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Discover Islam ...

Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Reaping the Benefits of Ramadan

If we were to think long and hard and use our minds in order to reflect upon how to seize the opportunities and reap the benefits of this month, we would no doubt come up with numerous ideas and means. Consequently, we would realize the value of this great month and its multiple blessings that we are not aware of.

Many channels of good deeds, means of reforming thoughts and Da‘wah projects could be implemented in this noble month. Thus, we would lead the way of righteous people in utilizing their time in a way that benefits our Ummah (Muslim nation) and society.

Why is Ramadan a chance of a lifetime?

If we think deeply about our lives and time, we would have no doubt that in each second and minute we live there are many chances that never return again... [/FONT]

Ramadan Oasis 1431 - Islamweb.net
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Light upon Light

Allah is The Light of the Heavens and Earth

Brother Khaled Bahijri reflects on the parable in the Quran that refers to the guidance of Allah as light upon light. He reminds where the guidance of the light comes from and how we can work to attain that guidance.[/FONT]

[youtube]GxBK4cT9LvQ[/youtube]

YouTube - 9. Light Upon Light - Khaled Bahijri

(8 minutes)
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
Legacy of Peace

A Journey of Learning And Discovery
Islam And Its Relationship With Christianity And Judaism

Find out how true faith, rationality and love can bring people together and create a more conductive environment for all.

Part 1: Introduction to Islam
Common Ground Collaboration ...

Speakers in Part 1 include Dr. John Esposito, Dr. Hassan Hathout, Rev. Paul Tunkle and Rabbi Reuven Firestone from LA

[youtube]UUrtX_fYBSA[/youtube]

YouTube - Legacy Of Peace The True Islam Exposed Part 1 (1 of 3) English with Arabic Subtites

(Part 1 - 1/3 - 10 minutes)
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
Ramadan: A Call for Return and Reform

How can the believers not rejoice and congratulate each other at the opening of the gates of Paradise and the locking up of the doors of Hell? How can any wise person waste away this time when the devils are chained?

To live through the month of Ramadan is a great blessing from Allah which must not be taken for granted and for which one ought to pray and strive...

During this month, ourselves are trained to do good and abandon evil––and these selves that learn to avoid even permissible things during this month are therefore more likely to avoid evil things after this training is over...

Ramadan Oasis 1429 - islamweb.net
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
What is Iman?

Many translators render the Arabic noun “iman” in English as “belief.” This translation is an imperfect solution to a difficult problem. The difficulty here is finding a simple English equivalent to match the complexity inherent in the Arabic original. ...

Belief, as normally used in English, does not necessitate action. ...

Iman, on the other hand, does create a commitment. Iman creates an amana (the Arabic word for a trust or surety). Islamic iman creates a commitment to Allah. The commitment entails learning about Islam, practicing Islam, and teaching Islam to others.

Iman begins a life-changing process. Think about the story of the beloved uncle of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Abu Talib. Almost from the moment he received the message, Muhammad (peace be upon him) valiantly struggled to convince his uncle to believe in Islam. Allah knows best about Abu Talib’s state and destiny, but it seems likely from historical accounts that he never accepted Islam. If iman were nothing more than “belief,” would Abu Talib have resisted so much? If he understood “believing” as just having a degree of confidence about the truth of a statement, it seems like extreme stubbornness for him to refuse.

But perhaps Abu Talib resisted because he really understood iman much more than many Muslims living today do. Because he knew that to have iman was to agree to a commitment of action, a life-changing commitment, he refused because he was not ready to transform his life so radically...

What is Iman? » Suhaib Webb - audio, discussions, translations and musings
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
O Allah, Protect Us from Ourselves

Anyone who looks around modern society will quickly notice the many blessings of technology and scientific advancement. As Muslims we recognize that these are blessings from our beloved Creator who provided us with the means to achieve success. We also see, as a result of people straying from God and His message, the ugly side of modernity.

Without divine guidance, the evils of seeking power and open indulgence in our desires have led to major individual as well as societal corruption. A true believer realizes that he or she is in need of detailed guidance as well as the forgiveness of God to protect himself from his own ego and carnal desires


O Allah, Protect Us from Ourselves » Suhaib Webb - audio, discussions, translations and musings
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
Fasting for Someone Intending Travel


It is established and agreed upon in Islamic law that a person who is on a journey in the month of Ramadan is exempted from fasting and has to make up the missed days later. This is because Allah says in the Qur’an: “But if anyone is ill or on a journey, then (let him fast the same) number of other days.” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 185]

However, what about a person who starts the day in Ramadan at home, but then starts on a journey during the day? Should that person fast for the whole day or break the fast when embarking upon the journey?

There is no problem of a person embarks on a journey at night during the month of Ramadan. That person is permitted to refrain from fasting on the following day as long as he or she is still on the journey when morning arrives. This is the opinion of the vast majority of scholars from the Companions, the Successors, and the jurists, including the scholars of the four schools of thought.

It is also agreed that it is not permissible to refrain from fasting or break one’s fast before embarking upon a journey, even if one intends to embark on a journey later on during the day ...

However, what happens when that person starts on the journey during the day? Must the person remain fasting or is it permissible to break the fast at that time? ...

The correct position on the matter is that a person who intends to travel during the day in Ramadan may not break the fast until he or she has actually started to travel and departed the buildings of his or her town of residence. Only then may the fast be broken

http://islamtoday.com/artshow-410-3754.htm
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
Never Despair that Allah Will Guide the People

Allah is the one who makes the nations and cities of the world open to His message through the example of His righteous servants. The Qur’an tells us that Moses (peace be upon him) said to his people: “Ask help from Allah and be patient; for surely the Earth is Allah's to give as a heritage to whomever of His servants He pleases.” [Sūrah al-A`rāf: 128].

Allah addresses Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the Qur’ān, saying: “And yet another (blessing) that you love: help from Allah and a victory near at hand; and give glad tidings to the believers.” [Sūrah al-Saff: 13]

Allah has promised the believers that he will support them and grant them success in the land, and Allah never breaks His promise. We find that, since Prophet Muhammad’s time, the message of Islam has spread east and west to the far corners of the Earth. People entered into Islam in droves so that Muslims now represent a considerable portion of humanity. Islam won the people’s hearts before it became established in the land. In this way the Berbers, Persians and other nationalities entered into Islam to make up the Muslim community whose hearts are united by Allah through faith.

http://islamtoday.com/artshow-430-3609.htm
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
Key Quranic Values


Justice is paramount in Islam; 'Adl - Qist - Justice is...
  • A major mission of all Prophets (peace be upon them) was the "establishment of justice among people" (Q 57:25)
  • "Allah commands justice and goodness in everything" (Q 16:90)
  • Justice is an individual and collective responsibility. Allah inspired the Prophet with the saying ... "O my worshippers! I have made injustice unlawful for Myself, and have forbidden injustice among you; so do not be unjust."
  • We are divinely commanded "to stand up for justice as witnesses to Allah" under all circumstances and without any discrimination to any one whatsoever. (Q 4:135, Q 5:8)
  • Manifesting justice is equated to piety. "Be just, that is closest to piety" (Q 5:8)
  • Endearing to Allah. Allah loves those who are just (Q 60:8), and Allah sides not with the unjust (Q 3:57).
Ihsan Benevolence and justice are the most comprehensive commands of Islam after Faith. In the Qur'anic terminology, 'adl and ihsan go together (Q 16:90), for justice must be tempered with benevolence. Rigorous justice sometimes may have an adverse impact and hence requires the gentle influence of benevolence.

Benevolence ihsan has its independent significance but is also complementary to compassion rahmah. Ihsan reinforces rahmah while also infusing human relationships with meaning. Since Allah is Muhsin/Benevolent, his servants must also be benevolent in their attitude and behavior and in all social relations...

http://www.islamicity.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=IC1008-4276
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
Attributes of God The Creator

Indeed the knowledge of Allah Almighty given to us through the revelations to our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is the most beneficial knowledge we can have. Because, it is this knowledge that enables us to know our Lord and worship Him in the manner He should be worshipped.

Without God allowing us to drink a drop from the Boundless Ocean of Knowledge, we would have been completely lost. But God is All Merciful. So He communicated with man:

“Know, then, [O man,] that there is no deity save Allah…” (Muhammad 47:19).

“Say: "He is the One God: God the Eternal, the Uncaused Cause of All Being. He begets not, and neither is He begotten; and there is nothing that could be compared with Him.” (Al-Ikhlas 112:1-4)

In the above verse, Allah is called “as-Samad”, which is rendered by the famous Qur'an translator Muhammad Asad as “the Eternal Uncaused Cause of All Being.” The term “as-Samad” is used in the Qur'an only once, and it stands for an Independent and Eternal Creator who originated everything and on whom everything depends for its existence.

The verses, “there is nothing that could be compared with Him" (Al-Ikhlas 112:4) and “There is nothing like unto Him...” (Al-Shura 42:11) underscore the fact that God is one and unique in every respect. For this reason, any attempt on our part to describe God through the use of similes or symbols may verge on blasphemy. The maximum we can do is to quote the Qur'an and the Sayings of the Prophet that deal with God and His attributes. Because God is far above the phenomenal world He has created; and consequently He is beyond the scope of human perception familiar with the material world.

Hence the question, "Why can't we see God?" is a meaningless one. Because, the laws of physics, for instance, that govern the workings of the universe do not govern transcendental existence. It is God who created this world within the bounds of space and time and for that reason the laws He has set for this world do not apply to Him:

“No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision: He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things.” (Al-An’am 6:103)

Since Allah is entirely different from all things created and far above His creation, His attributes cannot be like the attributes of any of His creation...

http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/understanding-islam/belief/allah/448926-attributes-of-god.html
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
Brotherhood: All for One and One for All

Allah (SWT) sent Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a mercy for all the worlds and as we are his followers, we should strive to have the same affect. Mercy. For everyone.

Although Muslims come together on the basic beliefs of Islam, and offer mutual support and brotherhood, Islam contains a message and meaning that far exceeds our individual and collective acts of worship.

Also, those acts of worship help us to draw closer to Allah (SWT). They help us to purify our hearts of greed, hate, harshness and revenge. They elevate our spirits until we only want what is good for ourselves, our loved ones and all those around us. They fine tune our thinking, sharpen our conscience and make us grateful to our Creator for everything we see, hear and perceive in life.

Acts of worship have a purpose. The Creator does not need our praise or prayers; He prescribed these things for us so that we could find the ways to fulfil our true potential as humans.

A great part of our potential will only be fulfilled when we are on the course of giving, compassion and sincerity ...

http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/living-islam/448978-brotherhood-all-for-one-and-one-for-all.html
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
The Exemplary Justice of the Prophet

A number of incidents testify to the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) justice. He lived in a place where people of different religions, languages, races and tribes all co-existed. It was very difficult for those societies to live together in peace and security, and to check those who sought to spread dissension. One group could grow aggressive towards and even attack another over the slightest word or action.

Yet, the justice of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was a source of peace and security for those other communities, just as much as it was for Muslims. During the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Christians, Jews, and pagans were all treated equally. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) abided by the verse (Let there be no compulsion in religion) (Al-Baqarah 2:256), explaining the true religion to everyone, but leaving them free to make up their own minds.

In another verse, Allah revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the kind of justice and conciliation he needed to adopt towards those of other religions ...


http://www.onislam.net/english/shariah/muhammad/manners/449068-the-exemplary-justice-of-the-prophet.html
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Good Muslim ... Good Human Being[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Islam wants to build a society, which is a model of civility, courtesy, and consideration for others. It does so by emphasizing these attributes as a matter of faith. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]"Faith has over seventy branches or over sixty branches, the most excellent of which is the declaration that there is no god but Allah, and the humblest of which is the, removal of what is injurious from the path." (Muslim) [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]This is consideration. And obviously, there is no trace of iman below this.[/FONT]

http://www.onislam.net/english/shariah/refine-your-heart/advice/449109-good-muslim-good-human-being.html
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]In the Shade of Ramadan - Episode 22: Attaining Inner Peace[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]In this episode of (In The Shade of Ramadan), brother Yasir Fahmy describes how to overcome the worries and anxieties of life and attaining inner peace [/FONT]

[youtube]mCjmYL54lQo[/youtube]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCjmYL54lQo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCjmYL54lQo[/FONT][/URL]


[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif](Around 6 minutes)[/FONT]
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Countering Wickedness in Human Nature [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The first thing Islam wants humans to pay attention to is that running after the carnal desires of the self and following its unending demands will never satisfy the self or make it contented. Instead, the truth and the right path will not be acceptable to it.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The condition of the self is that when one desire is satisfied, the self immediately demands to have some other desire satisfied. During its continuous running after unlawful desires, the self does not hesitate to commit sins and acts of aggression and cruelty. Therefore, Almighty Allah has forbidden humans to follow the desires that are considered haram (unlawful)... [/FONT]

http://www.onislam.net/english/shariah/refine-your-heart/advice/449137-countering-wickedness-in-human-nature.html
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
The Heart & The Quran


The more important part of your 'person' is your inner self. This inner self the Quran calls the qalb or the 'heart' ...

You will therefore reap the full joys and blessings of reading the Qur'an when you are able to involve your heart fully in your task.

The 'heart', in Quranic vocabulary, is not just a piece of flesh in your body, but it is the centre of all your feelings, emotions, motives, drives, aspirations, remembrance and attention.

[FONT=Verdana,arial]It is the heart which softens Quran 39:23, or hardens. Quran 2:74 It is the heart that goes blind and refuses to recognize the truth Quran 22:46 and it is the heart that inspires the function to reason and understand. Quran 7:179; 22:46; 50:37

In the heart, lies the root of all outward diseases Quran 5:52; it is the seat of all inner ills Quran 2:10. The heart is the abode of faith Quran 5:41 and hypocrisy. Quran 9:77 It is the heart, which is the centre of all that is good and bad, whether it be contentment and peace Quran 13:28, the strength to face afflictions Quran 64:11, mercy Quran 57:27, brotherly love Quran 8:63, God-Consciousness Quran 49:3; 22:32; or, doubt and hesitation Quran 9:45, regrets Quran 3:156, and anger Quran 9:15.

Finally it is, in reality, the way of the heart for which we shall be accountable, and only the one who brings before his God a sound and sincere heart will deserve to be saved....

IslamiCity.com - The Heart & The Quran

[/FONT]
 
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