the corner of the street a hooligan, a goon is waiting to tease a girl. So which sister will he tease the one wearing the Western clothes or the one wearing the Islamic Hijab, complete body covered except the face and hands till the wrists? Naturally he will tease the sister wearing the Western clothes. So Hijab prevents molestation.

Last Breath by Ahmed Bukhatir

This life is a test for the hereafter and death means time is over. The only thing that awaits us is either the reward of our good or the consequence of our evil and there is no returning back to this life and life in the hereafter would either be eternal satisfaction or eternal regret.

Don't let me go! by Ahmed Bukhatir

Describing a man regretting his bad deeds in this life. He asks for one more chance, but it is all over. So don't let your fate be such. Be quick to accept the truth as soon as you recognize.

Seems you are enjoying yourself, so why not invite others. Please take 5 seconds to share!

Mohammed by Martin Lings: Chapter 3

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 03:07:00 +0000

Note:- We have published the full Biography of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) by Martin Lings in a more beautiful flash ebook version.

Prohibition Of Alcohol

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 03:34:00 +0000

Alcohol has been the scourge of human society since time immemorial. It continues to cost countless human lives, and causes terrible misery to millions throughout the world. Alcohol is the root cause of several problems facing society. The statistics of soaring crime rates, increasing instances of mental illnesses and millions of broken homes throughout the world bear mute testimony to the destructive power of alcohol.

Prohibition of alcohol in the Qur’an
The Glorious Qur’an prohibits the consumption of alcohol in the following verse:
“O ye who believe! Intoxicants and Gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an Abomination – of Satan’s handiwork; eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper.” [Al-Qur’an 5:90]

Prohibition of alcohol in the Bible
The Bible prohibits the consumption of alcohol in the following verses:
a. “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” [Proverbs 20:1]
b. “And be not drunk with wine.” [Ephesians 5:18]

Alcohol inhibits the inhibitory centre
The human beings possess an inhibitory centre in their brains. This inhibitory centre prevents the person from doing things that he considers wrong. For instance a person does not normally use abusive language while addressing his parents or elders. If he has to answer the call of nature, his inhibitory centre will prevent him from doing so in public. Therefore he uses the toilet. When a person consumes alcohol, the inhibitory centre itself is inhibited. That is precisely the reason that an inebriated person is often found to be indulging in behavior that is completely uncharacteristic of him. For instance the intoxicated person is found to use abusive and foul language and does not realize his mistake even if he is addressing his parents. Many even urinate in their clothes. Neither do they talk nor walk properly. They even misbehave.

Cases of adultery, rape, incest and AIDS are found more among alcoholics
According to National Crime Victimization Survey Bureau of Justice (U.S. Department of Justice) in the year 1996 alone everyday on an average 2,713 rapes took place. The statistics tell us that the majority of the rapists, were intoxicated while committing the crime. The same is true in cases of molestation.
According to statistics, 8% of Americans commit incest i.e. one in every twelve to thirteen persons in America is involved in incest. Almost all the cases of incest are due to intoxication of one or both the persons involved. One of the major factors associated with the spread of AIDS, the most dreaded disease, is alcoholism.

Every alcoholic was initially a social drinker
Many may argue in favor of liquor by calling themselves ‘social drinkers’. They claim that they only have one or two pegs and they have self-control and so never get intoxicated. Investigations reveal that every alcoholic started as a social drinker. Not a single alcoholic or drunkard initially starts drinking with the intention of becoming an alcoholic or a drunkard. No social drinker can say that I have been having alcohol for several years and that I have so much self-control
that I have never been intoxicated even a single time.

If a person is intoxicated just once and commits something shameful, it will remain with him for a lifetime.
Suppose a ‘social drinker’ loses his self-control just once. In a state of intoxication he commits rape or incest. Even if the act is later regretted, a normal human being is likely to carry the guilt throughout his life. Both the perpetrator and the victim are irreparably and irreversibly damaged.

Alcohol is prohibited in the Hadith

The Prophet of Islam Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
a. In Sunan Ibn-I-Majah Volume 3, Book of Intoxicants, Chapter 30 Hadith No. 3371.
“Alcohol is the mother of all evils and it is the most shameful of evils.”
b. In Sunan Ibn-I-Majah Volume 3, Book of Intoxicants, Chapter 30 Hadith No. 3392
“Anything which intoxicates in a large quantity, is prohibited even in a small quantity.”
Thus there is no excuse for a nip or a tot.
c. Not only those who drink alcohol are cursed but also those who deal with them directly or indirectly are cursed by Allah.
According to Sunan Ibn-I-Majah Volume 3, Book of Intoxicants, Chapter 30 Hadith No. 3380.
It was reported by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
“God’s curse falls on ten groups of people who deal with alcohol. The one who distills it, the one for whom it has been distilled, the one who drinks it, the one who transports it, the one to who it has been brought, the one whom serves it, the one who sells it, the one who utilizes money from it, the one who buys it and the one who buys it for someone else.”

Diseases associated with alcoholism
There are several scientific reasons for the prohibition of consumption of intoxicants i.e. alcohol. The maximum number of deaths in the world related to any one particular cause is due to the consumption of alcohol. Millions of people die every year only because of intake of alcohol. I need not go into the details of all the ill-effects of alcohol since most of them are commonly known. Below is a simple list of few of the alcohol related illnesses:

1. Cirrhosis of Liver is the most well known alcohol associated disease.

2. Others are Cancer of Oesophagus, Cancer of Head and Neck, Cancer of Liver (Hepatoma), Cancer of Bowel, etc.

3. Oesophagitis, Gastritis, Pancreatitis and Hepatitis are linked with alcohol consumption.

4. Cardiomyopathy, Hypertension, Coronary Artherosclerosis, Angina and Heart Attacks are linked with heavy alcohol intakes.

5. Strokes, Apoplexy, Fits and different types of Paralysis are linked with alcohol intake.

6. Peripheral Neuropathy, Cortical Atrophy, Cerebellar Atrophy are well-known syndromes caused by alcohol consumption.

7. Wernicke – Korsakoff syndrome with amnesia of recent events, confabulations and retainment of memory to old events with different types of paralysis are mainly due to thiamine deficiency due to excessive alcohol intake.

8. Beriberi and other deficiencies are not uncommon among alcoholics. Even Pellagra occurs in alcoholics.

9. Delerium Tremens is a serious complication that may occur during recurrent infection of alcoholics or post operatively. It also occurs during abstention as a sign of withdrawal effect. It is quite serious and may cause death even if treated in well equipped centres.

10. Numerous Endocrine Disorders have been associated with alcoholism ranging from Myxodema to Hyperthyroidism and Florid Cushing Syndrome.

11. Hematological ill effects are long and variable. Folic acid deficiency, however, is the most common manifestation of alcoholic abuse resulting in Macrocytic Anemia. Zeive’s syndrome is a triad of Hemolytic Anemia, Jaundice and Hyperlipaedemia that follows alcoholic binges.

12. Thrombocytopenia and other platelet abnormalities are not rare in alcoholics.

13. The commonly used tablet metronidazole (flagyl) interacts badly with alcohol.

14. Recurrent infection is very common among chronic alcoholics. The resistance to disease and the immunological defense system are compromised by alcohol intake.

15. Chest infections are notorious in alcoholics. Pneumonia, Lung Abcess, Emphysema and Pulmonary Tuberculosis are all common in alcoholics.

16. During acute alcoholic intoxication, the drunk person usually vomits, the cough reflexes which are protective are paralysed. The vomitus thus easily pass to the lung causing Pneumonia or Lung Abscess. Occasionally it may even cause suffocation and death.

17. The ill effects of alcohol consumption on women deserves special mention. Females are more vulnerable to alcohol-related Cirrhosis than men. During pregnancy alcohol consumption has a severe detrimental effect on the foetus. Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is being recognised more and more in the medical profession.

18. Skin diseases are also related to alcohol indulgence.

19. Eczema, Alopecia, Nail Dystrophy, Paronychia (infection around the nails) and Angular Stomatitis (inflammation of the angle of the mouth) are common diseases among alcoholics.

Alcoholism is a ‘disease’
Medical doctors have now turned liberal towards alcoholics and call alcoholism a disease rather than an addiction.
If alcohol is a disease, it is the only disease that:
- Is sold in bottles
- Is advertised in newspapers, magazines, on radio and television
- Has licensed outlets to spread it
- Produces revenue for the government
- Brings violent deaths on the highways
- Destroys family life and increases crime
- Has no germs or viral cause

ALCOHOLISM IS NOT A DISEASE – IT IS SATAN’S HANDIWORK
Allah (swt) in His Infinite Wisdom has warned us against this snare of Satan. Islam is called the “Deen-ul-Fitrah” or the natural religion of Man. All its injunctions are aimed at preserving the natural state of man. Alcohol is a deviation from this natural state, for the individual as well as for society. It degrades man to a level below that of the beasts he claims to be superior to. Hence the consumption of alcohol is prohibited in Major World Religions.

If you have any questions, please drop a comment below.

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Sharia: A Blessing OR A Curse?

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 03:52:00 +0000

This is only a small analysis of the Islamic Sharia Law and we have published another more detailed analysis Sharia: Barbaric or Perfect?

Misconceptions About Sharia
People misconcieve Sharia to a sort of mob-justice, which anyone can carry out, which is a myth. Sharia is a complete system of Law and can only be carried out by a court of Law.
Often laws are attributed to Sharia, which really are NOT a part of it. For example, a widespread misconception about Sharia Law is that it punishes the rape Victum and encourages Honor killing. But in fact Sharia does NOT punish the rape victum; it only punishes the rapist.
At times a positive aspect of Sharia is twisted to give a wrong impression. For instance, Qur'an says in Chapter 24 Verse 4 that if anybody accuses a chaste woman of adultery, then the accuser should bring four witnesses to prove his charge otherwise the accuser would recieve 80 lashes. So in short, it protects chaste women against false charges. But sceptics have twisted to say that a rape victum has to bring 4 witnesses to prove rape, which is non-sense because only the victum's testimony and a medical report proving rape are enough to prove rape in Sharia Law.

If difference of opinion occurs about a certain Islamic law, who decides about its authenticity and application?
A legislative committee of Islamic law experts sits down and decides about the authenticity and application of that law in the guidance of Qur'an and the authentic sayings and traditions of the Holy Prophet. If these two sources lack any instructions regarding that law, the committee looks at the lives of the first three Muslim generations for reference and guidance.

The Islamic Sharia punishments are Severe
I agree, the punishments in Islamic Sharia are in fact severe. But that is the point. The moment you say Sharia is imposed majority of the criminals would stop committing crimes fearing the severity of the punishments. The mere thought of recieving such punishments would discourage any potential future criminal. Only a few criminals would still commit crimes and punishing these few criminals would let millions live in peace.

All religions basically exhort mankind to be righteous and eschew evil. But Islam goes beyond that. It guides us towards practical ways of achieving righteousness and eliminating evil from our individual and collective lives. Islam takes into account human nature and the complexities of human society. Islam is guidance from the Creator Himself. Therefore, Islam is also called the Deenul-Fitrah (the natural religion of Man).

U.S.A has one of the highest rate of Rape
According to a F.B.I report, an average of 1756 cases rapes were committed in USA everyday. This number soon increased to 1900. According to the US Department of Justice in the year 1996 an average of 2713 rape cases were committed Every Single Day. In short, in the year 1996 Every 32 seconds one rape was taking place in America. The F.B.I report of 1990 also said that only 1.6% were ever arrested and only half of them 0.8 ever faced a trial. Many would consider this a good gamble. And the report says that of those people who faced trial 50% received sentences of less than a year’s imprisonment though the American law says rape carries a seven year sentence of imprisonment. For a rapist, the judge is lenient to first time offenders. Imagine a person commits 125 rapes and the chances of being convicted is only once, and 50% of the time the judge will grant leniency and give a sentence of less than a year!

The Islamic Solution
Suppose the Islamic shariah is implemented in America. Whenever a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic Hijab, that is the complete body is covered except the face and the hands upto the wrists. After this if any man commits rape, he gets capital punishment. The question is, will the rate of rape in America increase, will it remain the same or will it decrease? Naturally it will decrease. Islamic Shariah gets results.

Despite its advancements America also has one of the highest rate of crime, theft, and robbery. Suppose the Islamic shariah is implemented in America i.e. every rich person gives Zakat ( 2.5% of his savings in charity above 85 grams of gold every lunar year), which would be spent on the poor (if every rich person in the world starts paying this, poverty will be eradicated and NOT a single person would die of hunger) and every convicted robber has his or her hands chopped off as a punishment. Will the rate of theft and robbery in America increase, remain same or decrease? Naturally it will decrease. Moreover the existence of such a stringent law would discourage many a potential robber.
I agree that the amount of theft that takes place in the world today is so tremendous that if you chop off the hands of all the thieves, there will be tens of thousands of people whose hands will be chopped off. The point here is that the moment you implement this law the rate of theft will decline immediately. The potential robber would give it a serious thought before
jeopardizing his limbs. The mere thought of the punishment itself will discourage majority of the robbers. There will barely be a few who would rob. Hence only a few person’s hands would be chopped off but millions would live peacefully without fear of being robbed.
Islamic Shariah is therefore practical, and achieves results.

Witnesses in Sharia Law
In modern law people may give false witness and get a light punishment or even escape without any punishment. This encourages bearers of witness. In Sharia if anyone bears false witness and falters in cross examination, he would recieve 80 lashes. The mere thought of 80 lashes would discourage anyone from bearing false witness.

Non-Muslims Under Sharia Law
Islamic Sharia grants Non-Muslims the freedom to freely practice their religion and makes it obligatory on the Islamic Gov't to protect their places of worship. Islamic Sharia even prohibits using bad language about their gods. As Qur'an says in Sura al Anaam Chapter 6 Verse 108 "Revile not ye those whom they call upon besides Allah lest they out of spite revile Allah in their ignorance." Sceptics may ask that why Non-Muslims have to pay poll tax (Jizya)? In every country the citizens pay tax. Likewise in an Islamic country all citizens pay tax. The tax paid by Muslims is called Zakat, while the tax paid by Non-Muslims is called Jizya (poll tax). The Muslims have to pay tax and also do compulsory military service, while the Non-Muslims only have to pay tax and do NOT have to do any compulsory military service. So the Muslims should complain NOT the Non-Muslims.

Women under Sharia Law
To know about women in Sharia, read the posts
Women's Rights in Islam
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Women in Islam

You may ask, if Sharia is so effective and full proof then why crimes are committed in the Muslim countries? The answer is that there is NOT a single 100% Islamic country. Muslim countries follow some Islamic principals and do NOT follow the others. Like Malaysia only follows the Islamic Economic System and Saudi Arabia only follows the Islamic Criminal law. (Please note that punishing female drivers is not an Islamic Law.)

The most misunderstood fundamental of Islam is Jihad, which I have already discussed.

Mohammed by Martin Lings: Chapter 1 & 2

noreply@blogger.com (Liaqat Qazi) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 03:43:00 +0000

Note:- We have published the full Biography of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) by Martin Lings in a more beautiful flash ebook version.