Discover Islam ...

[Cordoba]

Just Turn to Him

It's complicated. You don't know where to start, you just don't want to miss any minute detail in telling your story. You are trying so hard to remember each and every incident and justify it. Does this sound familiar?

This happens to all of us when we have a problem and start spilling it out to our close friends looking for solutions, suggestions, or even just the opportunity to speak about it in a desperate attempt to relieve ourselves from the burden.​

No matter how careful you are not to miss any details, still you fail to bring the full blown picture to the person to whom you are telling your problem, because simply, that person wasn't there.​

And no matter how resourceful this person is and no matter how many great solutions he can offer you, still he doesn't own the means to make them work, and even if he does, he can't guarantee that these solutions will work 100%, as he can't foresee the future.​

The answer to all your questions, the solution to all your problems, the full help and support you need in life can only be found when you turn to God, and God alone.​

http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/living-islam/growing-in-faith/427437.html​

 

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Tips For Growing in Faith

New Muslims face various challenges after converting or reverting to Islam.

I think that some simple advice is sufficient enough to overcome many of the obstacles which might face a new Muslim. This advice encourages the new Muslim to focus on both spirituality, which means through prayer and reading the Quran, and also social relationships, both with other
Muslims and family.

First, remember the sincerity in your heart when you first embraced Islam. While it is natural for faith to wax and wane, we may feel lost if ours gets too low, so remember the conviction your felt when you decided to become a Muslim, and when you declared your shahada...

Social Relations

Secondly, it is important to tend to one's social relationships. We should surround ourselves with other Muslims, something of critical importance to new Muslims. A strong Muslim social circle can inform us about things we didn't know, encourage us in practicing Islam, and reinforce our commitment to our new faith.

http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/living-islam/growing-in-faith/450010-tips-to-grow-in-faith.html

 

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New Muslims Embracing the Change

Becoming a new Muslim must be like experiencing a personal Hijrah (emigration) at a very intense level.

In fact, the story of the Islamic Hijrah revolves around the plight of new Muslims in search for a new home for the sake of Islam, finding a new place of safety and gaining a new lease of life as far as their religion was concerned.

Embracing Islam for the first time is also a journey that emulates the plight of the first Muslims. It can be daunting, exciting, and full of anxiety; walking into the unknown with nothing but full confidence in God, with a whole new aspect of life...

http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/living-islam/islam-day-to-day/450127-personal-hijrahsnew-muslims-embracing-the-change-.html

 

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Religion: A Device to Control? Islam Answers (P.1)

If God created us, would He not guide us as well?

Would it be fair to say parents should let their children grow up without any guidance?

If children need guidance from their parents, doesn’t humanity need guidance from their Creator?

http://onislam.net/english/reading-islam/understanding-islam/belief/allah/450134-religion-a-device-of-control.html

 

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Religion: A Device to Control? Islam Answers (Part 2)

God chose prophets from among all nations to convey His guidance of essential issues like codes of conduct, worship and other elements, knowledge of which is necessary for humans to live a peaceful life and coexist with others.

He further made the awareness of reward and punishment as a necessary part of one’s belief, not for the sake of control as stated above, but to show His justice. Man must know that his action will not go unchecked and that every action, thought and intention is recorded and compensated with reward and punishment, some in this life, but all in the afterlife...

http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/understanding-islam/belief/allah/450187-religion-a-device-to-control-islam-answers-part2.html

 

[rain21]

good info dude

 

[Cordoba]

Thanks

Religion: A Device to Control? Islam Answers - Part 3

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Why does God need to be worshiped? Is this not a sign of arrogance?[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]As stated previously, human beings have more tendencies to do evil than good; this includes setting up rivals with their own Creator. They commit crimes against humanity, including themselves and many make no distinction between lawful and unlawful acts when it comes to satisfying their own desires. So, where would they turn to for guidance, except to the one who created them and knows their vices, good and evil tendencies?[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]So, worshiping God is not an act that He Himself needs, but one that humans need in order to stay on the straight path...[/FONT]

http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/understanding-islam/belief/allah/450235-religion-a-device-to-control-islam-answers-part3.html

 

[Cordoba]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Tips for Keeping a Balance in Life [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Islam is about moderation in all affairs whether religious or worldly. God created us with a purpose in this life. God created us to acknowledge His oneness and to worship Him alone. If we understand the main objective of creating human beings, we will recognize the importance of exerting every possible effort to worship God the proper way.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]
On the other hand, one has to work to earn his living. One has to interact with others. One has to go here and there. Then, what should one do? Should one isolate himself and live in a ghetto?[/FONT]
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No, Islam is not against interaction. Islam does not accept the renunciation of this world. Interaction is not a crime, quite the opposite, as Islam calls for involvement, struggle and change.[/FONT]
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A true believer should be involved in worldly affairs by commanding good, forbidding evil, and establishing justice on earth. A Muslim should be an active member in society...[/FONT]

http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/living-islam/growing-in-faith/450325-tips-for-keeping-balance-in-life.html

 

[Cordoba]

Islam: The Call For Humanity & Equality

Islam promotes the concept of a human brotherhood and the equality of all humans. It maintains that all humans are the children of one man (Adam) and one woman (Eve) and we all share the same lineage ...

Islam's respect for the principle of human equality is evident in the Muslim pilgrimage, during which all Muslims, regardless of their differences wear the same white cloth. Whether they are kings, presidents, businessmen or just ordinary people they all call for unity, with one voice: “O God (Allah) here I am! At your service, here I am testifying your unity, here I am testifying that thanks and credit for everything good is for you only.”...

http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/understanding-islam/ethics-and-values/human-rights/450338-islam-the-call-for-humanity-a-equality-.html

 

[Cordoba]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Thinking of Others Before Yourself[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Have you ever heard the quote "Give and you shall receive"? [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The principle is pretty clear: If we want to receive, we should give first. The saying doesn't say receive and then give. It doesn't tell us to become the recipient and then only when we get richer we can donate.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]How many times have we postponed our good intention to give away charity by giving excuses like "If I am a millionaire, I will donate to the charity" or "If I am paid more, I will donate some money"?[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Do you think it's a wonder why we are not millionaires still? If there is no giving, there is no receiving. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]A man asked Prophet Muhammad,[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]"O Allah's Messenger! What kind of charity is the best?" Prophet Muhammad replied, "To give in charity when you are healthy and greedy, hoping to be wealthy and afraid of becoming poor. Don't delay giving in charity till the time when you are on the deathbed,when you say, 'Give so much to so-and-so and so much to so-and so,' and at that time the property is not (really) yours, but it belongs to so-and-so (that is, your inheritors)." [/FONT](Al-Bukhari)
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Prophet Muhammad's Generosity[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Prophet Muhammad's generosity attracted people to him. For example, a man requested a large flock of sheep from Prophet Muhammad and the Prophet gave him what he asked for. Then the man went back to his tribe announcing how charitable Prophet Muhammad was to the point that he didn't seem to care if he had enough for himself, and that made the man embrace Islam (Muslim).[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Prophet Muhammad's generosity covered a lot of aspects. He always gave away gifts and paid the debts of the dead. He asked to be informed if anyone died in debt. He always gave charity; he always helped others. If he couldn't help them at a point, he would promise to help them later.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]If he received gifts, he would give them away. He never turned away anyone from his house empty-handed, and he always gave preference to the needy over his own needs.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Prophet Muhammad was also very generous to his neighbors. In fact he said that a believer is not a person who eats while his neighbor is hungry. He taught us to always be aware of the state of our surroundings and offer a helping hand to those in need[/FONT]

Thinking of Others Before Yourself - Zakah & Charity - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

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[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Angels Are Watching Over You [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]
Muslims' belief in the angels implies that they believe that the angels are created from light. We cannot see them. They do not have a will. Angels perish and die when the Day of Judgment comes. [/FONT]
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God says what means: {All that lives on earth or in the heavens is bound to pass away.} (Al-Rahman 55: 26)[/FONT]
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Angels have different functions and roles in the universe. One of the roles of angels is recording our deeds and actions ...[/FONT]

http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/living-islam/growing-in-faith/450489-angels-are-watching-over-you.html

 

[Cordoba]

Why Do I Love Allah?

The more I know Allah, the more my love for Him grows and my desire to have more knowledge of His Perfect Names and Attributes increases.

If I spend my entire lifetime pondering His Attributes, I will never feel bored or satiated. Drawing closer to Him dispels the darkness of ignorance prevailing within my soul.

True knowledge of Him is the key to the security and bliss of my inner being. It is beyond my control not to love Him Who is Almighty, All-Powerful and also All-Just, All-Merciful, and Oft-Forgiving.

I love Him because if I draw near to Him a hand span, He draws near to me an arm’s length, and if I draw near to Him an arm’s length, He draws near to me a fathom’s length. By contrast, I ought to consider my steps carefully before drawing close to humankind. If I love a human being overly, he or she may humiliate me and even grow more averse to me, rather than reciprocate my sincere love.

I do love Him because He is the Eternal, the Everlasting. No matter how deeply my heart becomes attached to Him, there is no fear whatsoever that one day I will be distressed by His death, Glorified be He.

I do love Him Who shows affection to us while He is self-sufficient, rich beyond need, and we stand in need of Him. His door is constantly wide open, whereas the doors of kings are closed, and even if opened, we will be met by so many chamberlains before we can meet a king, if we ever do. As for the Almighty Creator, we can meet Him whenever we like, day and night, through Prayer and supplication. He never gets bored with our frequent invocations. He grants our requests and even rewards us for asking.

http://www.onislam.net/english/shariah/refine-your-heart/personal-experience/450289-why-do-i-love-allah.html

 

[Cordoba]

Balance and Moderation are of the Main Features of Islamic Civilization

This feature means moderation or equality between two opposite parties so that no party will have exclusive influence and expels the other; no party will get more than its right, thus dominating and repressing the other. Such balance and moderation fit a general and immortal message that came to contain the four corners of the earth and the phases of time.

The civilization of Islam combines spiritualism and materialism, or the needs of soul and the needs of material. It also combines Shariah sciences and life sciences. It is interested in this world and the hereafter as well. It combines idealism and realism. It strikes a balance between rights and duties ...

Balance and Moderation of the Islamic Civilization - Islamic History - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

[Cordoba]

The Reward of Supporting One’s Family

I was always thinking that what I spend to support my family is just ‘necessary expenditures.’ However, I never imagined that this money I spend would be put in my scale of good deeds in the hereafter! And when I learned that supporting one’s family is even better than supporting fighters for the sake of God and liberating slaves, I wondered why?

After some reflection, I realized that the Muslim home is the place where belief and morals are built. Therefore, the money that supports this place must be blessed. I realized that supporting my family is the best ‘investment’ I can ever think about!

It is a permanent part of the Muslim way of life that an honorable man must work hard to earn money and support his children until they grow up and be financially independent. Muslim men consider this an Islamic obligation that they must fulfill, regardless to the required time and effort ...

The Reward of Supporting One

 

[Cordoba]

How Can One Enter Paradise?

Apart from outlining the political foundations, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) laid down the social foundations of the new Muslim community in Madinah.

These were his first words which he uttered upon his arrival to Madinah. Imam al-Tirmidhi reported that the Prophet said:

"O people! Spread the greeting of peace, feed (the poor and needy), behave kindly to your relatives, offer prayer when others are asleep, and (thus) enter Paradise in peace." ...

http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/about-muhammad/he-said/450732-prophetic-tips-way-to-paradise.html

 

[Cordoba]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Balance in Spending our Wealth[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Every penny of our sustenance is valuable and we should treat it that way. A Muslim should strike a balance between being frugal with his wealth and being generous to people in need. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]This brings us to our next characteristic of the Servants of the Merciful. Almighty God says that they are those who,[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]“When they spend, do so not excessively or sparingly but are ever, between that, justly moderate.” (Al-Furqan, 25:67)[/FONT]​

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The commentators on this verse tell us that The Merciful is teaching not be extravagant or wasteful in spending our wealth. We are also prohibited from being greedy – or even stingy! ...[/FONT]

http://www.onislam.net/english/read...es/450999-balance-in-spending-our-wealth.html

 

[Cordoba]

The System of Inheritance in Islam

The law of inheritance in Islam is based upon five main considerations:

1- To break up the concentration of wealth from the hands of few individuals and to spread it out in society.

2- To respect right of individual ownership and property earned through honest means.

3- To drive into people’s consciousness the fact that they are not the absolute masters of the wealth they produce but they are only trustees and are not, therefore, authorized to pass this wealth on to others as they like.

4- To consolidate the family system, which is the social unit of an Islamic society.

5- To give incentive to work and encourage economic activity as sanctioned by Islam

http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/understanding-islam/islam-and-the-world/politics-and-economics/442621.html

 

[Cordoba]

Tawakkul: Reliance upon Allah

Have you ever had that feeling of anxiety in your heart?

What if it doesn’t work out? What if you never get over it? The truth is, we have all felt this way at some point in our lives. Sometimes, the uncertainty is just too much to bear, or the hardship of a moment prevents us from seeing any light at the end of the tunnel. At times we desperately want some kind of medicine, a pill perhaps, to miraculously take these worries away.

But we do have that. This pill is called tawakkul. Like any pill, it’s sometimes hard to swallow. There are moments when we wonder whether this medicine even works, or if it is just some tool to make us simply believe we can be better. But Allah, the One – the only One – in control of this universe has said:

“…And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him.” (65:3)​

So what does it mean to rely on Allah; to have tawakkul in Him?

It means to be firm in your heart. Ibn Ata’illah stated:

“Relieve yourself of worry after you have planned, do not concern yourself with what Allah has undertaken on your behalf”.

With tawakkul, our external burden or outward struggle is to plan, to use our means, and to work hard, but in our heart there is no longer the worry of this burden. If you are sick, you seek out the best option: a professional doctor. If you are applying to university, you take your time in preparing your application to meet the criteria. But also know that after you have done your daily work and faced struggles, you should feel a resounding rest in your heart. Why?

Allah is Al-Wakeel; this means that it is He who controls His worshipers’ affairs and takes care of them. He never abandons them nor leaves them to another source ...

http://www.suhaibwebb.com/personaldvlpt/worship/dua/tawakkul-trust-in-allah/

 

[Cordoba]

God is Merciful, Why Does He Allow Suffering?

To some individuals who want to believe, in particular, young minds, the pain and suffering that exist in the world today do not seem to be compatible with the mercy of a loving God. It is just too difficult for them to comprehend that there can be so much injustice and suffering around the globe.

This subject, if not dealt with rationally, will continue damaging the faith of many who want to believe in divine mercy.

First of all, we need to keep in mind that this world is a temporary place for us. Life after death is our final destination; that is the life about which we need to be concerned. Anything that happens in this world should be judged against the measures of the eternal life.

In other words, what happens here on earth is only half the story ...

God is Merciful, Why Does He Allow Suffering? - Growing in Faith - Reading Islam - OnIslam.net

 

[Cordoba]

The Role of Public Worship

Muslims are people who have willfully submitted their whole selves and lives to God, the Creator, and their duty is to obey Him. They cannot split their life into compartments and say that this is the area of religion where they will obey God and these are the areas where they will follow others.

Islam is a complete way of life that requires its followers to model their entire lives in accordance with its principles in every aspect of life. This may sound somewhat difficult for many, but, in fact, it need not be because it is chiefly a change of attitude and approach. What is important is to understand that Islam does not value rituals for the sake of rituals, especially when they are performed mechanically and have no influence on one's life...

... if rituals do not have any influence on day-to-day life, they then would have no value. Similarly, when daily duties are carried out with sincerity and faith expecting God's reward, they become important acts of worship.

The Prophet Muhammad said that "Faith is made up of over sixty branches: the highest of which is the belief in the oneness of God, i.e., there is no God but God, and the lowest in the scale of worship is removing obstacles from people's way" (Muslim).

Explaining the concept of charity, the Prophet said that "receiving your friend with a smile is sadaqah (charity), helping people load their animals is sadaqah, and pouring some water in your neighbor's bucket is also sadaqah"(Al-Albani).

This comprehensive approach to worship enables people to purify and spiritualize the entire spectrum of their life. But this is not to belittle the importance of ritualistic worship. Actually ritual worship, if performed in its true spirit, can elevate humans morally and spiritually and enable them to carry on their activities in all walks of life according to the guidance of God ...

http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/understanding-islam/ethics-and-values/heart-a-soul/442380.html