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“Love Poems” as a Clue to the Nature of Man’s/Woman’s sexual desires and the Importance of Modesty

2009-06-24T00:03:00.000-07:00

……….. have you ever considered what the desire to serenade or write love poems stems from in humanity? A large part of world literature is filled with love poems. In this type of literature, a man praises his beloved, asks for his needs to be satisfied by the beloved, raises the position of the beloved as he lowers his own status and suffers greatly from separation. What is this? Why does humanity not behave in the same way towards other needs? Have you ever seen a person who worships money or a person who is ambitious for higher material positions, writing love poems on money or on ambition? Has anyone ever written a love poem asking for bread? Why is it that people enjoy listening to or reading the love poems of another? Why is it that so many people receive such pleasure from Hafiz's love poems? Is it not because each person senses that it conforms to some very deep instinct which possesses their whole being? How mistaken are those who say that the one and only reason which forms the basis for human activity is an economic one!

Human beings have developed special literary rhythmic forms to express sexual love just as they have done with spiritualities whereas no special literary rhythmic forms have been developed for things which are essentially material like bread and water. We do not want to insinuate that all loves are sexual nor do we mean to imply that all of Hafiz's or [Sir Thomas Wyatt’s] poems stem from their sexual instinct. This is something which needs to be discussed separately at another time.

But what is clear is that many of the love poems are ones written by men in devotion to women. It is sufficient for us to recognize that a man's attention towards a woman is not based on bread and water so that it can be satiated when the stomach is full. Rather, it either takes the form of greed and worship of variety and multiplicity or the form of love and love poems. We will later discuss under what conditions the state of greed and sexual covetousness is strengthened and under what conditions love and love poems assume a spiritual quality.

At any rate, Islam has placed special emphasis upon the amazing power of this fiery instinct. There are traditions which speak of the danger of a 'look', the danger of a man and woman being alone together and, finally, the danger of the instinct which unites a man and a woman.
Islam has established ways of controlling, balancing and taming the instinct. Duties have been given to both men and women in this area. One duty which is the responsibility of both men and women relates to looking at each other. "Say to the believing men to cast down their glance and guard their private parts..." (24:30). And, "Say to the believing women to cast down their glance and guard their private parts." (24:31). In summary, the command is that a man and a woman should not fix their eyes upon each other; they should not flirt with each other; they should not look at each other with lust or with the intention of seeking sexual pleasure (unless it is within the sacred bounds of marriage).

Islam has established a particular command for a woman which is that she covers her body from a man with whom she is not mahram and that she should not flaunt herself or put her body on display in society. She is asked not to stimulate the attention of men by any means.
The human soul readily accepts stimulation. It is great error to think that the sexual desires of humanity are limited in extent and that after a certain point, are naturally satisfied. Just as the human being, man or woman, is never satiated with wealth or position and is continuously seeking more, in the area of sexual desires, it is the same. No man is ever naturally satisfied by beauty and no woman is ever naturally satisfied by a man's attention and the conquest of his heart. Clearly the desires of the heart are never satiated.

On the other hand, unlimited demands are never fulfilled and a sense of deprivation is continuously felt. Not achieving one's desires results in psychological illnesses and complexes. Why is it that in the West psychological illnesses have increased? The reason is freedom of sexual ethics and continuous sexual stimulation through the newspapers, magazines, cinemas, theaters and official and unofficial parties and even the streets and alleys.

The reason why the Islamic command to cover is exclusive to women is because the desire to show off and display one's self is a particular trait of women. She is the hunter in the domination of the hearts of men and man is the prey, whereas man is the hunter in the domination of the body of women and she is the prey. A woman's desire to display herself comes from this essence of the hunter. It is the female instinct which, because of its particular nature, wishes to capture hearts and imprison the male. Thus, the deviation begins with the female instinct and therefore the command to cover was issued.

The above is an excerpt from a book by a scholar called Murtadha(or Murtaza) Mutahhari entitled “The Islamic Modest Dress”.
It was one of the most comprehensive and logical books I have ever read on the notion of modesty for Men and Women and it also answered many questions in regards with the Lord’s *greater* emphasis on a woman’s modest attire rather than a man’s.

Reasons for the Differences Among the Miracles of the Messengers

2009-06-23T07:55:00.000-07:00

I've been reading some of the translations of the books of a Shia scholar called Murtada Mutahhari. Its amazing to see the wide range of subjects he has managed to cover and a good point about his works is that they are usually very easy to understand for an average person.

This is an excerpt from his book Guiding the Youth of the New Generation.

The book itself is very enlightening in terms of trying to prove that people of different generations or time periods need to be shown the 'Truth', taking into account the 'specific' situations and needs of their time and this is very important when one is talking to the younger generation. Then he gives the example of the different kinds of miracles that different prophets brought for their 'specific' times and I think this part answered one of my own questions about miracles of different prophets.

[ a man (Ibne Sikkiyt) asks the 10th Shia Imam] : Why is it that when Prophet Moses (a.s.) was raised as a Prophet, his signs and the ways and miracles that he employed to invite the people and to bring guidance to them was through his staff being transformed into a serpent, and his hand that radiated with Divine light and other things such as this. However when Prophet Jesus (a.s.) was raised as a Prophet, we see that his method and the miracles which he used to invite the people was something different. He cured people who were born blind; he healed the lepers; he brought the dead back to life and other things such as this. However Prophet Mohammad (s.w.a.) – when he was appointed as a Messenger, his form of miracle were none of these – meaning his miracle was through expression and words – the Noble Qurān.”

The Imām (a.s.) replied to him that, “This was due to the difference in times when these Prophets were raised. During the time of Prophet Moses (a.s.), people were amazed by magic and trickery, thus, the miracles of Moses (a.s.) resembled the things that the others were performing, but the difference was that Prophet Moses (a.s.) brought a miracle with substance to it, whereas the other people had magic and witchcraft.

As for the time of Prophet Jesus (a.s.), his era was one in which doctors were in abundance and they were able to cure the most serious of sicknesses and this brought amazement and bewilderment to the masses. Thus, Allāh (s.w.t.) gave Jesus (a.s.) miracles that would be in line with what the people of his time were performing.

As for the time of the seal of the Prophets (Prophet Mohammad) (s.w.a.), his time was that of speech and verbal communication and the attention that people paid to oratory powers was very high. It is for this reason that the greatest teaching of Islām was brought forth through the noble words clothed in the perfect garment of eloquence and expression (the Noble Qurān).”

Ibne Sikkiyt (r.d.a.) thoroughly benefited from the answer given to him by the Imām (a.s.) and now that he understood this issue, he said to the Imām, “O’ Son of the Messenger of Allāh! What is the Hujjah of Allāh right now?” The Imām (a.s.) replied to him, “Intelligence” and said to him:

هٌذَا وَاللٌّهِ هُوَالْجَوٌابِ

“This, by Allāh is the answer.”

Thus, it is clear that the reason for the difference in miracles of the Prophets was that through each of them, they were able to guide the people in different time periods. If this was not the case, then it is possible that from Ādam (a.s.) till Muhammad (s.w.a.) – if Prophet Ādam (a.s.) had any miracles and if he was a Prophet (since there are some people who say that he was not a Prophet) - there would have only been one type of miracle. However we see that this is not the case and that each and every Prophet brought along with him his own specific miracle that was fit for his time and age.

Submission is harmony

2009-06-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

There was once a King who wanted to learn Arabic. No one in his region spoke it except for one old man. This old man was summoned to the Kings palace where he was immediately instructed to give his first lesson to the King. During the lesson the old man excused himself informing the King that since it was noon it was time for him to pray.

The King laughed mockingly.

“O you poor man, what type of religion do you follow? I can pray to my god any time I please”

The old man smiled revealing his was not perturbed by the King’s offensive on his religion.

“As can I” the old man responded. “Yet how unfortunate it is, whenever you call God He is there but when God calls you, you are not”

The King was taken aback by the old man’s response. Yet not content with being upstaged the King continued.

“Your religion of Islam says God is All Forgiving, thus it does not matter whether you are late for your prayer or even if you miss your prayer for your God will forgive you. If He does not then He is not the All Forgiving”

The King’s facial expression was one of pride, he was clearly pleased with the argument he put forward.

“Forgiveness is never given without repentance and repentance is never proven without rectification”

The King became flustered.

“You can rectify tomorrow. For now you will continue to teach me this language”

“I may not see tomorrow” replied the old man.

“If you do not continue to teach I will ensure you do not see tomorrow” threatened the King.

“So be it. There is no better prayer performed than the one who believes it is his last”

The King suddenly became fascinated at the old mans uncompromising obedience to his God.

“Your unyielding submission to your religion leads me to believe it does not allow you to think for yourself. You cannot deny this. You are told when to pray, how to pray, how to wash, what to eat and many other things, the list goes on. This is not a liberating religion.”

“Do me the honor of informing me as to how I teach?” the old man asked.

The King was confused.

“You teach well but how is this relevant?”

“Is it possible for someone to teach better than I?”

“Yes it is possible, but again how is this relevant?”

“Do you not see that any thing could be performed better?”

“This is true, but old man, you have not told me how all this is relevant?”

“Do you believe God is All Knowing?”

“Yes. Now old man, tell me the relevance of your questioning before I have my guards cut off your head”

“I have shown you that there is an ideal way of doing any particular thing and there is none better to show us what that ideal way is than the All Knowing.”
"Old man what you are suggesting is we cannot think for ourselves"
"Did you summon me to your palace?"
"Yes"

“May I ask why?”

“Old man what type of foolish questioning is this? You know the language I wish to learn who else will teach me?”

“Indeed. Now from what I had taught you thus far, have you listened attentively?”

“Yes”

“Will you implement everything I have taught you?”

“Yes. Old man you are testing my patience, now get to the point”

“You have exercised your free will in choosing me as your teacher. You have also exercised common sense in choosing me as I know the language you wish to learn. You have also given me total submission for without it, you will not be able to speak this language. Only a liberated mind can recognize he who is worthy of total submission for such a person will also recognize that with this total submission you improve and when you improve, things work how they should and when things work how they should there is harmony.

Now take a look outside. Do you notice complete harmony between the sun, the earth, the water, the vegetation, all working in unison together, a most beautiful equilibrium, achieved only through total submission. He, the Almighty, the Author of this perfect system is showing us in the most manifest of ways, we too can achieve the same equilibrium and harmony, this time between mind, body and soul. All one must do is submit. Yet because man has free will everything submits except him and the result? Wars, oppression, injustice, depression and yet audaciously, despite all that, when man does not submit to Gods will he claims to have a liberated mind!

Nay only the foolish and arrogant mind will do contrary to what the All Knowing advises. And this is the difference between you and I. My common sense recognizes the All Knowing is best to teach me about life and how it should be lived, from the fundamental to the minor. And this is where the treasures of life are found, through submission. For one cannot understand its secrets and experience nirvana with its Author when one is opposed to His divine system.”

In seeking asylum with God

2009-06-03T01:23:00.000-07:00

1 O God, if Thou willest, Thou wilt pardon us through Thy bounty
2 and if Thou willest, Thou wilt chastise us through Thy justice. So make our ways smooth to Thy pardon through Thy kindness
3 and grant us sanctuary from Thy chastisement through Thy forbearance, for none of us has the endurance for Thy justice
4 and none of us can reach deliverance without Thy pardon!
5 O Richest of the rich! Here we are, Thy servants, before Thee.
6 I am the neediest of the needy toward Thee, so redress our neediness through Thy plenty
7 and cut us not off from our hopes through Thy withholding, lest Thou makest wretched him who seeks felicity through Thee
8 and deprivest him who seeks help from Thy bounty!
9 Then to whom would we return after Thee?
10 Where would we go from Thy gate?
11 Glory be to Thee! We are the distressed, the response to whom Thou hast made incumbent,
12 the people from whom Thou hast promised to remove the evil.
13 That thing most resembling Thy will
14 and that affair most worthy for Thee in Thy mightiness is showing mercy to him who asks Thee for mercy
15 and helping him who seeks help from Thee. So show mercy upon our pleading with Thee
16 and free us from need when we throw ourselves before Thee!
17 O God, Satan will gloat over us if we follow him in disobeying Thee
18 so bless Muhammad and his Household
19 and let him not gloat over us after we have renounced him for Thee
20 and beseeched Thee against him!

verse 3 holds so much wisdom and truth. I always thought to myself that the best thing we expect from people is to be just towards others in all their conduct. Yet justice is such an ambiguous term in practice. Sometimes justice would mean punishment for some and reward for others, which may not be deemed fair by those who are punished (even though they may really have done something wrong in the eyes of the one who passes judgement)

On the other hand God is the source of true justice and His judgement is the ONLY true verdict, which shall see no opposition, because He is always alert and can even see out secret intentions let alone our actions! So if He were to judge His creatures He would know about them more than they may know about themselves....would I then, want God to be *Just* towards me and my deeds? Knowing myself and my past actions I would surely vote for *mercy* rather than *justice* from an all-knowing powerful God who is free to judge me since He created me in the first place and I belong totally to Him.

As kristenmomof3 said "The answer to trouble is prayer". This is so true! Prayer is the only way for salvation , but I believe that its a very good idea to pray to God through his *mercy*.

Eli

From Islamic Psalms called sahifa-sajjadiya

A Mere Coincidence?!!

2009-05-04T01:29:00.000-07:00

Dear all,

I have just come across some absolutely fantastic information in the form of a video I found today. I have already posted sth on the mathematical miracle of the Quran (Islam's Holy Book) but this video is by far much more exciting and amazing.

It has always been of the utmost importance to me to be able to find Science and spirituality go hand in hand, yet when I searched through some Christian or Jewish texts I encountered instances where The Book was in complete violation of science (I do know that it is wrong to try and judge religion according to some-not so certain-scientific discoveries, but then we should always remember that NOT ALL of scientific discovery is misleading, doomed to be ignored by religious texts.

As it says in the video "the probability calculations indicate, that all these facts cannot be a mere coincidence!!"

What happened to me

2009-04-21T00:08:00.000-07:00

One can never know what is coming ones way and to my dismay my son's hospitalization was a real shock from which I am still trying to recover.

I could'nt believe that such a rare case would inflict *my* darling one and I guess we are allways like that! we think that all the bad things happen to others and we are in some ways *immmune*-what a naiive outlook of me to have-

Yet I'm sure that the Dear Lord was with my family the entire way and I cant but see the positive effects of this ordeal on all of us, especially on myself. Guess there is really a silver lining to every cloud (sth I did not completely believe in before).

Spiritually I have gotten much closer to my Dearest Lord and am feeling His ever alert and loving presence more and more. I tried to repent from many of my past un-lordly ways which I am sure were part of the cause for this affliction [I feel that anything bad that comes our way is either due to our own bad conduct (action-reaction) but also a blessing from the Dear Lord to remind us and help us save ourselves from destruction because of His immense Love]

Another "positive" point about his illness, was to persuade me (even more than before) to "choose" to become a wife and a mother, which I believe are the first and most important roles a Godly woman should play in this short life of uncertainties about one's future.

I know that all great religions advise women to perform these great responsibilities as best as they can and looking at women who choose to stay at home and raise good children with "feminist contempt" is the root of many evil weeds sprouting in our societies.

May everyone live in good health
Eli

Lovely!

2009-04-20T23:44:00.000-07:00

It is said that Satan told the Lord:
"How is it that man loves you yet he disobeys you, on the other hand he hates me yet he obeys whatever I command?"

The Lord said:
" Oh satan, due to that love that he has for me and his hatred of you I shall forgive him"

note: I'll include the "source" as soon as I can. (this was taken from an Islamic text)

Imam Hussain Part III --(By Abdullah Yusuf Ali)

2009-02-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

Call to Surrender or Die

Presently messengers came from Kufa, and Imam Husain was asked to surrender. Imam Husain offered to take one of three alternatives. He wanted no political power and no revenge. He said "I came to defend my own people. If I am too late, give me the choice of three alternatives: either to return to Mecca; or to face Yazid himself at Damascus; or if my very presence is distasteful to him and you, I do not wish to cause more divisions among the Muslims. Let me at least go to a distant frontier, where, if fighting must be done, I will fight against the enemies of Islam." Every one of these alternatives was refused. What they wanted was to destroy his life, or better still, to get him to surrender, to surrender to the very forces against which he was protesting, to declare his adherence to those who were defying the law of God and man, and to tolerate all the abuses which were bringing the name of Islam into disgrace. Of course he did not surrender. But what was he to do? He had no army. He had reasons to suppose that many of his friends from distant parts would rally round him, and come and defend him with their swords and bodies. But time was necessary, and he was not going to gain time by feigned compliance. He turned a little round to the left, the way that would have led him to Yazid himself, at Damascus. He camped in the plain of Kerbela.

Water cut off; Inflexible will, Devotion and Chivalry

For ten days messages passed backwards and forwards between Kerbela and Kufa. Kufa wanted surrender and recognition. That was the one thing the Imam could not consent to. Every other alternative was refused by Kufa, under the instructions from Damascus. Those fateful ten days were the first ten days of the month of Muharram, of the year 61 of the Hijra. The final crisis was on the 10th day, the Ashura day, which we are commemorating. During the first seven days various kinds of pressure were brought to bear on the Imam, but his will was inflexible. It was not a question of a fight, for there were but 70 men against 4,000. The little band was surrounded and insulted, but they held together so firmly that they could not be harmed. On the 8th day the water supply was cut off. The Euphrates and its abundant streams were within sight, but the way was barred. Prodigies of valour were performed in getting water. Challenges were made for single combat according to Arab custom. And the enemy were half-hearted, while the Imam's men fought in contempt of death, and always accounted for more men than they lost. On the evening of the 9th day, the little son of the Imam was ill. He had fever and was dying of thirst. They tried to get a drop of water. But that was refused point blank and so they made the resolve that they would, rather than surrender, die to the last man in the cause for which they had come. Imam Husain offered to send away his people. He said, "They are after my person; my family and my people can go back." But everyone refused to go. They said they would stand by him to the last, and they did. They were not cowards; they were soldiers born and bred; and they fought as heroes, with devotion and with chivalry.

The Final Agony; placid face of the man of God

On the day of Ashura, the 10th day, Imam Husain's own person was surrounded by his enemies. He was brave to the last. He was cruelly mutilated. His sacred head was cut off while in the act of prayer. A mad orgy of triumph was celebrated over his body. In this crisis we have details of what took place hour by hour. He had 45 wounds from the enemies' swords and javelins, and 35 arrows pierced his body. His left arm was cut off, and a javelin pierced through his breast. After all that agony, when his head was lifted up on a spear, his face was the placid face of a man of God. All the men of that gallant band were exterminated and their bodies trampled under foot by the horses. The only male survivor was a child, Husain's son Ali, surnamed Zain-ul-'Abidin - "The Glory of the Devout." He lived in retirement, studying, interpreting, and teaching his father's high spiritual principles for the rest of his life.

Heroism of the Women

There were women: for example, Zainab the sister of the Imam, Sakina his little daughter, and Shahr-i-Banu, his wife, at Kerbela. A great deal of poetic literature has sprung up in Muslim languages, describing the touching scenes in which they figure. Even in their grief and their tears they are heroic. They lament the tragedy in simple, loving, human terms. But they are also conscious of the noble dignity of their nearness to a life of truth reaching its goal in the precious crown of martyrdom. One of the best-known poets of this kind is the Urdu poet Anis, who lived in Lucknow, and died in 1874.

Lesson of the Tragedy

That briefly is the story. What is the lesson? There is of course the physical suffering in martyrdom, and all sorrow and suffering claim our sympathy, ---- the dearest, purest, most outflowing sympathy that we can give. But there is a greater suffering than physical suffering. That is when a valiant soul seems to stand against the world; when the noblest motives are reviled and mocked; when truth seems to suffer an eclipse. It may even seem that the martyr has but to say a word of compliance, do a little deed of non-resistance; and much sorrow and suffering would be saved; and the insidious whisper comes: "Truth after all can never die." That is perfectly true. Abstract truth can never die. It is independent of man's cognition. But the whole battle is for man's keeping hold of truth and righteousness. And that can only be done by the highest examples of man's conduct - spiritual striving and suffering enduring firmness of faith and purpose, patience and courage where ordinary mortals would give in or be cowed down, the sacrifice of ordinary motives to supreme truth in scorn of consequence. The martyr bears witness, and the witness redeems what would otherwise be called failure. It so happened with Husain. For all were touched by the story of his martyrdom, and it gave the deathblow to the politics of Damascus and all it stood for. And Muharram has still the power to unite the different schools of thought in Islam, and make a powerful appeal to non-Muslims also.

Explorers of Spiritual Territory

That, to my mind, is the supreme significance of martyrdom. All human history shows that the human spirit strives in many directions, deriving strength and sustenance from many sources. Our bodies, our physical powers, have developed or evolved from earlier forms, after many struggles and defeats. Our intellect has had its martyrs, and our great explorers have often gone forth with the martyrs' spirit. All honour to them. But the highest honour must still lie with the great explorers of spiritual territory, those who faced fearful odds and refused to surrender to evil. Rather than allow a stigma to attach to sacred things, they paid with their own lives the penalty of resistance. The first kind of resistance offered by the Imam was when he went from city to city, hunted about from place to place, but making no compromise with evil. Then was offered the choice of an effectual but dangerous attempt at clearing the house of God, or living at ease for himself by tacit abandonment of his striving friends. He chose the path of danger with duty and honour, and never swerved from it giving up his life freely and bravely. His story purifies our emotions. We can best honour his memory by allowing it to teach us courage and constancy.

Imam Husain And His Martyrdom, Abdullah Yusuf Ali (d. 1952), 41 pages Lahore: M Feroz-ud-Din & Sons, 1931. [Harvard] [Columbia] [McGill] [MELVYL] [Library of Congress] [Try the Guide to Online Libraries to locate this text elsewhere]

Further Reading
To find out more about Imam Husayn [a], his position in Islam, his noble family, their sacrifice in the deserts of Karbala, and its universal relevance, see the following resources:
The Excellences of Imam Husayn In Sunni Hadith Tradition
The Revolution of Imam Husayn
Karbala, an enduring paradigm of Islamic revivalism
Imam Husayn's Concepts of Religion and Leadership
Victory of Truth: Life of Zaynab bt. 'Ali
The Illustrious Period of the Imamate of Imam Zayn al-'Abidin
Karbala and the Imam Husayn in Persian and Indo-Muslim literature

Imam Hussain Part II--(By Abdullah Yusuf Ali)

2009-02-16T05:22:00.000-08:00

image

Geographical Picture

In placing before you a geographical picture of the tract of country in which the great tragedy was enacted, I consider myself fortunate in having my own personal memories to draw upon. They make the picture vivid to my mind, and they may help you also. When I visited those scenes in 1928, I remember going down from Baghdad through all that country watered by the Euphrates river. As I crossed the river by a bridge of boats at Al-Musaiyib on a fine April morning, my thoughts leapt over centuries and centuries. To the left of the main river you have the old classic ground of Babylonian history; you have the railway station of Hilla; you have the ruins of the city of Babylon, witnessing to one of the greatest civilisations of antiquity. It was so mingled with the dust that it is only in recent years that we have begun to understand its magnitude and magnificence. Then you have the great river system of the Euphrates, the Furat as it is called, a river unlike any other river we know. It takes its rise in many sources from the mountains of Eastern Armenia, and sweeping in great zig-zags through rocky country, it finally skirts the desert as we see it now. Wherever it or its interlacing branches or canals can reach, it has converted the desert into fruitful cultivated country; in the picturesque phrase, it has made the desert blossom as the rose. It skirts round the Eastern edge of the Syrian desert and then flows into marshy land. In a tract not far from Kerbela itself there are lakes which receive its waters, and act as reservoirs. Lower down it unites with the other river, the Tigris, and the united rivers flow in the name of the Shatt-al-Arab into the Persian Gulf.

Abundant water & tragedy of thirst

From the most ancient times this tract of the lower Euphrates has been a garden. It was a cradle of early civilisation, a meeting place between Sumer and Arab, and later between the Persians and Arabs. It is a rich, well watered country, with date-palms and pomegranate groves. Its fruitful fields can feed populous cities and its luscious pastures attract the nomad Arabs of the desert, with their great flocks and herds. It is of particularly tragic significance that on the border of such a well-watered land, should have been enacted the tragedy of great and good men dying of thirst and slaughtered because they refused to bend the knee to the forces of iniquity. The English poet's lines "Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink" (Coleridge) are brought home forcibly to you in this borderland between abundant water and desolate sands.

Husain the Righteous refused to bow to worldliness and power

Yazid assumed the power at Damascus. He cared nothing for the most sacred ideals of the people. He was not even interested in the ordinary business affairs of administration. His passion was hunting, and he sought power for self-gratification. The discipline and self-abnegation, the strong faith and earnest endeavour, the freedom and sense of social equality which had been the motive forces of Islam, were divorced from power. The throne at Damascus had become a worldly throne based on the most selfish ideas of personal and family aggrandisement, instead of a spiritual office, with a sense of God-given responsibility. The decay of morals spread among the people. There was one man who could stem the tide. That was Imam Husain. He, the grandson of the Prophet, could speak without fear, for fear was foreign to his nature. But his blameless and irreproachable life was in itself a reproach to those who had other standards. They sought to silence him, but he could not be silenced. They sought to bribe him, but he could not be bribed. They sought to waylay him and get him into their Power. What is more, they wanted him to recognise the tyranny and expressly to support it. For they knew that the conscience of the people might awaken at any time, and sweep them away unless the holy man supported their cause. The holy man was prepared to die rather than surrender the principles for which he stood.

Driven from city to city

Medina was the centre of Husain's teaching. They made Medina impossible for him. He left Medina and went to Mecca, hoping that he would be left alone. But he was not left alone. The Syrian forces invaded Mecca. The invasion was repelled, not by Husain but by other people. For Husain, though the bravest of the brave, had no army and no worldly weapons. His existence itself was an offence in the eyes of his enemies. His life was in danger, and the lives of all those nearest and dearest to him. He had friends everywhere, but they were afraid to speak out. They were not as brave as he was. But in distant Kufa, a party grew up which said: "We are disgusted with these events, and we must have Imam Husain to take asylum with us." So they sent and invited the Imam to leave Mecca, come to them, live in their midst, and be their honoured teacher and guide. His father's memory was held in reverence in Kufa. The Governor of Kufa was friendly, and the people eager to welcome him. But alas, Kufa had neither strength, nor courage, nor constancy. Kufa, geographically only 40 miles from Kerbela, was the occasion of the tragedy of Kerbela. And now Kufa is nearly gone, and Kerbela remains as the lasting memorial of the martyrdom.

Invitation from Kufa

When the Kufa invitation reached the Imam, he pondered over it, weighed its possibilities, and consulted his friends. He sent over his cousin Muslim to study the situation on the spot and report to him. The report was favourable, and he decided to go. He had a strong presentiment of danger. Many of his friends in Mecca advised him against it. But could he abandon his mission when Kufa was calling for it? Was he the man to be deterred, because his enemies were laying their plots for him, at Damascus and at Kufa? At least, it was suggested, he might leave his family behind. But his family and his immediate dependants would not hear of it. It was a united family, pre-eminent in the purity of its life and in its domestic virtues and domestic affections. If there was danger for its head, they would share it. The Imam was not going on a mere ceremonial visit. There was responsible work to do, and they must be by his side, to support him in spite of all its perils and consequences. Shallow critics scent political ambition in the Imam's act. But would a man with political ambitions march without an army against what might be called the enemy country, scheming to get him into its power, and prepared to use all their resources, military, political and financial, against him?

Journey through the desert

Imam Husain left Mecca for Kufa with all his family including his little children. Later news from Kufa itself was disconcerting. The friendly governor had been displaced by one prepared more ruthlessly to carry out Yazid's plans. If Husain was to go there at all, he must go there quickly, or his friends themselves would be in danger. On the other hand, Mecca itself was no less dangerous to him and his family. It was the month of September by the solar calendar, and no one would take a long desert journey in that heat, except under a sense of duty. By the lunar calendar it was the month of pilgrimage at Mecca. But he did not stop for the pilgrimage. He pushed on, with his family and dependants, in all numbering about 90 or 100 people, men, women and children. They must have gone by forced marches through the desert. They covered the 900 miles of the desert in little over three weeks. When they came within a few miles of Kufa, at the edge of the desert, they met people from Kufa. It was then that they heard of the terrible murder of Husain's cousin Muslim, who had been sent on in advance. A poet that came by dissuaded the Imam from going further. "For," he said epigramatically, "the heart of the city is with thee but its sword is with thine enemies, and the issue is with God." What was to be done? They were three weeks' journey from the city they had left. In the city to which they were going their own messenger had been foully murdered as well as his children. They did not know what the actual situation was then in Kufa. But they were determined not to desert their friends.

Imam Hussain Part I--(By Abdullah Yusuf Ali)

2009-02-16T04:58:00.000-08:00

Image

In my plight for the real truth in terms of Islam and especially the Shiah sect I have become very much interested in a very important religious and historical figure, none other than the Islamic prophet, Muhammad’s Grandson called ”Imam Hussain” and what Happened to him and his family at a place called “Karbala”. I read the written version of a speech delivered (ironically) by a famous Sunni scholar and translator-commentator of the Quran, Abdullah Yusuf Ali.

As the original version is too long I have tried to summarize the text but have found it very difficult to cut pieces out. So I have decided to post the different part in separate sections so as to make it all an easier reading.
The whole speech can be found here.

Imam Husain And His Martyrdom

Sorrow as a Bond of Union

Karbala is one of those wonderful events in our (the Muslim) religious history about which all sects are agreed. More than that, in this room I have the honor of addressing some people who do not belong to our religious persuasion, but I venture to think that the view I put forward today may be of interest to them from its historical, its moral and its spiritual significance. Indeed, when we consider the background of that great tragedy, and all that has happened during the 1289 lunar years since, we cannot fail to be convinced that some events of sorrow and apparent defeat are really the very things which are calculated to bring about, or lead us towards, the union of humanity.

How Martyrdom healed divisions

When we invite strangers or guests and make them free of our family circle, that means the greatest outflowing of our hearts to them. The events that I am going to describe refer to some of the most touching incidents of our domestic history in their spiritual aspect. We ask our brethren of other faiths to come, and share with us some of the thoughts which are called forth by this event. As a matter of fact all students of history are aware that the horrors that are connected with the great event of Kerbela did more than anything else to unite together the various contending factions which had unfortunately appeared at that early stage of Muslim history. You know the old Persian saying applied to the Prophet:

Tu barae wasl kardan amadi;
Ni barae fasl kardan amadi.

"Thou camest to the world to unite, not to divide."

That was wonderfully exemplified by the sorrows and sufferings and finally the martyrdom of Imam Husain.

Commemoration of great virtues

I think it would be good to sit together, even people of different faiths, - sit together and consider the great historic event, in which were exemplified such soul-stirring virtues as those of unshaken faith, undaunted courage, thought for others, willing self-sacrifice, steadfastness in the right and unflinching war against the wrong. Islam has a history of beautiful domestic affections, of sufferings and of spiritual Endeavour, second to none in the world. That side of Muslim history, although to me the most precious, is, I am sorry to say, often neglected. It is most important that we should call attention to it, reiterated attention, the attention of our own people as well as the attention of those who are interested in historical and religious truth. If there is anything precious in Islamic history it is not the wars, or the politics, or the brilliant expansion, or the glorious conquests, or even the intellectual spoils which our ancestors gathered. In these matters, our history, like all history, has its lights and shades. What we need especially to emphasize is the spirit of organization, of brotherhood, of undaunted courage in moral and spiritual life.

2009-01-29T09:15:00.000-08:00

Letter of the Soul

I don't feel well. In fact for a long time I have not been feeling well. My body is full of wounds, wounds very deep, wounds which are infected and painful, wounds which are bleeding. I need help, but I cannot talk to anyone. People around me are all wounded, but they either turn away and ignore, or they are busy with wounds much bigger than mine, yet the strange thing is that they try to conceal it, there are also those who are putting the wrong ointment on their wounds or washing them with contaminated water from the springs of death, so many springs with black liquid gushing out of the drenched soil. There are also those who look at me and laugh.

I need help. I have to see a doctor. A doctor who would know the reason for my ailment, a doctor who would wash my wounds and treat them with healing ointments, a doctor who is a stranger to the poison of death, a doctor who won't interrogate me, who won't torture me with words and sentences, "what have you done to yourself?"," where have you been all this time?", "why did you neglect?", treatment is useless", "it’s a long way to recovery, you'll have to be examined, and examined and examined, only if you passed the tests….. otherwise you won't even be allowed to enter, let alone receive any kind of treatment".

I need a doctor who would heal me, knowing that I have wronged myself, knowing that I have returned to be cured. I need a doctor who would ignore my wounds and would only pay attention to my heart, see that it's still beating, still pumping life. I need a doctor who would heal my wounds because of what he sees in my heart: an earnest desire to return and get healed, and to be guided to a path which would lead me straight to the source of LIFE.

Most important of all, I need a doctor who is not himself contaminated with festering wounds!

I think I'm on the right track.

Eli

Modesty, the Most Beautiful Natural Outfit

2009-01-26T21:49:00.000-08:00

Dear All,

Some days ago I came across a truly inspirational post in a blog which belongs to one of blogger world's most talented writers, Amy. (this is not my personal conviction but the conclusion of many many people who visit her blog and who have become lifelong fans)

In that post she talked about modesty and its certain implications and also the outlook of our present so-called, very free, very civilized society on people, esp. women who choose to be modest in all aspects of life and particularly in their clothing.

Literature being my major and specialty, I remembered a poem I sometimes analyse in one of my classes, so I wrote Amy and told her about it and hope that she would do a post on it very soon.
I shall paste the text of my email in this post so that anyone interested would be able to read the points I've mentioned.

Dear Amy,

Your post on modesty was so thought-provoking and beautifully written that I've decided to pin a copy of it on our department board (of course with your consent). I'm sure I can also use it in some of my other classes where we discuss different short stories [especially feminist ones which I sometimes choose on purpose in order to analyze in my very own special way ].

I'm not writing this letter to tell you just about my intent (of course I do need your permission). The reason why I'm writing is that, reading the "responses" to your post (I'm the kind that reads "all" the responses to a particular interesting post prior to writing my own) I came across one in which the writer had agreed with some of your points about modesty in clothing but then declared that she did NOT see any reason why a woman should cover her hair, as she saw no real temptation in that.

Knowing your great talent in writing very reasonable articles worthy of re-reading I decided to send you some information that I have in literature (my specialty), concerning this very matter. I'm sure you would be able to write something very interesting on it.

For one of my courses (literary schools) I teach the different literary trends and one of these is a movement called "symbolism". What I think you would find most interesting is that a French world-famous poet, Baudelaire, who is in a sense the founder of symbolism, in a series of poems entitled "Flowers of Evil" has one particular poem worth paying close attention to.
The poem called "Of Her Hair" is the embodiment of an inspirational effect of a woman's (Jeanne Duval) perfume and, above all, her magnificent flowing black hair on the poet.[this was super interesting for me as I know that in Islam apart from covering ones hair and not showing it to anyone other than ones husband or male relatives whom the Lord has allowed in the Quran -like fathers, brothers, fathers in law, uncles, and grandfathers who are in the Islamic word called "Maharem", or Mahram -if I'm not mistaken- a women is also FORBIDDEN to use perfume in the presence of non-mahram men, and reading Baudelaire's poem ( and also my own experience as a married woman who knows men much more than unmarried women) shows how very true and reasonable this order of the Lord is].

By the way your own explanation of modesty seems very "Islamic" especially the parts where you said covering even up to ones wrist and covering ones feet (have you read the Islamic orders for "hijab"?) or was that just your own convictions about modesty?

Once again I've gone "way" past my intended length of the email, really sorry for that.

Anyway I'll copy/ past the text of the poem and leave the rest to you and your able pen.

Kiss little Peapod, she is so very cute and loveable in her pics, reminds me of a long ago family friend's daughter who had a philippinian mother and an Iranian Father, she was two when I was 14 so now she must be a young lady, we've lost touch for a long time now.

May the Dear Lord Bless you and your lovely family and be an ever present guide and help.

I am very much in need of prayer so please keep me in mind when you pray.

Lots of Love
Eli

***********************************************

Of Her Hair

O shadowy fleece that falls and curls upon those bare

Lithe shoulders!O rich perfume of forgetfulness!
O ecstasy! To loose upon the midnight air
The memories asleep in this tumultuous hair,
I long to rake it in my fingers, tress by tress!
Asia the languorous, the burning solitude
Of Africa — a whole world, distant, all but dead —
Survives in thy profundities, O odorous wood!
My soul, as other souls put forth on the deep flood
Of music, sails away upon thy scent instead.
There where the sap of life mounts hot in man and tree,
And lush desire untamed swoons in the torrid zone,
Undulant tresses, wild strong waves, oh, carry me!
Dream, like a dazzling sun, from out this ebony sea
Rises; and sails and banks of rowers propel me on.
All the confusion, all the mingled colors, cries,
Smells of a busy port, upon my senses beat;
Where smoothly on the golden streakèd ripples flies
The barque, its arms outspread to gather in the skies,
Against whose glory trembles the unabating heat.
In this black ocean where the primal ocean roars,
Drunken, in love with drunkenness, I plunge and drown;
Over my dubious spirit the rolling tide outpours
Its peace — oh, fruitful indolence, upon thy shores,
Cradled in languor, let me drift and lay me down!
Blue hair, darkness made palpable, like the big tent
Of desert sky all glittering with many a star
Thou coverest me — oh, I am drugged as with the blent
Effluvia of a sleeping caravan, the scent
Of coco oil impregnated with musk and tar.
Fear not! Upon this savage mane for ever thy lord
Will sow pearls, sapphires, rubies, every stone that gleams,
To keep thee faithful! Art not thou the sycamored
Oasis whither my thoughts journey, and the dark gourd
Whereof I drink in long slow draughts the wine of dreams?

— George Dillon & Edna St. Vincent Millay, Flowers of Evil

Pain

2009-01-15T01:40:00.000-08:00

Today as I was watching my husband and my little son laugh and play as they playfully wrestled and as I thanked the Dear Lord for All that he had blessed my precious family with, I could not help but remember the painful situation of the people in Gaza...... I could not help but remember all those children who no longer have parents or all those parents who no longer have even one child left, people who have lost 5 children in a moment, all their hopes and wishes for the future disappearing into thin air full of burning phosphorous gas which is suffocating them even as they mourn their precious lost ones. I read somewhere on the internet that one entire Gazan family has decided to live in one room so that in case of their home being bombed they would ALL die together not some dead some alive.... Oh dear Lord entire families -if they survive- would have nothing left of their loved ones but their memories, not even pictures as their whole house has been demolished... Dear Lord, you are the Wise, the compassionate, the all-knowing, help resolve the catastrophic situation in Gaza in the best possible way as you see fit in your ultimate wisdom.... help the people of the world to know you and to love you and to know themselves and love themselves and their brothers..... help us free ourselves from ignorance, self worship and materialism, help us dear Lord help us.

Eli

Rejecting an Empty Philosophy

2008-12-06T04:19:00.000-08:00

Many people have probably heard about a moslem ceremony called "Hajj" but I think the bulk of information available on this ceremony and the philosophy behind the whole thing is quite unknown to the majority. Asking some moslems about the event has shown me that many of their explanations were just not enough comprehensive to explain the full philosophy behind this great Islamic occassion.

An extensive search for relevent info which would answer many questions at last lead to finding a piece of writing by an Iranian Shia Scholar "Dr Ali Shariati"http://www.al-islam.org/hajj/shariati/.

I found it very interesting and thought-provoking and hope that everyone else would also enjoy reading some parts which I shall put in my posts.

Eli

Life today (not life as it should be carried on) is an idle cyclical action a movement with no goal! A meaningless pendular action starts with the day only to end at night and night starts only to disappear at dawn. In the mean time, man is busy watching the play of these black and white "rats" who chew the strings of our life until we die.

Life (as we live it) is like a theater. Man watches these aimless nights and days. Indeed, what foolish play is conducted! When you are in need, you hope and struggle to overcome your needs. Yet once you achieve this, you view your past efforts humorously. What a senseless philosophy to live by!

Living on a day to day basis, the person lacks direction. His aim is only to live. What exists is a dead spirit in a living body. However, the Hajj experience alters this unhealthy condition!

Once you decide to perform Hajj and take the necessary steps, you are on the road to the actualization of Hajj. Before going to Hajj you reside in your home calm and reposed. Upon entering the state of mind for Hajj, you arise and move away from your routine environment.

Hajj is the antithesis of aimlessness. It is the rebellion against a damned fate guided by evil forces. The fulfillment of Hajj will enable you to escape from the complex network of puzzles. This revolutionary act will reveal to you the clear horizon and free way to migration to eternity toward the Almighty Allah.

Depart from your home. and visit "Allah's house", or the "house of the people"! You, whoever you are,you are a man, Adam's son, and a representative of Allah on earth!You are a relative of Allah, Allah's trustee, His master of nature and a student of God. Allah taught you the names. He made you from His spirit and endowed you with special qualities. You were praised by Him; His angels even prostrated to you. This earth and everything in it was made available to man. God became your "homemate", with you at all times and watching all of your actions. Are you living up to His expectation?

Prophet (PBUH):
Allah is in the hearts of the believers

Quran XXIX:3
Thus Allah knoweth those who are sincere, and knoweth those who feign.

Quran LVII: 25
And that Allah may know him who helpeth Him and His messenger, though unseen.

Quran XVII: 7
Lo! We have placed all that is in the earth as an ornament thereof that we may try them: which of them is best in conduct.

Quran LXVII: 2
Who hath created life and death that He may try you, which of you is best in conduct; and he is the Mighty, the Forgiving,

With the passage of time and the influence of various forces of the social system which disregard human rights and duties, your character has been changed. The vicissitudes of life have affected you to the degree that you became alienated and neglectful. Originally, with Allah's spirit in your heart, you were supposed to shoulder the responsibility of being Allah's trustee on earth. You were granted time as a means for fulfilling this task but you failed because the gift was used carelessly!

Quran CIII: 2-3
By the declining day, Lo! man is in a state of loss,

This is what is called life! But realistically speaking what has been accomplished? What constructive contributions have you made? What have you gained? So many precious years have been lost, yet who are you?
Oh trustee and vicegerent of Allah on earth, you have turned to money, sex, greed, aggression, and dishonesty. You have regressed to the inferior status that you occupied before almighty Allah blew His spirit into you. Where is the spirit of Allah now? Oh man, rise out of this decadent situation! Divorce yourself from this gradual death.
Leave your surroundings and go to the pure land. There you may face Almighty Allah under the inspiring sky of Mashar. The estrangement which you have experienced will be overcome. At last, you will find yourself!

Is there prophesized evidence of the later prophets in the previous books?

2008-09-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

The Jews believe that Moses prophesized the coming of a Christ, and as to this day some orthodox Jews consider themselves Messianic, which as I understand means that they are actually waiting for their real Christ to come (while they reject Jesus as the Christ). Therefore the coming of the next prophets is prophesized by the previous prophet. Then my question is: was the coming of another prophet prophesized in the Bible??

One Extremely important verse that I have encountered in the Bible is a verse which I would like to ask a Christian explain to me from their own viewpoint.

[This part I shall copy/paste from an article on Islam and Christianity-I'm no plagiarizer :0)]

Islamic belief and practice are not based on the Bible. They are based on the Qur'an and on the Sunna or example of the Prophet. The confrontation between Christian and Muslim is often largely a confrontation between books. For that reason Muslims assume that the Bible teaches what Christians believe and practice. They very often use the Bible to show that it does not teach Islam and shows evidence of not being valid. Whether or not the Bible has been corrupted, as Muslim commentators and Christian scholars maintain, is beside the point for the present study. There is no reason why the Bible could not be approached from the opposite angle. The conflict of books is generally a deadlock. A new approach might raise fresh issues among the traditions, and help us to see them in a new light. Does the Bible as we now have it, and as it has been used through centuries of Christian tradition, support Islamic beliefs and practices?

Some Muslims have appealed to the Christian Scriptures on behalf of their faith to some extent. Most such appeals surround the figure of the final prophet. Since much has been written about this, I have not given it a special chapter here. I shall merely summarize some of the more important arguments that Muslims have traditionally made.

The problem posed here is whether or not the Bible is complete and the faith finished, or whether it leaves the door open for prophets to come. The Bible on many occasions contends that people who rejected prophets and divinely appointed leaders in their own times, pretending to rely on earlier ones, no matter how valid these might have been, were lost. Are there any Biblical reasons for rejecting the idea of additions to the canon? Revelation 22:18 appears to be a serious obstacle to addition. `If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.' The answer to this is obvious. These words refer to the whole book that was written in the scroll at hand, that is, the book of Revelation. They do not refer to the addition of more books to the collection of the canon. The book of Revelation itself was accepted in the canon only centuries after it was written. No other Biblical evidence is to be found against more prophets.

On the contrary much warning is given against false prophets and how to recognise them. `For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.' Matthew 24:24. If the prophetic revelation were closed, it would only remain to say that anyone claiming to be a prophet is false. The implication is that at least one more prophet is forthcoming.

Those who came to question John the Baptist reveal that the people of the time knew that another prophet was coming and were expecting him. John 1:19-25. `And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptisest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?'

From this it appears clearly that three figures were expected: the promised Messiah or Christ, Elias or Elijah, and `that prophet'. Although John in his modesty denied it, Jesus later stated that John was the expected Elias (Matthew 11:14). Jesus himself was the expected Messiah or Christ. Who then is the prophet to come? It is a fact that he does not appear in the Bible. So we must look for him after the time of Jesus.

We know that prophets according to the Bible, speak by the inspiration of the Spirit of God. So we can expect to find information if there is any in the promises relating to the future working of the Spirit of God. The most comprehensive of these are found in John 14-16. Looking through these chapters the following verses stand out.

John 14:26. `But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.'

John 15:26. `But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.'

John 16:7-14. `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. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgement, because the prince of this world is judged. 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 into 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: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.'

Now the Spirit of God in the Bible narratives works not in a void but through human beings. This promise refers to a prophet who has ears and a mouth (John 16:13). What do we learn from this prophecy of Jesus about the prophet to follow him? Muslim scholars have pointed out that the Greek word translated `Comforter' is much like the Greek for `Most Praised' or Ahmed, which is a form of the name Muhammad. This alternative is found in the Gospel of Barnabas and in some Syriac sources.

First of all, there is a three-part message. He will reprove the world of unbelief in Jesus Christ. He will bring a message of righteousness, that is a renewed regard for obedience to the commandments. He will emphasise the importance of the Day of Judgement.

Secondly, Jesus remarks that there are many things to be said, but he cannot teach his hearers all of these things because they are not yet ready for them. The inference is that the prophet to come will teach some new points of doctrine and practice that the people of Jesus' time were not ready to receive. These things probably have to do with the change of the direction of prayer and place of pilgrimage from Jerusalem to another place, and other details that could not be accepted as long as the temple existed.

Thirdly, the coming prophet would guide into all truth. That is, when his message is given, there will never be any need for another message, since with his revelation all truth which God intended to reveal will have been revealed.

Fourthly, he will not speak using his own words. He will be verbally inspired. He will actually hear the message of God in spoken form from the angel and will recite verbally what he hears. He will thus be different from some prophets who received the inspired message and wrote it in their own words.

Fifthly, he will reveal future events.

Sixthly, he will preach the things that Jesus himself taught.

It would appear that we have a good deal of information about the prophet to follow Jesus, probably enough to identify him with certainty. Nevertheless, on another occasion Jesus gave still more information. In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus points out that `by their fruits ye shall know them.' This is generally thought to refer to actions, bad fruits being evil actions and good fruits good acts. Psalm 1:3 describes this prophet `who brings forth fruit in his season.' The book of Revelation suggests that the tree has twelve different fruits (Revelation 22:2). It is very possible that Jesus is referring to the fact that the prophet to come should have twelve pure descendants or followers who would have authority and act as the final divine guides in their age. We can be sure of this only if we find a prominent contestant for the position of prophethood who actually had twelve such descendants or representatives.

Contemplation of the seven criteria shows immediately that most of them are subject to interpretation. It would be easy, for example, to construe the three-pronged message to fit almost any claimant to prophet-ship. The one criterion which is hard and fast is the prophecy on the means of revelation. We must look for a prophet who heard a voice and dictated the message word for word.

Joseph Smith, for example, claimed to receive the message on golden plates from which he translated in writing. Although he might fit all of the other criteria, he misses on the most objective one.

Ellen White, to take another prominent example, claimed to hear the voice, but she never claimed verbal inspiration, nor did she dictate the message of the angel in a book She wrote her books in words of her own choice. Besides, she, unlike Joseph Smith, was not followed by a succession of twelve. Nor did she herself in fact claim to be the promised prophet.

All of the criteria can be easily fitted to the case of Muhammad. But the one objective criterion, the means of revelation, seems so overwhelmingly appropriate that it is difficult to dismiss it. The story is that Muhammad was praying and meditating in a cave when the angel Gabriel suddenly appeared to him and he heard the words: `In the name of God the most gracious, ever merciful! Recite in the name of thy Lord who creates perfectly. He creates man from a clot. Recite! And thy Lord is the most honourable!' Qur'an 96:1-3.

The subject of Biblical prophecy as related to Muhammad is widely dealt with by Ahmed Deedat, Abdul-Ahad Dawud, and many others. I have said little here in addition to such studies and left out much that has been said. I would only add something to Ahmed Deedat's excellent handling of Deuteronomy 18:18, `I will raise up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.' Christians often claim that this refers to Jesus. But the parallel between Moses and Jesus seems inconsistent, since Christians claim Jesus to be God and deny such status to Moses. If Jesus is God, he is definitely not like Moses and the passage cannot apply to him. If he is not God, then the Christian doctrine falls.

The history of Muhammad is tragic. After the death of Muhammad many Muslims followed unjust and irreligious caliphs. The later caliphs changed the religion to suit themselves. This is recognised by both orientalists and Muslims alike. The family of the prophet's daughter was hounded, persecuted, poisoned and murdered by the socalled Muslim State. It is only a miracle that some knowledge of the eleven descendants of the daughter of Muhammad has come down to us. These pure, humble, persecuted people might well be compared to the twelve fruits of the good tree Jesus mentions in Matthew seven.

Since we are examining the Bible as the traditional, historical text of Christianity I have chosen to use the King James Version in English and the Hebrew Massoretic text and received text of the Greek New Testament from which it was translated. The editions of the latter I have followed are The New Testament, The Greek Text Underlying the English Authorised Version of 1611, Trinitarian Bible Society, London, and Biblia Hebraica, Johanne Leusden, Everardo Van Der Hooght, Judah D'Allemand, London 1822. I have also referred to the Byzantine Greek text in the edition of Moscow, 1841.

The method will be to examine the whole Bible in terms of the various Islamic beliefs and practices. Critical method will be relevant to the extent necessary to identify Biblical beliefs and practices in context which show similarity or equivalence to Islamic ones. The method is rigorous and scientific, but approaches problems vastly different from those usually examined by scholars. It is not the goal to establish the original or source text. That would defeat the purpose. What is of interest is to what extent the Bible as it has come down to us through Christian tradition reflects not Christian but Islamic aspects. Such a study would be fortuitous except for the fact that the texts of Christianity and Islam share a geographical and to a great extent cultural heritage.

Contradiction no 1-Jesus Christ

2008-09-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

Having gone through the holy texts of Judaism, Christianity and Islam for some time now, I have come to notice an amazing number of similarities in all 3 religions which when looked upon from a higher perspective makes one wonder whether the real Author of all three is not ONE!!

For example even though at first look it seems that it is Islam and Judaism which have the greatest number of similarities, yet when you look deeper and with more scrutiny you realize that there are in fact also many many astonishing similarities between Islam and Christianity!! ( I can give you the exact points if you are interested, it is very lengthy to mention in one email)

It starts getting difficult though when you come to the differences.
As an example I have come to realize that despite the many similarities in belief and religious law between Islam and Judaism, they have a shocking difference when it comes to one point and that is: JESUS CHRIST.

I have come to realize that while JUDAISM CONDEMNS Jesus as an imposter of the CHRIST or the savior to come, and considers him a sorcerer who actually MISLEAD many of the Israeli nation with his magic! (which Christians call Godly Miracles), ISLAM PRAISES Jesus Christ as a very dear prophet sent from the Lord to save the Children of Israel from corruption!! Many verses in the Quran talk in great reverence of Jesus Christ and praise her mother Mary as a CHASTE Godley maiden who was bestowed with the honor of being the mother of one of the Lord's holy prophets. There is even one WHOLE chapter in the Quran dedicated to "MARY"!!!

Here, another difficulty arises. Even though the Quran considers Jesus Christ in a very grand way there is one GREAT difference between the Muslim outlook and that of the majority of Christians. This difference is that:

The Quran, in NO way considers Jesus as the son of God and NEVER deifies him. The Quran mentions again and again that Jesus is ONLY a prophet of the Lord just like many other prophets before him and adds that those Christians who consider him God are in GRAVE mistake!! The funny thing is that I myself have not encountered anywhere in the Bible a direct reference to the TRINITY!!!

Chapter 5- verses 72-74:
* Those who say that God is Christ the son of Mary have disbelieved. Christ [himself] said: "Children of Israel, worship God [Alone, Who is] my Lord as well as your Lord." God will ban the Garden for anyone who associates anything else with God; his lodging will be the Fire. Wrongdoers will have no supporters.
* Those who say: 'God is the third of three," have disbelieved! There is no deity except God Alone. If they do not stop saying what they say, painful torment will afflict those among them who disbelieve. * Why do they not turn towards God and seek His forgiveness? God is Forgiving, Merciful.

So as one can see the difference between Islam and Christianity is NOT on the existence of a REAL Christ but on some aspects of his character as a GUIDE. Both believe in his guiding aspect , but Christianity deifies him while Islam discourages this.
I cant really come to terms with the Judaic version of denying Jesus Christ his prophetic law and the slanders that the Jews attribute to the Virgin Mary. Reading many passage of the Bible assures me that Jesus was NOT an imposter and his Book has a feeling of truth. Also the fact that he actually CONFIRMED what Moses had brought to the Israelites makes me remember a verse in the Quran which says:
Chapter 2-verse 87:
this part is talking to the "children of Israel"
(XI) * We gave Moses the Book and followed him up with messengers later on. We gave Jesus the son of Mary evidence and assisted him with the Holy Spirit. Yet every time some messenger comes to you with what you yourselves do not fancy, why do you act so overbearing? One group you have rejected while another group you would [like to] kill.
* Whenever a messenger from God has come to them to confirm what they already had, a group of those who were given the Book have tossed God's book behind their backs as if they did not know [any better]. (verse 101):
There are numerous other verses which use the word "confirm" in terms of Quran's role in relation to the previous Holy Books.
One very interesting thing that I found in the Bible is sth which is extremely close to these Quranic verses:
Jesus is here saying:
`Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.' Matthew 5:17-19.

So as you can see both religions talk about confirmation of the previous religions, but at the same time completing them.

Another very important fact is that Christians have actually INCLUDED the Old Testament in their holy book and thus I find it very bewildering when I encounter the arguments of Jews against Christians and vice versa.

One very interesting verse(chapter 2-verse 113) I have found in the Quran, ACTUALLy talks about this VERY major quarrel and iits futility since both Jews and Christians quote from the same book!!!!:

Chapter 2-verses 111-113:
* They say: "No one will enter the Garden unless he is a Jew or a Christian. Those individuals are merely saying "Amen" [to their leaders]. Say: "Bring on your proof if you are so truthful," * Rather anyone who commits his person peacefully to God and is acting kindly will receive his earnings from his Lord. No fear shall come upon them nor will they be saddened.

(XIV)* Jews say: Christians have no point to make;" while Christians say: "The Jews have no point to make." Yet they (all) quote from the [same] Book. Likewise those who do know anything make a statement similar to theirs. God will judge between them on Resurrection Day concerning how they have been differing.

Arch prophets-Muhammad

2008-09-03T04:22:00.000-07:00

(5) PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SA) IBN 'ABDILLAH

The biography of Prophet Muhammad (SA) ibn Abdillah is clearer than those of all prophets preceding him, because as a result of the lapse of time and historical changes, their books, shari'ahs, and even their personalities have been distorted and their biographies have become ambiguous.

In fact, there are no clear documents other than those imparted to us through the divine book of Islam, viz, Qur'an and the speeches and statements of Prophet Muhammad (SA) and the Ahl al-Bayt (AS). But there is a clear history on the life of Prophet Muhammad (SA) which describes the characteristics of his life adequately.

The Holy Prophet (SA) of Islam is the last prophet appointed by the Almighty Allah to lead the people of the world.

Fourteen centuries ago, mankind lived in such a condition that nothing was left of Tawhid except nominally and when people had completely deviated from Tawhid and theism. Human manners and justice had died away in their society. Holy Ka'bah had turned into an idol-temple and the religion of Ibrahim (AS) had converted into idolatry.

Arabs led a tribal life and even a few of their cities in Hijaz and Yemen and elsewhere were governed in the same tribal manner. The Arabs lived in the meanest and most backward conditions. Instead of culture and civilization, they indulged in unchastity, sensuality, alcoholism, and gambling. They buried their daughters alive. Most people subsisted by Way of theft, banditry, murder, and plundering each other's belongings, livestock, and cattle. Cruelty and bloodshed were regarded as the greatest honours.

In such an environment, the compassionate Allah appointed Prophet Muhammad (SA) to reform and lead the people of the world. Allah revealed the Holy Qur'an to him, consisting of divine education, theism, the ways of implementation of justice, and beneficial advice. Allah commissioned him to invite people toward humanity and adherence to the truth using that divine authentic Book, Qur'an.

Prophet Muhammad (SA) was born in the city of Makkah in 570 AD (53 years before Hijrah) in the noblest and most honourable Arab family.Muhammad's (SA) father died before he was born. He lost h is mother when he was six years old. After two years, his grandfather (Abdul Muttalib), who was his guardian, died. Then the Prophet (SA) was put under the guardianship of his kind uncle, Abu Talib (the father of the Leader of the Faithful, 'Ali [AS]).

Abu Talib held him then just like one of his own children. Until a few months before Hijrah, he always did his best for the protection and support of Muhammad (SA) and he was never negligent.The Arabs of Makkah, like other Arabs, indulged in breeding sheep and camels. They sometimes used to trade with neighbouring countries, especially with Syria. They were illiterate people who made no effort to educate their children.

Like all his people, the Prophet (SA), too, had not learnt to read and write, but from the beginning of his life, he was privileged by having a series of praiseworthy attributes. He never worshipped idols, lied, and committed theft and treachery. He guarded against evil, disrespectful, and indecent actions and was wise and efficient. Therefore, he gained considerable popularity among the people within a short period and became known as "Muhammad al-Amin" meaning "Muhammad the trustworthy". The Arabs often entrusted him with their belongings and talked about his honesty and efficiency. When he was about twenty years old, a wealthy lady of Makkah, Khadijah al-Kubra, designated him as her representative in commercial trade. As a result of his truthfulness, honesty, wisdom, and efficiency, she earned a great deal of profit. She was naturally attracted by the personality and magnanimity of the Holy Prophet (SA) more than ever and finally proposed to him for marriage. Afterwards also for years, she continued commercial works with her husband.Being considered as one of the people, the Holy Prophet (SA) had an ordinary association with people until the age of forty. Of course, he differed from them in that he had a praiseworthy and decent behaviour and guarded against indecent deeds and conducts which had spoiled others. He did not possess cruelty, hard-heartedness, and status consciousness, thus had earned the respect and confidence of people. It was such that when the Arabs were reconstructing the House of Ka'bah, a quarrel and dispute arose among the tribes on the erection of Al-Hajar al-Aswad (the Black Stone). The people unanimously chose the Holy Prophet (SA) as an arbitrator. He then ordered the people to spread a cloak to place Al-Hajar al-Aswad within. The nobles of the tribes lifted the sides of the cloak and the Holy Prophet (SA) installed the Al-Hajar al-Aswad in its place, thus bringing the conflict of the people to an end without any massacre and bloodshed.

Before his Al-Bi'that al-Nabawiyyah (appointment for prophethood), although the Holy Prophet (SA) worshipped Allah and refrained from idol-worshipping, the people did not bother about him because he did not explicitly struggle against the superstitious beliefs of idolatry. The same applied to those belonging to other religions such as Jews and christians, who lived respectfully among the Arabs without being bothered by them.

Arch prophets-Jesus

2008-09-03T04:20:00.000-07:00

(4) PROPHET JESUS (AS)

Prophet 'Isa (AS) is the fourth of the Ulul'azm Anbiya' bestowed with a book and shari'ah. The circumstances of his birth were unusual. His mother, Maryam, a pious virgin, was worshipping Allah (in Jerusalem) when Ruhulqudus or Jibril (Gabriel) descended from heavens, gave her the good tidings of 'Isa's (AS) birth; and by Jibril's breathing on her sleeves, Maryam became pregnant with 'Isa (AS).

After his birth, 'Isa (AS) began to speak in the cradle in defence of his mother against unfair calumnies attributed to her. He also informed the people about his Nubuwwah(prophethood) and divine book (Inji-Biblel). Later, in his youth, he proceeded to invite the people and revived the shari'ah of Musa (AS) with minor modifications. He sent missionaries from among his hawaris (disciples) to the surrounding places. After his call was spread among the people, the Jews (his ummah) embarked on killing him, but Allah saved him, and the Jews caught someone else in his place and crucified him.

It should be pointed out here that the Almighty Allah, in the Holy Qur'an, confirms a divine book called the "Injil" for 'Isa (AS), which was revealed to him. It is different from the Gospels written after 'Isa (AS) about his life and call. Among them, four Gospels compiled by Luke, Mark, Matthew, and John are formally recognized by Christians

Arch prophets-Moses

2008-09-03T04:17:00.000-07:00

(3) PROPHET MOSES (AS)

Musa (AS) (Prophet Moses) ibn 'Imran is the third of the Ulul'azm Anbiya' and is bestowed with a book and shari'ah (divine religious laws). He was a descendant of Isra'il (AS) or Y'aqub (AS) (Prophet Jacob).Musa (AS) had a tumultuous life. He was born at a time when the Israelites were living in Egypt among Gipsies in a state of abjectness and servitude and when their sons were beheaded by the order of Fir'awn (Pharaoh*).The mother of Musa (AS), according to the order given to her while asleep, placed Musa (AS), in a wooden box and left him in the Nile River. The water carried the box directly to the castle of Fir'awn.By the order of Fir'awn, the box was picked up. When they opened it, they found a baby inside.

Because of the insistence of the queen, Fir'awn dispensed with killing the child. Since they did not have a son, they adopted him as their own son and put him under the care of a nurse (who was incidentally his own mother)Up to the early stages of his youth, Musa (AS) lived in the palace of Fir'awn. Then, after an accidental murder, fearing Fir'awn, he ran away from Egypt. He went to Madyan and met Prophet Shu'ayb (Jethro) (AS). He married one of Shu'ayb's daughters and grazed his sheep for a few years. After a few years, he reminisced his birthplace, took his wife with him, and set out for Egypt, carrying his belongings along. On his way, when he reached Mount Sinai at night, he was assigned to prophetic mission by the Almighty Allah. He was chosen by Allah to invite Fir'awn to the religion of Tawhid(one God), to liberate the Israelites from the yoke of the Gipsies, and to designate his brother, Harun (Aaron), as his minister. But after he announced his mission and communicated the divine message, Fir'awn who was an idol-worshipper and who had also introduced himself to the people of Egypt as one of the gods, did not accept Musa's (AS) prophetic mission and refused to grant freedom to the Israelites.

Although for many years Musa (AS) invited people to tawhid and showed many miracles, Fir'awn and his people showed no reaction other than toughness and moroseness. Finally, by the order of Allah, Musa (AS) emigrated the Israelites and went from Egypt to Sinai desert at night. When they reached the Red sea, Fir'awn, too, came to know and chased them with his army.

Through a miracle, Musa (AS) split the water of the sea and crossed it along with his people, but Fir'awn and his army were drowned. After this event, Allah revealed the Tawrat to Musa (AS) and established the Shari'ah of Musa (AS) among the Israelites.

* In Egypt, kings were called "Pharaohs".

Arch Prophets-Abraham

2008-09-03T04:09:00.000-07:00

(2) PROPHET ABRAHAM (AS)

A long time elapsed after Nuh. (AS). Although many prophets, such as Hud, Salih, and others also led the people towards Allah and righteousness, the polytheism and idolatry flourished day by day and finally became universal. By His sublime wisdom, the Almighty Allah appointed Ibrahim (AS) (prophet Abraham) as a prophet.
Ibrahim (AS) was a perfect example of a man with innate disposition who searched for truth with his pure and immaculate nature. He found out the oneness of Allah and struggled against polytheism and injustice all his life.As revealed by the Holy Qur'an and confirmed by the ahadith of the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt (Members of the Household of the Prophet Muhammad [SA]), Ibrahim (AS) spent his childhood in a cave away from the clamours of people and the tumultuous urban life. He only saw his mother who carried food and water for him from time to time.
One day he came out of his cave and followed his mother to town and paid a visit to his uncle, Adhar, but everything seemed new and interesting to him. Amidst thousands of bewilderments and wonders and with utmost impatience and calmness, his immaculate nature focussed on the creation of things that he saw, trying to find out the secret of their existence and the cause of their creation. He saw idols which Adhar and others carved and worshipped. Ibrahim (AS) asked about their identity, but the explanation he got about their divinity was not convincing. He saw a group of people who worshipped venus, others who worshipped the moon, and yet another group who worshipped the sun. Their divinity was unbelievable to Ibrahim (AS) because each one of them set after a few hours.
After these incidents, Ibrahim (AS), fearlessly, announced his worshipping of the Almighty Allah and his disgust of polytheism and idolatry. He thought of nothing but struggle against idolatry and polytheism. He struggled against idol-worshippers tirelessly and relentlessly and invited them towards monotheism.
Finally, he found a way to the idol-temple and broke the idols. Because of this deed, which people regarded as the greatest crime, Ibrahim (AS) was put to trial. After completion of the formalities, Ibrahim (AS) was thrown into the fire, but Allah saved him and he came out of the fire unharmed.After a while, Ibrahim (AS) emigrated from his original birthplace, Babylon, to Syria and Palestine and continued his invitation of monotheism there.In the last days of his life, he was blessed with two children: Ishaq (AS) (Prophet Isaac), the father of Isra'il (AS) and Isma'il (AS) (Prophet Ishmael), the father of 'Arab Mudar. By the order of Allah, Isma'il (AS), in infancy, and his mother were taken to Hijaz by Ibrahim (AS). They settled around Mount Tuhamah in an arid and barren land without inhabitants. In this manner, Ibrahim (AS) invited the nomadic Arabs to monotheism. Then he built Ka'bah and described the rites of Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) which remained prevalent among the Arabs until the advent of Islam and the call of Prophet Muhammad (SA).
Ibrahim (AS) was endowed with the innate religion. According to the explicit wording of the Holy Qur'an, he had a divine book. He was the first person to call the divine religion as "Islam" and it's followers as "Muslims". Indeed, the religions of the world advocating monotheism, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam terminate at Ibrahim (AS), because Musa (AS), 'Isa (AS), and Prophet Muhammad (SA), the leaders of the aforementioned three religions, were all the descendants of Ibrahim (AS) and had followed his path of call and invitation to monotheism.

Arch Prophets- Noah

2008-09-03T04:05:00.000-07:00

(1) PROPHET NOAH (AS)

Nuh (AS) (prophet Noah) was the first prophet appointed to prophetic mission and sent towards mankind as bearer of divine religious laws and a divine book by Allah, the Merciful.
Nuh (AS) invited the people of those days to monotheism and belief in the Oneness of Allah and asked them to refrain from polytheism and idolatry. As evident from his stories in the Holy Qur'an, Nuh (AS) seriously struggled to settle class distinctions and to eradicate injustice and cruelty. He notified the people of his teachings by way of reasoning which was something new to the people of those days.
After a long period of suffering with ignorant, stubborn, and unruly people, Nuh (AS) guided only a small group of people. Thus, by means of Nuh's (AS) Deluge, the Almighty Allah annihilated unbelievers and cleansed the earth of their defiled entity. Nuh (AS) and a group of his followers who were saved laid the cornerstone of a religious society over again.
This Holy Prophet (SA) is the founder of the religious laws of monotheism and the first divine representative who struggled against cruelty, injustice, and rebellion. Owing to his valuable services rendered to the divine religion, he is allotted a praise and greeting by Allah, a praise which will remain alive and perpetual as long as mankind exists."Peace and salutation to Nuh among the nations (37:79)."

Arch Prophets

2008-09-02T04:02:00.000-07:00

ARCH-PROPHETS AND ALL OTHER PROPHETS

There were five prophets who had divine books and independent teachings. They are referred to as Nuh (Noah) (AS), Ibrahim (Abraham) (AS), Musa (Moses) (AS), 'Isa (Jesus) (AS), and Muhammad (SA) in the following verse:
"He has made plain to you of the religion what He enjoined upon Nuh and that which We have revealed to you, and that which We enjoined upon Ibrahim and Musa and 'Isa that keep to obedience and be not divided therein... (42:13)."
These five prophets, who have books and divine religious laws, are called the Ulul'azm Anbiya' (arch-prophets). The messengers of Allah, however, were not limited to these five prophets, rather each ummah (people) had a messenger. Many prophets were sent by Allah to lead the people, of whom only the names of less than twenty have been mentioned in the Holy Qur'an.
The Almighty Allah states:
"... There are some of them that We have mentioned to you and there are others whom We have not mentioned to you...(40:78)."
He also states:
"And every ummah had a messenger...(10:47)."
Allah states:
"...And (there is) a guide for every people (13:7)."
Yes, prophets, who came after each of the Ulul'azm Anbiya' invited people to follow the divine religious laws of the same prophets. Thus, prophetic mission and the call continued until Allah appointed the Prophet Muhammad (SA) ibn Abdillah to bring the previous prophetic missions to perfection and to communicate the latest orders and the most complete divine religious laws. His divine book became the last book and consequently, the religion of Prophet Muhammad (SA) will remain valid until Qiyamah (Resurrection) and his religious laws will remain everlasting.

Are All prophets sinless?

2008-09-02T03:34:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all;

In an email I received I encountered this question:

"you say that the Muslim faith believes the prophet must be one completely devoid of sin? Does that mean they believe the prophet Mohammed lived a life without sin? As far as I am aware, the only man who has been able to stand-up to the test of "sinlessness" is Jesus Christ . . ."

As you can see in my post on Women in Islam it is mentioned that the Shia Moslems believe that ALL prophets are sinless. According to them being sinless is very crucial criterion of being chosen as a prophet. Therefore they believe that Jesus as the messenger of the Lord is sinless as well as All other prophets including Noah, Isaac, Joseph.......Moses and of course the prophet of Islam Mohammad.

Here is a part of a book I have found concerning the reasons according to common sense behind this claim. The passage first of all talks about the logic behind prophet hood, then moves on towards why all prophets need to be unique and far above other men in terms of all their actions and then distinguishes prophets by categorizing them into "Arch-prophets" and other prophets.

Eli

NUBUWWAH (PROPHETHOOD)

While independent in every respect, the Almighty Allah, with His immense power, has created the world of existence and its various creatures, allowing them to enjoy His countless blessings.
From the first day of creation till the last day of existence, man and other creatures are fostered by Allah. They are each led toward a known and determined goal with a particular order and system. They proceed towards their ends while being exposed to His noteworthy blessings.
If we study and deliberate upon our lifetime, namely the period of infancy, childhood, youth, and old age, our conscience will testify Allah's complete favours to us. When we become more aware of this matter, our wisdom will undoubtedly judge that the Creator of the world is more compassionate to His creatures than anyone else is. Due to this compassion and favour, Allah always considers their interests and never consents to the corruption and defect of their affairs without wisdom and expediency. Mankind is one of the creatures of Allah. We know that man's interest and prosperity depend upon his being realistic and benevolent; that is to say, he must possess true beliefs, praiseworthy ethics, and good deeds.
One may say that with his Allah-granted wisdom, man can distinguish between good and bad and can recognize a well from a path.
It should be known, however, that wisdom alone cannot resolve this difficulty and lead man to realism and benevolence. All these indecent characteristics and unjust actions witnessed in the human society are committed by those who possess wisdom and discernment, however, as a result of selfishness, profit-seeking, and voluptuousness, their wisdom has been overcome by their sentiments and they have succumbed to their carnal desires, leading them astray. Therefore, the Almighty Allah must lead and invite us to prosperity through some other ways and through means which can never be overcome by carnal desires and which never make blunders or mistakes in their guidance. This path is nothing but the path of Nubuwwah.

THE LOGIC IN NUBUWWAH (prophethood)

From what. we have discussed about monotheism, it becomes evident that since Allah creates everything, its fostering also depends upon Him. In other words, the Almighty Allah is the organizer and leader of the movement of any worldly creature or phenomenon that from the very beginning of existence endeavours for its survival, strives to remove its imperfections, eliminates its needs and shortcomings one after another, makes itself independent and self-sufficient as much as possible, and moves in an orderly manner in its path of survival and existence.
A definite conclusion can be drawn from this concept. That is to say, any one of the various kinds of phenomena of the world has a specific evolutionary process for its survival which is done by its special endeavours. In other words, in the path of their survival, worldly creatures of each particular group have a series of specific functions assigned to them by Allah. As the Holy Qur'an, with reference to this fact, states:
"...Our Lord is He Who gave to everything its creation, then guided it (to its goal) (20:50)."
This order applies to all components of creation without any exception. It includes the stars, the earth, their components, compositions that generate primary phenomena, plants, and animals.
Man's condition is the same as others, in this universal guidance, but there is a difference between him and others.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAN AND OTHER CREATURES

The earth has supposedly been created millions of years ago. It employs all its hidden forces and endeavours in the environment of its existence to the extent permitted by opposing forces. It displays the signs of its entity in the field of its rotation and transitional movement, thus maintaining its survival. Unless faced with a stronger opposing force, it will continue this activity and will not fall short of carrying out any of its functions.
For example, from the time an almond tree takes root from a seed until it becomes a fully grown tree, it assumes duties, such as nourishing, developing, etc (in other words, it performs these duties to pursue the course of its existence.) It will never refrain from carrying them out unless it is precluded by a stronger opposing force. This process also applies to any other phenomenon. But mankind performs his particular activities voluntarily and his actions originate from his thoughts and determination. Many a time, man refrains from a task which is entirely to his interests and which is not hindered by any opposing force and undertakes a task which is entirely disadvantageous to him knowingly and intentionally. Sometimes, he abstains from drinking antidote and sometimes he drinks a cup of poison and kills himself.
It is certainly clear that the divine universal guidance will not be compulsory for a creature born with free will. That is to say, the prophets conveyed the message of the Almighty Allah on good and bad and prosperity and wretchedness to the people and warned believers of Allah's chastisement, but the believers have always been free to adopt any one of them. It is true that, in general, man perceives his good and bad and advantage and disadvantage through his wisdom, but that very wisdom often loses its keenness, follows carnal desires, and makes error. Therefore, in addition to the medium of wisdom, divine guidance should positively be achieved through a different medium, which is entirely inviolable to sin and error. In other words, in addition to the medium of wisdom, the Almighty Allah confirms His orders by another medium.
This medium is the same medium of prophethood by which the Almighty Allah reveals His orders to one of His servants through wahy leading mankind to prosperity. Allah appoints him to communicate His orders to the people and to oblige them to follow the orders through hope, despair, encouragement, and threat.
The Almighty Allah states:
"Surely We have revealed to you as We revealed to Nuh (Noah), and the prophets after him...(4:163)." "(We sent) messengers as the bearers of good news and as warners, so that people should not have a plea against Allah after the (coming of) messengers...(4:165)."

ATTRIBUTES OF PROPHETS

From what was discussed, it becomes clear that the Almighty Allah, with His divine teachings, must have provided some of His servants with intuitive knowledge and laws that guarantee man's prosperity and must have sent them to lead the people.
A person who possesses divine messages is called a "nabi (prophet)" and messenger of Allah and the entire set of messages from Allah which he has brought to the people are called "religion".
It has also become clear that a prophet:
(1) Must be free and immune from error. In order to communicate what has been revealed to him to the people without error and mistake, he should be immune from forgetfulness and other mental weaknesses; otherwise, divine guidance will not attain its goal and the general guidance rule will forfeit its applicability and lose its power to influence people.
(2) Must be inviolable to error and sin both in deeds and speech, because sinfulness has no effect in propagation. People do not esteem the speech of a person whose manner and speech are at odds. They even take his deeds for his mendacity and imposture by saying if he meant what he said, he would act accordingly.
By bringing these two aspects together in one phrase, we can say that a prophet must be inviolable to errors and sins to render preaching and propagation effective. In His words, the Almighty Allah, too, refers to this point and states:
"The Knower of the unseen! so He does not reveal His secrets to any, except to him whom He chooses as a messenger. for surely He makes a guard to march before him and after him, so that He may know that they have truly delivered the messages of their Lord...(72:26-28)."
(3) Must possess moral virtues such as chastity, courage, justice, etc, for these are considered as praiseworthy qualities. Anyone who is immune to any sins and follows religion in a perfect manner will never be blemished by moral vices.

PROPHETS AMONG PEOPLE

History indicates that there were prophets among people who responded to the call of Allah; however, the details of their life is not so clear. Only the details of life of Prophet Muhammad (SA) is devoid of ambiguity. The Holy Qur'an, which is the divine book given to Prophet (SA), contains sublime religious aims, has clarified the call of the prophets in the past and has described their goals and objectives.
The Holy Qur'an stipulates that many prophets have been, assigned by Allah to lead the people, all of whom consistently invited the people to monotheism and the true religion. As Allah states:
"And We did not send before you any messenger but We revealed to him that there is no god but Me, therefore worship Me (21:25)."

Islam in practice-On man's duty towards others

2008-09-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

Dear all;

through some emails I have realized that one of the most important aspects of ANY religion is the extent to which it is involved in each person's or a society's affairs. Thus I have decided to look for the involvement of Islamic teachings concerning social rules and regulations. Through my research I have found out that Islam is an infinit source of such information and tries and claims to give ALL people, not just a particular group, all the rules and regulations they may need in earthly life. What I have found out is very interesting to read.

Eli

THE DUTY OF MAN TOWARDS HIS PARENTS

Parents are the means of the creation of a child and the imparters of his initial education and training; therefore, the holy religion of Islam has placed a great deal of emphasis on children's obeying to them and on their respect to an extent that the Almighty Allah has commanded the people to be kind and generous to their parents right after mentioning Tawhid (the Oneness of Allah) and states:
"And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve (any) but Him and has commanded goodness to your parents...(17:23)."

In ahadith enumerating mortal sins, misconduct towards parents ranks second to shirk (polytheism). The Almighty Allah states:

"...If either or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them (so much as) "ugh" nor chide them, and speak to them generous words. And make yourself submissively gentle to them with compassion, and say: 'O my Lord! have compassion on them, similar to what they had on me when they brought me up (when I was) little' (17:23-24)."

How well did an old woman say to her child when she saw him powerful and bulky.
If you recalled your childhoodWhen you were helpless in my arms,You would not treat me unkindly todayAs you are a brave man and I am an old woman.

In the holy religion of Islam, obedience of the parents is wajib (compulsary) except in the case when they order the children to give up one of the wajib deeds of religion or perform a religiously haram act. It has been proven by experience that those who tease their parents do not remain happy and prosperous in their lives and consequently they will not attain salvation.

Mathematic Miracle of the Quran!!!!!

2008-08-27T04:06:00.000-07:00

Dear All;

This week has been a very fruitful one in terms of the new information, sites and articles which I have found.

This post is by FAR different from my previous posts as it contains something that even now that I'm typing it I find really hard to grasp.

As You all probably know one of the reasons for the existence of different versions of the Bible and the Talmud is the different outlooks held by the previous Rabbis or Priests concerning different aspects of these two religions which has unfortunately ( well I think it is unfortunate) lead to many changes taking place in the Talmud or the Bible and in the end in a sort of manipulation of the original text.

Amongst ALL these different versions a person looking for the Truth would like to be given or at least be able to find the ONE version which is the AUTHENTIC one. It is only reasonable to believe that NOT EVERY version of the Talmud or the Bible can be authentic and there should be the possibility of human error (as the Rabbis or Priests who have undertaken to interpret or perhaps change some segments were NOT prophets and therefore NOT immune to human error!)

With Islam the different denominations exist NOT due to these different interpretations or manipulations (as All denominations of Islam have the SAME Quran) but rather as a result of " who should inherit the guidance of Islam after prophet Muhammad's passing away."

The Shia believe that the leadership (of course no more prophet hood here, as Muslims believe that Muhammad was The Last Prophet and there would be no other prophet after him) of the Islamic society should be decided through heavenly guidance and believe that the chosen person should be one who is COMPLETELY FREE of ANY sort of SIN ( just as all the prophets were free of sin according to the Shia). Therefore they believed that the Lord himself has to choose the person and according to Shia sources, the prophet Muhammad -after divine inspiration-announced to his people the rightful person as his successor who would guide them and he was his cousin ALI. But after the prophet's passing away some of the influential people denied Ali the right of becoming the first "Imam" and selected a person in his stead, these people form the Sunni denomination in Islam. Therefore the major difference amongst Muslims is NOT the different versions of the Quran but rather the matter of choosing a successor.

Now All what I have written was an introduction for what I'm about to write now (I'm reaaally sorry for the long intro but I felt I had to give more explanation).

The Muslims believe and I think the Quran itself announces( I have to check out the exact chapter) that while the previous Holy Books of Judaism and Christianity for eg have been manipulated by mankind and therefore distorted some of the words of the Lord, NOTHING of the sort has happened for the Quran and shall actually NEVER happen and the muslims believe that this is a promise of the Lord to keep the Quran immune from manipulation.
Now for me it was very hard to just take these words for granted without seeing even the slightest form of some reason. By reading the Quran of course, one realizes that everything is somehow different from what any human being could write, But I had my doubts as to whether ALL these years after the revelation to Prophet Muhammad there could not occur some small forms of change and manipulation, some segments taken out and erased for example or other segments added and changed.

What I have actually found out on August 27th 2008 is something I can just call EXTRAORDINARY!!

This was most probably not known to the world until 4 or five years ago ( I don't know the exact date but I have to search and find out) PLEASE READ VERY CAREFULLY:

A recent research of the Quran using minimum requirements such as a calculator has lead to stupefying results in calculations of some numbers which I can just call MIRACLE NUMBERS (see if you can find anything else to call them)

By the way, anyone can do the same, all you'll need is a calculator and a copy of the Quran.

If you look at the table of contents in the Quran, you'll find that there are 114 chapters of various lengths.
Now if you look at chapter One, you'll see that it only consist of seven verses, chapter two has 288 verses and so on.

what you need to do is to add the number position of each chapter with its number of verses. For example the first chapter: chapter 1+7(verses); Chapter 2+286(verses)…

You will notice that Miraculously what you get is exactly 57 "even" results and yes exactly 57 "odd" results!!!

But the amazing surprise continues:

*If we add up all our "even" results what we get is a number which is exactly the same as the total number of ALL the verses in the Quran!!!! 6236

AND….

*If we add up all our "odd" results what we get is a number which is exactly the same as the total number of ALL the chapters in the Quran!!!! 6555

See for yourself by using a calculator, a sheet of paper and a pencil. You'll need nothing more!

Note:
I don't really know what the odds are of somebody writing a whole book of about 500 pages( Keep in mind that Prophet Muhammad was ILLITERATE prior to prophethood!!!) in which everything is closely interwoven and completely makes sense, full of different genres such as stories, supplications, prayers, warnings…. and at the same time organize every break of thought or sentence in a way so that about 1000 something years later with the great extent of research done on the Quran, such carefully impossible categorization can be found in it!!!!

I can just exclaim: WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!

This table makes it easier to visualize:

Eagerly awaiting your helpful thoughts.

Wish you all a blessed day
Eli

Eve's Legacy

2008-08-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

Dear all:
The parts in which the wording is in red are parts which I would like to be discussed from authentic Judaic, Christian points of view and I would like you to help me in terms of their authenticity, even though there are bibliographic Notes at the end which seem to show that all the segments have been taken from the Bible and the Talmud.

Thank you for your help once more.
Eli

The image of Eve as temptress in the Bible has resulted in an extremely negative impact on women throughout the Judaeo-Christian tradition.

All women were believed to have inherited from their mother, the Biblical Eve, both her guilt and her guile. Consequently, they were all untrustworthy, morally inferior, and wicked. Menstruation, pregnancy, and childbearing were considered the just punishment for the eternal guilt of the cursed female sex.

In order to appreciate how negative the impact of the Biblical Eve was on all her female descendants we have to look at the writings of some of the most important Jews and Christians of all time. Let us start with the Old Testament and look at excerpts from what is called the Wisdom Literature in which we find:

"I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare....while I was still searching but not finding, I found one upright man among a thousand but not one upright woman among them all" (Ecclesiastes 7:26-28).

In another part of the Hebrew literature which is found in the Catholic Bible we read:

"No wickedness comes anywhere near the wickedness of a woman.....Sin began with a woman and thanks to her we all must die" (Ecclesiasticus 25:19,24).

Jewish Rabbis listed nine curses inflicted on women as a result of the Fall:

"To the woman He gave nine curses and death: the burden of the blood of menstruation and the blood of virginity; the burden of pregnancy; the burden of childbirth; the burden of bringing up the children; her head is covered as one in mourning; she pierces her ear like a permanent slave or slave girl who serves her master; she is not to be believed as a witness; and after everything--death."[3]

To the present day, orthodox Jewish men in their daily morning prayer recite "Blessed be God King of the universe that Thou has not made me a woman." The women, on the other hand, thank God every morning for "making me according to Thy will"[4]. ( This is really something I find very hard to believe from a reigion of the Lord, somebody help me please, I need clarifications. Eli)

Another prayer found in many Jewish prayer books: "Praised be God that he has not created me a gentile. Praised be God that he has not created me a woman. Praised be God that he has not created me an ignoramus."[5]

The Biblical Eve has played a far bigger role in Christianity than in Judaism. Her sin has been pivotal to the whole Christian faith because the Christian conception of the reason for the mission of Jesus Christ on Earth stems from Eve's disobedience to God. She had sinned and then seduced Adam to follow her suit. Consequently, God expelled both of them from Heaven to Earth, which had been cursed because of them.

They bequeathed their sin, which had not been forgiven by God, to all their descendants and, thus, all humans are born in sin. In order to purify human beings from their 'original sin', God had to sacrifice Jesus, who is considered to be the Son of God, on the cross. Therefore, Eve is responsible for her own mistake, her husband's sin, the original sin of all humanity, and the death of the Son of God. In other words, one woman acting on her own caused the fall of humanity.[6]

What about her daughters? They are sinners like her and have to be treated as such. Listen to the severe tone of St. Paul in the New Testament:

"A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I don't permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner" (I Timothy 2:11-14).

St. Tertullian was even more blunt than St. Paul, while he was talking to his 'best beloved sisters' in the faith, he said [7]:
"Do you not know that you are each an Eve? The sentence of God on this sex of yours lives in this age: the guilt must of necessity live too. You are the Devil's gateway: You are the unsealer of the forbidden tree: You are the first deserter of the divine law: You are she who persuaded him whom the devil was not valiant enough to attack. You destroyed so easily God's image, man. On account of your desert even the Son of God had to die."

St. Augustine was faithful to the legacy of his predecessors, he wrote to a friend:
"What is the difference whether it is in a wife or a mother, it is still Eve the temptress that we must beware of in any woman......I fail to see what use woman can be to man, if one excludes the function of bearing children." (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am bewildered)

Centuries later, St. Thomas Aquinas still considered women as defective:
"As regards the individual nature, woman is defective and misbegotten, for the active force in the male seed tends to the production of a perfect likeness in the masculine sex; while the production of woman comes from a defect in the active force or from some material indisposition, or even from some external influence."

Finally, the renowned reformer Martin Luther could not see any benefit from a woman but bringing into the world as many children as possible regardless of any side effects:
"If they become tired or even die, that does not matter. Let them die in childbirth, that's why they are there"

Again and again all women are denigrated because of the image of Eve the temptress, thanks to the Genesis account.

To sum up, the Judaeo-Christian conception of women has been poisoned by the belief in the sinful nature of Eve and her female offspring.

If we now turn our attention to what the Qur’an has to say about women, we will soon realize that the Islamic conception of women is radically different from the Judaeo-Christian one. Let the Qur’an speak for itself:

"For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah's praise-- For them all has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward" (33:35).

"The believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil, they observe regular prayers, practise regular charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His Mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power, Wise" (9:71).

"And their Lord answered them: Truly I will never cause to be lost the work of any of you, Be you a male or female, you are members one of another" (3:195).

"Whoever works evil will not be requited but by the like thereof, and whoever works a righteous deed -whether man or woman- and is a believer- such will enter the Garden of bliss" (40:40).

"Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily to him/her we will give a new life that is good and pure, and we will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions" (16:97).

It is clear that the Qur’anic view of women is no different than that of men. They, both, are God's creatures whose sublime goal on earth is to worship their Lord, do righteous deeds, and avoid evil and they, both, will be assessed accordingly.

The Qur’an never mentions that the woman is the devil's gateway or that she is a deceiver by nature. The Qur’an, also, never mentions that man is God's image; all men and all women are his creatures, that is all. According to the Qur’an, a woman's role on earth is not limited only to childbirth. She is required to do as many good deeds as any other man is required to do.

The Qur’an never says that no upright women have ever existed. To the contrary, the Qur’an has instructed all the believers, women as well as men, to follow the example of those ideal women such as the Virgin Mary and the Pharaoh's wife:

"And Allah sets forth, As an example to those who believe, the wife of Pharaoh: Behold she said: 'O my lord build for me, in nearness to you, a mansion in the Garden, and save me from Pharaoh and his doings and save me from those who do wrong.' And Mary the daughter of Imran who guarded her chastity and We breathed into her body of Our spirit; and she testified to the truth of the words of her Lord and of His revelations and was one of the devout" (66:11-13).

Notes:
[3] Leonard J. Swidler, Women in Judaism: The Status of Women in Formative Judaism (Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1976), p. 115
[4] Thena Kendath, “Memories of an Ortodox Youth”, in Susannah Heschel ed, On Being a Jewish Feminist (New York: Schocken Books, 1983), pp. 96-97.
[5] Leonard J. Swidler, Women in Judaism: The Status of Women in Formative Judaism, op. cit., pp. 80-81.
[6] Rosemay R. Ruether, “Christianity”, in Arvind Sharma ed., Women in World Religions (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1987) p. 209.
[7] For all the saying of the prominent Saints, see Karen Armstrong, The Gospels according to Woman (London, Elm Tree Books, 1986) pp. 52-62. See also Nancy Van Vuuren, The Subversion of Women as Practiced by Churches, Witch-Hunters, and Other Sexists (Philadelphia: Westminster Press) pp. 28-30.

Women In Islam Versus Women In The Judaeo-Christian Tradition

2008-08-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

Dear readers;

As a woman specially interested in women's affairs, but at the same time someone who is 100% agianst the misleading feminist movement, and also as somebody who is trying to study three of the major religions of our world I am very much interested in what each of these religions have to say about "My part of the population: Woman".

As you know I have started reading the Quran and I must inform you that to my amazement ( since I always saw Islam depicted as a very backward religion in its stance towards women which in some respects could be deduced from the situation of women in many Arabic countries) I found ONE WHOLE chapter entitled "Woman".
Now to me this was really amazing to find out.

I am very eager to know what the other two religions have to offer in terms of woman and her rights and hope that those of you who are more informed than me in this particular respect shall help me out.

In my search I have come across this article which I have found very interesting to read. I have not read it completely yet but I was so excited about what I read that I thought I'd share it with you as I read. I'll put additional posts as I continue.

I am still waiting you thoughtful, kind ideas and thoughts.

Eli

Have a good week to come.

WAS IT EVE'S FAULT?!

The three religions agree on one basic fact: Both women and men are created by God, The Creator of the whole universe.

However, disagreement starts soon after the creation of the first man, Adam, and the first woman, Eve. The Judaeo-Christian conception of the creation of Adam and Eve is narrated in detail in Genesis (2:4-24).

God prohibited both of them from eating the fruits of the forbidden tree. The serpent seduced Eve to eat from it and Eve, in turn, seduced Adam to eat with her.

When God rebuked Adam for what he did, he put all the blame on Eve,

"The woman you put here with me --she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it."(Genesis, 3: 12).

Consequently, God said to Eve:

"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you." (Genesis, 3: 16).

To Adam He said:

"Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree of which I forbideen you to eat, “ Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life..." (Genesis, 3: 17).

The Islamic conception of the first creation is found in several places in the Qur’an, for example:

"O Adam dwell with your wife in the Garden and enjoy as you wish but approach not this tree or you run into harm and transgression. Then Satan whispered to them in order to reveal to them their shame that was hidden from them and he said: 'Your Lord only forbade you this tree lest you become angels or such beings as live forever.' And he swore to them both that he was their sincere adviser. So by deceit he brought them to their fall: when they tasted the tree their shame became manifest to them and they began to sew together the leaves of the Garden over their bodies. And their Lord called unto them: 'Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you that Satan was your avowed enemy?' They said: 'Our Lord we have wronged our own souls and if You forgive us not and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be lost' " (7:19:23).

A careful look into the two accounts of the story of the Creation reveals some essential differences.

The Qur’an, contrary to the Bible, places equal blame on both Adam and Eve for their mistake. Nowhere in the Qur’an can one find even the slightest hint that Eve tempted Adam to eat from the tree or even that she had eaten before him. Eve in the Qur’an is no temptress, no seducer, and no deceiver. Moreover, Eve is not to be blamed for the pains of childbearing. God, according to the Qur’an, punishes no one for another's faults. Both Adam and Eve committed a sin [2]and then asked God for forgiveness and He forgave them both.

Notes:
[2]Shi’ah Muslims do not subscribe to the belief that Adam and Eve committed a ‘sin’. They argue that Adam was a prophet and prophets do not sin. Furthermore Adam eating from the tree was before he was sent to the earth {where the ‘Permissible & Forbidden’ (halal & haram) and ‘Obedience & Disobedience’ are applicable and possible}. For more information see http://www.al-islam.org/shiism/ (Chapter 7).

Prayer of the Repenters

2008-08-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends;
Surfing through different sites on the web I came across this prayer in a site which I have put in my sidebar (www.al-islam.org). The prayer is from a very famous person, someone the Shia moslems call the Imam, in this special case Imam Sajjad and his book Sahifa al Sajjadiyah(Munajat).

There are many more prayers each relating to a special case between the Lord and mankind.

I found the wording so intimate and beautiful that I thought it a pity not to share it with everybody else.

It seemed as though I had always wanted to talk to the Lord in this way but had never found quite the right words to say what I wanted to.

I'm sure you'll enjoy it as well

Would love to hear your response and feelings after reading it.

Bless you all

Eli

*Note: Allah is an Islamic word for the Lord or God.

The Whispered Prayer of the Repenters

1- In the Name of ALLAH, the All-merciful, the All-compassionate
2- My God, offenses have clothed me in the garment of my lowliness,
3 -separation from Thee has wrapped me in the clothing of my misery!
4- My dreadful crimes have deadened my heart, so bring it to life by a repentance from Thee!
5- O my hope and my aim!
6- O my wish and my want!
7- By Thy might,َ
8- I find no one but Thee to forgive my sins
9- and I see none but Thee to mend my brokenness!
10- I have subjected myself to Thee in repeated turning,
11- I have humbled myself to Thee in abasement.
12- If Thou castest me out from Thy door, in whom shall I take shelter?
13- If Thou repellest me from Thy side, in whom shall I seek refuge?
14- O my grief at my ignominy and disgrace!
15- O my sorrow at my evil works and what I have committed!
16- I ask Thee,
17- O Forgiver of great sins,
18- O Mender of broken bones,
19- to overlook my ruinous misdeeds
20- and cover my disgraceful secret thoughts!
21- At the witnessing place of the Resurrection, empty me not of the coolness of Thy pardon and forgiveness,
22- and strip me not of Thy beautiful forbearance and covering!
23- My God,
24- let the cloud of Thy mercy cast its shadow upon my sins
25- and send the billow of Thy clemency flowing over my faults!
26- My God,
27- Does the runaway servant go back but to His master?
28- Or does any anyone grant sanctuary to him form His angert but He?
29- My God,
30- if remorse for sins is a repentance,—by Thy might—am one of the remorseful!
31- If praying forgiveness for offenses is an alleviation, I am one of those who pray forgiveness!
32- To Thee I return that Thou may be well pleased!
33- My God, through Thy power over me, turn toward me,
34- through Thy clemency toward me, pardon me,
35- and through Thy knowledge of me, be gentle toward me!
36- My God, Thou art He who hast opened a door to Thy pardon and named it 'repentance', for Thou said,
37- (Repent to ALLAH with unswerving repentance).
38- What is the excuse of him who remains heedless of entering the door after its opening?
39- My God,
40- though the sins of Thy servant are ugly, Thy pardon is beautiful.
41- My God I am not the first
42- to have disobeyed Thee, and Thou turned toward him,
43- or to have sought to attain Thy favour, and Thou wert munificent toward him.
44- O Responder to the distressed!
45- O Remover of injury!
46- O Great in goodness!
47- O Knower of everything secret!
48- O Beautiful through covering over!
49- I seek Thy munificence and Thy generosity to intercede with Thee,
50- I seek Thy side and Thy showing mercy to mediate with Thee,
51- so grant my supplication,
52- disappoint not my hope in Thee,
53- accept my repentance,
54- and hide my offense, through Thy kindness and mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful!

Good to Share

2008-08-23T07:11:00.000-07:00

Dear All;

A Godly Kind Blogger (Dana) has been posting and answering some of my Questions concerning Christianity and the Bible and the different denominations or the versions of the Holy Bible. I actually thought it worthwhile and enlightening to post these dialogues on my main page for all of you to read, in case some of you dont read all the comments section. Here they are. Hope you enjoy reading them and add your own helpful comments and ideas.

Eagerly awaiting your contributions and help

Eli

Dana said...

Eli:Wow! You have tackled quite an undertaking here -- and with children at home! I admire your deligent search for the truth, and I am praying God will honor your search. You asked me to provide some insight, so I thought I would answer some of your questions regarding Christianity. I'll try to keep this short! Of course, keep in mind I'm coming from a Christian perspective and I believe firmly in God as the only God, and Jesus Christ as the only means to Him, so that will (rightfully so) influence all I tell you.First, while there are many denominations of Christianity, all agree on some basic tenants. They are: we are all created by God, in His image; we are all sinners, meaning we have traded the truth about God for a lie and lived accordingly; God's justice demands we pay the penalty for our sins - death; God's mercy provided a solution for this payment - He sent His son, to die on a cross, to pay the penalty for our sins; when we believe in God and put our trust in Him, we receive His free gift of mercy and His on-going gift of grace, and we will join Him in heaven for all eternity; the Bible is the Word of God, communicated by God through men, to provide us with both an understanding of who God is and an understanding of the standard He holds us to; it is only by the Holy Spirit that we are empowered to live the life required of us in the Bible. Even in these few statements, there are areas of disagreement - but I would say most people who call themselves a Christian would agree with these statements. Denominations, then, are really a reflection of God's creativity! Just as we each are individuals, each denomination is kind of like a corporate individual. So don't get stuck on which denomination is "right" - that's not as critical of a question as the real questions you're asking - which God is right?The next question you had was regarding the Bible. As you noted, there are many different translations available. The difference between translations, at the most basic level, lies in the translation approach taken, whether the translators were trying to render a literal translation or a "thought-for-thought" translation. My recommendation - pick the one that makes the most sense to you (unless you want to learn Greek and Hebrews and read it in the original language!). All of them contain the same information, it's just presented differently.Finally, I want to recommend one site that I think does an incredible job of offering reviews and insights on studying the Bible - it's called Best Bible (http://www.best-bible.org/). Truth-in-advertising statement here - a friend put it together! But I would recommend it even if the moderator weren't a friend.I'll stop for now, to save you space! But please let me know if there are any other questions I can answer. I'll keep an eye on your blog and chime in when I have something worth sharing.
August 11, 2008 11:32 AM

eli said...

Dana;I really appreciate your helpful response. thanx also for the site, I'll visit it in my first free time from housework...... :-). You gave a good summary of who a Christian is, I hope you'll continue visiting my blog and add more crucial information about all aspects of Christianity.While I'm thankful to your enlightening response I must admit that there are some points I find difficult to agree on. One such point is what you said about the different denominations and their being a symbol of God's creativity.You said that you believe in Only One God(As far as I have found out this is exactly what the Jews and Moslems also believe in). Don't you think that it can only be reasonable that this One and Only God should present the ones whom he has equally created with only one way that leads to salvation? If you really think about it you'll realize that being unified in outlook is in fact a very important advantage that I dont think someone as wise and all-knowing as God would sacrifice in order to show his creativity. I agree that we are all individuals and may have our individual needs when it comes to fulfilling our religious needs, but i would think that to a great power such as God we would all be the same. I would think that it were perhaps the degree of each person's piety and his/her dedication to God which would make one individual different from another, not choosing a particular denomination. I'm sure you also agree that there are instances when denomination differences lead to trouble and havoc just as we have seen in all major religions and the conflicts among their different denominations in world history.I therefore think that a limitless all powerfull, like God would move all his people towards ONE Unified Truth and NOT various half-truths which would I think in the end not be able to grasp the REAL TRUTH.Wow I thought I'd be brief and look what has happend!!I once again thank you for your comment and greatly hope that you'll continue your thoughtful dialogue here with me and hopefully other visitors.Have a nice time with your family and your two lovely children.Eli
August 11, 2008 12:16 PM

Dana said...

Eli:I'll keep this brief because now is the time I usually spend in the Bible . . . but I wanted to write back that you are absolutely, 100% correct. It would make no sense for an absolutely perfect God to have several different ways to reach Him. As the Bible says (in John 14:6) "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (this is Jesus Christ, the son of God, speaking). I think your confusion lies in what denominations are. In the Christian religion, denominations aren't different "sects" that have different opinions on how to reach God - they differ on uncritical aspects, such as worship style (whether the music should be acapella, with organs, or with guitars and drums), whether a person should be "dunked" or "sprinkled" when baptized . . . I wouldn't worry about the differences in denomination at this point in your search. There are more critical differences regarding theology between the different denominations, but they won't make much sense until you understand who God is and why He is, as I believe, the only true God. One thing that denominations should not disagree on is who God is (which is one reason why I would disagree with the thought that Mormons are a "denomination" of Christianity - they believe, among other differences, that there is another book in addition to the Bible and this thought doesn't line up with what the Bible says about itself). Really, the easiest way to tell what all Christians should agree on is to read the Bible, in its entirety, with prayer. There are certainly different interpretations on what it all means, but I believe that if you read the Bible prayerfully and honestly God will reveal Himself to you. The Bible can only be understood with prayer, and in context (removing verses to make points can get very dangerous). I hope that clarifies the denomination question. Summary answer -- don't get bogged down in what the differences are between denominations. They are a man-made creation. Look at what the Bible, the word of God, says about who God is. That's where your answers lie, not in the documents put out by man-made institutions.
August 13, 2008 4:15 AM

eli said...

Dana;You are absolutely right. I think I need to clarify a few points here as to avoid furthur misconceptions :-)It has never been my intention to discover which denomination is the absolute truth.In All religions there are unfortunately many many denominations which only makes it more difficult for the seeker. I agree that talking about denomination differences is only a WASTE of time and shall result in no good.I just have a short question:If I want to study Christianity is it OK for me to start by reading the first Bible that comes my way? Is it ok for example to search the internet and start reading any Bible (you know that there are many different versions)that I find online? Wouldn't I later on for example encounter differences in outlook which would force me to study other versions as well?Up to now I have realized that the Bible is a lot easier than the Talmude in reading. That is because even in one version of the Talmude there are numerous versions of verdicts by different Rabbis on the same subject which I find very confusing and as I have found out even the most religious Jews cannot agree on many of them.So Dana,( I don't know which denomination you belong to) would you recommend me to read the Bible, just any version I may like or do you think that one should be careful in choosing? If the latter, how should one find out which version is more near to truth and authentic? I didn't have this problem with the Quran, because as I have mentioned before there is only and only ONE version and I find it a blessing (the Quran itself considers this fact a miracle of the Lord shown to mankind in terms of showing the authenticity of the book)I would be eagerly waiting your helpful answers.thanx againEli
August 14, 2008 12:01 AM

Dana said...

Eli:Something further to add to our discussion on denominations -- I asked a friend in seminary how he would explain the difference between denominations, and here's what he had to say. Hope it helps, and hope your quest continues to go well! Oh, and here's his blog (http://www.goingtoseminary.com/), if you're interested."Denominations occur mostly out of human preference. As humans, we tend to decide the things we want to emphasize and we gather like minded people around us. So, Presbyterians like to talk about God's sovereignty and think that it is important, so people who also think that tend to be drawn to that denomination. Baptists think that evangelism is really important, so people who think that tend to be drawn to that denomination. Charismatics think spiritual gifts are really important, so people who think that tend to be drawn to those denominations.Now, the catch is that though these denominations tend to have areas of emphasis, they all agree on the main thing, that Jesus is the most important.An analogy, though probably a weak one (as most analogies are) is Restaurants. All restaurants are about food. However, some restaurants tend to emphasize different aspects of food. Some emphasize it ability to be prepared quickly, some emphasize its ability to be presented in a beautiful manner, and some emphasize how amazing it can taste. While all these restaurants focus on a true aspect of food, they all agree that restaurants are about food. Also, in most restaurants you'll find mostly the same thing: meat, seasonings, starch, veggies, a kitchen, pots, pans... They may be set up slightly different, they might uses things in a slightly different manner... but at the end of the day, it is a restaurant and it serves food.In the same way, denominations are about Jesus. In all of them you will find the gospel of faith in christ, you will find communion and baptism, you will find the 66 books of the bible, you will find worship and prayer of the triune God, you will find a virgin birth, you will find death on a cross. Now, these might be arranged a little differently or presented a little differently, but it is all there."Hope that helps!Dana
August 20, 2008 12:02 PM

eli said...

Dana;I really appreciate your designating some part of your time to answer my questions. May the Almighty Lord give you your due reward and blessing.Thanx for the explanation on denominations, but you still didn't answer my question concerning different versions of the Bible and whether its fine to read ANY version I come across. Its really important for me to know the differences about the different versions and the extent of difference. Also some info concerning the reasons for lack of unity among the available Bibles would be of great help. You see I just cant come to terms with the fact that if God is ONE unique entity being worshipped by for eg all Christians, why should He NOT send ONE unique book for the worshippers? I understand your explanations concerning the differenr denominations but really can't come to terms with the DIFFERENT versions of the Bible, it just doesn't make sense.Of course as I have mentioned before, this problem is non-existant regarding the Quran which has made my job or anyone else's quite easy and the Quran itself considers this ( its uniqueness amongst All Moslems regardless of any denomination) something miraculous and a reflection of the Qurans lack of manipulation by mankind and a true revelation without change sent from God.Of course if you take a quick look at my blog you'll see that up to now I have found verses from the Quran which shows that the Moslems through the Quran are faithful to the holy religions before Islam, namely Judaism , Christianity and they also believe in all the prophets that the Jews and Christians believe in. Islam just claims that it has come as a COMPLETING agent and the Final revelation from the Lord in order to finish off and complete whatever was revealed before it and also to remove any manipulations which have entered the Holy Books of the previous pious People of the Holy Books.I am therefore asking you and ANY other good Christian to help me find out the version of the Bible upon which MOST denominations agree upon and also to have reasons to support this choice, ones that would satisfy any one who might ask me why I have chosen that particular version for example.Also information regarding the differences amongst the available Bibles and the REASONS for these differences would be much helpful and appreciated.I'm sorry for all the troubles I'm making, but you probably understand how important it would be to me or anybody else who has started this major research for the Truth.May the Almighty help us all in our journey for TRUTH.Thank you againEli
August 23, 2008 7:09 AM

puzzling questions

2008-08-08T05:04:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all!

As you can see I've been reading the Quran now for some time. I haven't been making very much progress so far because I feel that I need to ponder upon every word and also because at the same time I'm trying to gain acess to the Talmude and study that as well... but unfortunately right now I'm facing many problems. One of the most important ones being the fact that I have now through some research realized that the Talmud is not just one book but in fact something like an encyclopedia, also I have come to realize that there are two versions of the talmude, the Babylonian and the Jerusalem Talmude, from what I've gathered the Babylonian Talmude is of higher authority and in cases of doubt is the decisive one. Now for me there is a big question mark as to how to determine which one to study and even if I decide to for example start with the Babylonian one how shall I be able to get access to the complete version. I have more or less found out that there is NO complete version of the Talmude online, while I have found numerous versions of the Quran on the internet. I would therefore ask anyone who can help in terms of information on access to the complete version of the Talmud ( Babylonian or Jerusalem) preferrably an online version.

In terms of Christianity also I have been facing numerous difficulties. I know that the Christian Bible consists of the Old Testament and the New Testament, but again a quick search through the internet has just increased my bafflement as there are so many different denominations that I just don't know with which to start if the need arises so.

One great advantage that I've found with the Quran is the elimination of this baffling circumstance due to there being only ONE version of the Quran to which ALL Muslems adhere, regardless of which denomination they belong to.

I have therefore decided to continue reading the Quran but at the same time need the help of those who are knowledged in Judaism and Christianity so as to have an objective outlook presented in my blog.

May the Lord Guide all with His Light.

I'll be eagerly waiting any response.

wish you all a healthy weekend.
Eli

The story of Moses in chapter entitled "TA-HA"

2008-08-06T00:50:00.000-07:00

This chapter of eight sections was revealed after the previous one on "Mary 19".
It begins with the story of Moses (I-II), narrated in a conversational style, full of vivid word pictures.

In the name of God, the Mercy-giving, the Merciful!
(I) * T. H.
* We have not sent the Quran down to you in order to upset you, * but only as a Reminder for someone who acts cautiously; * [it is] a revelation from the One Who created the earth and the highest heavens, ** the Mercy-giving [Who is] settled on the Throne. He owns whatever is in Heaven and whatever is on Earth, as well as whatever lies in between them, and what lies underneath the sod.
* No matter whether you speak out loud, He still knows your secrets and what is even more suppressed.* God, there is no deity except Him!His are the Finest Names!

Moses' Story

* Has Moses' story ever reached you? ** Once he saw a fire and told his family: "Wait here; I have glimpsed a fire. Maybe I can bring you a coal from it, or find some guidance at the fire."
Disbelievers' Victims
* As he came up to it, [a voice] called out: "Moses, * I am your Lord! Take off your sandals; you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa. * I have chosen you, so listen to whatever is revealed: * I am God [Alone]! There is no deity except Myself, so serve Me and keep up prayer to remember Me by. ** The Hour is coming! I am keeping it hidden so that each soul may be rewarded for whatever it accomplishes. * So do not let anyone who does not believe in it and follows his own passion, bar you from it so that you may perish!

* "What do you have in your right hand, Moses?" * He said: "It is my staff. I lean on it, and beat down fodder for my sheep and goats with it; and I have still other uses for it." * He said: "Toss it down, Moses."

** So he threw it down, and just imagine, it became a snake that crawled along! * He said: "Pick it up, and do not be afraid. We shall return it to its original shape. * And stick your hand under your armpit: it will come out white without [showing] any blemish, as another sign * so that We may show you some of Our greatest signs! * Go to Pharaoh; he has been so arrogant."
Moses' Prayer
(II) ** He said:

"My Lord, ease my breast for me! * Make my affair easier for me,* and loose a knot from my tongue* so they may understand whatever I say.* Grant me a helpmate from my own people,** Aaron, my brother.
* "Back me up by means of him * and let him share in my affair * so that we may glorify You frequently * and mention You often, ** since You have been Observant of us."

* He said: "You have been granted your request, Moses. * We endowed you another time * when We revealed whatever was revealed to your mother: * "Cast him into the chest, and toss it into the river. The current will throw him up on the shore where an enemy of Mine as well as an enemy of his will pick him up."
"I have lavished love of My own on you so that you might be made into My darling. ** So your sister was walking along, and said: "Shall I lead you to someone who will take care of him?' Thus We returned you to your mother to comfort her and so she would not feel so sad.
"You killed a soul and We saved you from grief. We tested you severely, and you stayed among the people of Midian for years. Then you came just as fate [decreed], Moses. * I have produced you for Myself. * Take My signs away, both you and your brother, and do not neglect to mention Me. * Go to Pharaoh; he has been so arrogant. * Speak a soft word to him so that he may be reminded or even feel afraid."

** They both said: "Our Lord, we fear lest he crack down on us or that he should act arrogant." * He said: "Do not fear; I am with you both. I both hear and see. * Go to him and say: "We are both messengers from your Lord. Send the Children of Israel away with us and do not torment them. We have brought you a sign from your Lord, and may "Peace be upon whoever follows guidance." * As for us, it has been revealed to us that torment is due anyone who says it is a lie and turns away!'"
* He said; "Who is Lord for both of you, Moses?" ** He said: "Our Lord is the One Who has given everything its own constitution; then guided it." * He said: "So what was the attitude during earlier centuries?" * He said: "Knowledge concerning them rests in a Book with my Lord. My Lord neither misses anything, nor does He forget, * [since he is the One] Who has laid out the earth as a carpet for you and has traced highways on it for you, and sent down water from the sky, We have brought forth every sort of plant with it, of various types. * Eat and pasture your livestock [on it]; in that are signs for men of accomplishment.

* Yet We showed him all Our signs, and he said they were lies and rejected them! * He said: "Have you come to us to turn us out of our land through your magic, Moses? * We will bring magic to match it, so make an appointment between us and you in some convenient place which neither we nor you will break." * He said: "Your appointment will be on Decoration Day so that people may be summoned early in the morning."
** So Pharaoh turned away and put his plan together; then he came [back]. * Moses told them: "Watch out for yourselves! Dont invent any lie about God lest He blot you out through torment. Anyone who invents things will be disappointed." * They debated their case among themselves and kept the discussion secret. * They said: "These are both magicians who want to expel you from your land by means of their magic, and do away with your exemplary ways. * Get together for your scheme; then come all lined up. Whoever comes out on top today will prosper!"
The Tournament of Magic
** They said: "Moses, either you will cast [something] or shall we be the first to cast [a spell]?" He said: "Rather you throw [first]."
You should have seen their ropes and rods! It appeared to him as if they were moving around because of their magic, * so Moses conceived a fear within himself. * We said: "Do not act afraid: you will come out on top! * Throw down what is in your right hand so it will swallow up anything they have produced. What they have produced is only some magician's trick, and no magician succeeds no matter where he goes."
** So the magicians threw themselves down on their knees. They said: "We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses." * He said: "Have you believed in Him before I permit you to? He must be your chief who has taught you magic! I'll cut your hands and feet off on opposite sides, and have you crucified on the trunks of datepalms, so you may know which of us is harsher with torment and going to last longer."
* They said: "We will never choose you before explanations have come to us nor ahead of the One Who originated us. Decide anything you may decide; you are no judge: You will only decide during this worldly life. * We believe in our Lord, so He may forgive us our mistakes as well as for any magic you have compelled us to perform. God is Better and more Enduring."

One whole chapter on "MARY"!

2008-08-05T02:35:00.000-07:00

I have found a whole chapter in the Quran entitled "Mary" and was quite amazed. It seems that the moslims have a very high regard of Jesus Christe and his mother Mary. I will post some parts of the chapter and would be eagerly waiting to hear about your thoughtful response.In another chapter I read that the Quran denounces some people of the book for slandering Mary of unchastity and promises punishment for those who consider her not pure.

Mary

(II) * Mention in the Book how Mary withdrew from her people to an Eastem place. * She chose to be secluded from them. We sent her Our spirit, who presented himself to her as a full-grown human being. *She said: "I take refuge with the Mercy-giving from you, unless you are someone who does his duty."* He said: 'I am only your Lord's messenger to bestow a clean-living boy on you," ** She said: "How shall I have a boy when no human beinghas ever touched me, nor am I a loose woman?" * He said: "Thus yourLord has said: "It is a simple matter for Me [to do]. We will grant him as a sign for mankind and a mercy from Ourself." It is a matter that has been decided."* So she conceived him, and withdrew to a remote place to have him. *Labor pains came over her by the trunk of a datepalm. She said: "If only I had died before this, and been forgotten, overlooked!"* Someone called out to her from below where she was: "Dont feel so sad! Your Lord has placed a brook at your feet. ** Shake the trunk of the datepalm towards you so it will drop some fresh dates on you. Eat and drink, and refresh yourself. Should you see even a single human being, then say: "I have vowed to keep a fast to the Mercy-giving whereby I'll never speak to any person today!"'* She carried him back to her family. They said: "Mary, you have brought something hard to believe! * Kinswoman of Aaron, your father was no evil man, nor was your mother a loose woman." * She pointed to him. They said: "How shall we talk to someone who is a child in the cradle?"

Jesus's Speech As a Child

** He said: "I am God's servant. He has given me the Book and made me a prophet. * He has made me blessed wherever I may be, and commissioned me to pray and [pay] the welfare tax so long as I live;and [to act] considerate towards my mother. He has not made me domineering, hard to get along with. * Peace be on the day I was born,and the day I shall die and the day I am raised to life again!"* Such was Jesus, the son of Mary; [it is] a true statement which they are still puzzling over. It is not God's role to adopt a son. Glory be to Him! Whenever He determines upon some matter, He merely tells it:"Be!", and it is. * God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him[Alone]. This is a Straight Road [to follow].* Factions have differed among themselves, yet how awful will it be for those who disbelieve when it comes to the spectacle on such a dreadful day! * Listen to them and watch for the day when they will come to Us; though wrongdoers are in obvious error even today. * Warn them of the Day of Regret when the matter will be decided; they act so heedless and still do not believe. ** It is We Who will inherit the earth plus anyone on it; to Us shall they return.

Something very interesting about the definition of the word "Muslim" in the Quran

2008-07-07T05:34:00.000-07:00

While re-reading the chapter "The House of Imran" I came across a verse which I had previously not taken careful notice of! Reading the verse which I shall put up after this intro. it seems to me that the verse is implying that the Lord has always meant ONLY ONE religion to guide his people and had in fact no intention of the people of the world to differ concerning their religious outlooks or to be divided into Jews, Christians, Muslims...... The verse appears to be saying that ALL good Jews and Christians and Muslims should be considered as ONE entity and also points to the fact that Abraham the prophet considered himself a Muslim ( here by Muslim the book is referring to someone who is after the truth and one who acts in the best possible way towards his Lord.)

Looking at the verse itself might be more helpful:

Who are Muslims?

*Say: "We believe in God and what has been sent down to us, and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Issac, Jacob and their descendants, and what was given Moses, Jesus and the prophets by their Lord. We do not differentiate between any one of them, and we are committed to [live at] peace with Him."
[House of Imran. Verse 84]

I was immensely amazed after reading this verse and thinking how utterly joyful a world we might have had, had there not been all these different denominations which would quarrel in some aspects while in fact having great similarities amongst them.

Hope to see your thoughtful ideas and comments!

The Quran's view on religions before Islam

2008-07-04T04:54:00.000-07:00

I have found some very interesting things about Judaism and Christianity in the Quran which I think is worthwhile for every Jew and Christian to know. In some respects, for example in the cases of Mary and Jesus Christ the information is simply amazing, although a little further on there are some differences to be noticed ( I have only just started the Quran and have only finished three chapters so far, so my information about other religions in the Quran is not comprehensive as I have heard that throughout the chapters and verses there are references made, but I promise to put up everything that I find regarding this aspect as soon as possible)

*He(God) has sent down the Book to you with Truth to confirm whatever existed before it. He sent down the Torah and the Gospel* in the past as guidance for mankind; He has (also) sent down the Standard.....
[The House of Imran: verses 3 and 4]

About the Torah
* We have sent down the Torah containing guidance and Light. The prophets who were committed to [live in] peace judge those who were Jews by means of it, and [so do] the rabbis and scholars, because of what they sought to observe from God's book. They have even acted as witnesses for it. [The Table: verse 44]

*We had Jesus, the son of Mary, follow in their footsteps in order to confirm what had come before him from the Torah and We gave him the Gospel which contains guidance and Light, to confirm what he already had in the Old Testament, and as guidance and a lesson for those who do their duty. * Let the people of the Gospel judge by what God has sent down in it; Those who do not judge by what God has sent down are perverse!

The story of Mary and Jesus
* God selected Adam and Noah, Abraham's House and Imran's House over [everyone in] the universe. * Some of their offspring are descended from others. God is Alert, Aware. **Thus a woman [from the House] of Imran said: My Lord I have freely consecrated whatever is in my womb to you. Accept it from me; You are Alert, Aware!
*When she gave birth, she said:" My Lord, I have given birth to a daughter."--(God was quite Aware of what she had given birth to, for a male is not like a female)--" I have named her Mary, and ask You to protect her and her offspring from Satan the Outcast."* Her Lord accepted her in a handsom manner and caused her to grow like a lovely plant, and told Zachariah to take care of her. Every time Zachariah entered the shrine to [see] her, he found she had already been supplied with food. He said: "Mary, how can this be meant for you?" She said: "It comes from God, for God provides for anyone He wishes without any reckoning."...........*So the angels said: " Mary, God has selected you and purified you. He has selected you over [all] the women in the universe.* Mary, devote yourself to your Lord; fall down on your knees and bow alongside those who so bow down."...... **Thus the angels said;" Mary, God announces word to you about someone whose name will be Christ Jesus. the son of Mary, [who is] well regarded in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those drawn near [to God]. * He will speak to people while still an infant and as an adult, and will be an honorable person." * She said: " My Lord, how can I have a child while no human being has ever touched me?" He said: "That is how God creates anything He wishes. Whenever He decides upon some matter, He merely tells it: 'Be!', and it is. * He will teach him the Book and wisdom, Plus the Torah and the Gospel* as a messenger to the children of Israel: ' I have brought you a sign from your Lord. I shall create something in the shape of a bird for you out of clay, and blow into it so it will become a [real] bird with God's permission. I shall cure those who are blind from birth and lepers, and revive the dead with God's permission. I shall announce to you what you may eat and what you should store up in your houses. That will serve as a sign for you if you are believers, ** confirming what I have already[learned] from the Torah. I shall permit you some things which have been forbidden you. I have brought you a sign from your Lord, so heed God and obey me!*God is both my Lord and your Lord, so serve Him. This is a Straight Road!'"
[The House of Imran verses 33-50]

Why I'm here and what I'm looking for!

2008-07-04T04:04:00.001-07:00

In The Name of The Most High

I'm a 32 year old married woman in search of spiritual knowledge and salvation through comprehensive research and thoughtful meditation. In order to achieve this end, after extensive reading and questions I have finally decided to work specifically on two of our world's most misunderstood ideologies or religions, namely Islam and Judaism.

All my effort goes towards a truthful search and dedicated attempt to reveal the realities and solve contradictions and misunderstandings. Fortunately while searching through the internet for information I came across Mrs Anna T's blog entitled "Domestic Felicity" and am glad to say I have found it a most helpful blog in terms of clarifying Jewish life from the point of view of an orthodox Jew.

I have recently started reading the Quran (I am yet at the begining of the book but would like to share my reading process on this blog with others)and greately welcome points of views of the other dear visitors. Through my research I realized that Islam has different groups within itself but the most important ones are as I have found out the Sunnis and the Shias. The latter seems to be the most controvertial and of course in the minority yet it has interesting things to offer which I hope to be able to find out, understand and hopefully judge.

I would greatly welcome any contribution in terms of information to my blog.

One important note: I have great emphasis on an atmosphere of friendship and peaceful dialogue and seriously oppose ANY kind of insult or personal attack.

Hope to see your great, thoughtful contributions.