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Discover Islam ...

Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Life After Death … What's the Proof? [/FONT]​

Q: What is the proof of the existence of the hereafter?​


A: Throughout history, all the prophets of God had been calling people to believe in life after death. Their great confidence in handling this metaphysical question, even when they were greatly opposed by their people on this very same issue, points to that the source of this belief was God Himself.


Indeed, the necessity of life after death ought to be evident to the moral consciousness of man. Without an Afterlife, the very belief in God becomes, one may say, irrelevant.

Surely there will be a Day of Judgment, when God will raise all the dead. On that day, the whole universe will be destroyed and then again the dead will be resurrected to stand before God.

That day will be the beginning of the never-ending life in the other world, when every person will be rewarded according to his or her deeds ...


The belief in the Hereafter is a great incentive for people to be responsible and dutiful in their activities.


The people of pre-Islamic Arabia who didn't believe in the hereafter used to indulge freely in gambling, drinking, plundering and murdering. But soon after they accepted the belief in the One God and life after death, they became the most disciplined nation of the world. They gave up their vices, helped each other in hours of need, and settled all their disputes on the basis of justice and equality.

Similarly the denial of life after death also brings its inevitable results in this world. When a whole society denies it, all kinds of evils and corruptions become rampant in that society, until eventually it is destroyed.

http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1231149210420&pagename=IslamOnline-English-AAbout_Islam%2FAskAboutIslamE%2FAskAboutIslamE

 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]A marriage based on love, mercy and cooperation[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,arial]Living in Tranquility with Love, Mercy and Mutual Cooperation and Consultation[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,arial]A marital relationship is conducted based on love and mercy so as to achieve peace both within ourselves and with our partner. We should strive conscientiously to make our home a Darussalam (Abode of Peace). A peaceful and loving home is truly a pleasure to return to after a hard day's work. Imagine being greeted with a warm smile, a kiss and soothing words to ease your frazzled nerves. Even the most ordinary meal shared with your spouse becomes the highlight of the day if it is served with care and enjoyed in peaceful companionship. Subsequently, having peace within the family will enable us to find Peace with our Creator ...[/FONT]

To facilitate the task of building a harmonious marriage, it is essential that both spouses adopt a forgiving and merciful attitude which will enable them to put aside each other's mistakes, focusing instead on their strengths and their efforts to change.

Helping each other is a crucial step in actualizing our desire to have a tranquil home. We should adopt a charitable attitude by assisting to remove any difficulties that our partner may encounter and anticipate his or her needs, trying to fulfill them without being asked. Each partner should look forward to being of assistance to the other. Such an attitude will create the impression of putting our partner's needs beside our own, serving to express the love and concern that we have for one another. One simple way to help one another is to try to make things easier for each other.

http://www.islamicity.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=IC0610-3127
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]To Believe or not to Believe![/FONT]


Faith transforms a human being and elevates him into a higher level of spirituality until he eventually makes peace with everything he comes in contact with - peace with the Creator, peace with fellow humans, peace with the environment and peace with all other beings.

Religion also put boundaries as to what a person can and cannot do. It stops man from crossing such boundaries and transgress against others.

It also teaches a person to help others, forgive those who have wronged him, establish justice and be good to others whether he knows them or not.

http://www.islamicity.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=IC0902-3811
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Criteria for True Faith[/FONT]

For a faith to be true, it must be accessible to all people, regardless of what language they speak, what age they are, what period they live in, or what their level or type of education is. Neither the blood in their veins nor the color of their skin should ever influence their ability to enter the faith and feel fulfilled by it. The message and doctrines must be simple enough for everyone to understand and its rituals and practices easy to perform for the greatest majority of people.

Its message must touch the innermost soul of those who believe in it and offer the believer the opportunity to develop the strongest of bonds with the One God Who created all of us. This faith must not contradict itself nor be full of contradictory doctrines and practices. It must take people of all types and all backgrounds from the darkness of ignorance to the light of understanding and knowledge.

Its divine book or scripture must speak directly to the heart of anyone who reads it. Its words must teach justice, peace, and prosperity for all who follow them. It must teach its followers to be distinguished examples of conduct for all of humanity to strive to become like them. It must teach its followers to be well balanced, helpful and caring towards others regardless of their religious beliefs.

If Islam is missing any of these qualities or teaches the opposite to them, we may be able to say that it is not the true faith. It is understandable that questions might arise regarding the authenticity of Islam as a faith, but I believe that the more we know about Islam, the more we will see that it can only be what it claims to be: the true religion that Allah wants mankind to follow.
http://www.readingislam.com/servlet...kAboutIslamE/AskAboutIslamE&cid=1148292924035
http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-AAbout_Islam/AskAboutIslamE/AskAboutIslamE&cid=1148292924035
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Understanding Divine Decree[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Part Two: Freedom of Choice [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Muslims believe that knowledge and will are two essential attributes of the Divine Being. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]God knows things, things exist in His Knowledge, His Will determines all of their specific and general characteristics, and His Power gives them material existence. ...[/FONT]

http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1225697932487&pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam%2FDIELayout
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
Actions of Hearts and Keys to Acceptance

So, What is Ikhlaas "Sincerity"?

Ikhlaas is singling out Allah with one's intention in all acts of worship. It isa secret between the servant and his Lord which an angel does not know so that it is not written, nor a Shaytan (Satan), so he cannot make it futile and neither the whim of the soul, so that it does not corrupt it. Ikhlaas cannot coexist in a heart which embraces the love of praise and commendation, nor the fear of people's criticisms for actions Allah has commanded, nor the yearning to obtain what other people possess.

With Ikhlas, any action, no matter how small, is accepted by Allah, but without it, even the most knowledgeable of scholars, the bravest of warriors, and the most famous philanthropists will be flung into the hellfire.

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1233567835598&pagename=Zone-English-Living_Shariah%2FLSELayout
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Peaceful Harmony[/FONT]


In encouraging people to seek peace and maintain it, the Qur'an states that the purpose behind the creation of different tribes and various nations is to interact and know each other and not to be a reason to fight each other. The Qur'an states in Surah 49, verse 13, the meaning of:

*{O mankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other.}*​

​
To emphasize the importance of peace and harmony among people, the message of Islam, from the beginning, declared the unity of mankind in its three aspects; origin, value and destiny.

http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1123996016078&pagename=IslamOnline-English-AAbout_Islam%2FAskAboutIslamE%2FAskAboutIslamE
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The Job of Angels[/FONT]

Muslims believe that angels are created from light. ...

According to Islam, angels build relations between the macrocosmic world and the material one, convey God's commands of, direct the acts and lives of beings (with God's permission), and represent their worship in their own realms.

Having refined or subtle bodies of light, angels move very rapidly and can be found in all realms of existence. ...
Classes of Angels

There are various classes of angels. One class is engaged in constant worship; another worships by working. These working angels have functions that resemble human occupations, like shepherds or farmers ...

http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1235628676993&pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam%2FDIELayout

 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Our Love For Prophet Muhammad [/FONT]

Peace be upon the man who had a loving heart to all humanity and who was devoted only to one value, which was the love of God, the One and Only Creator. The more I speak or write about him, the more I realize I am saying so little. He is worth much more…

As a spiritual leader whose main mission in life was to help others make choices for the Afterlife, and as a prophet who was in continuous connection with his Creator and the Angel Gabriel, he (peace and blessings be upon him) never lost his humanity ...

I think that one of the greatest signs of Prophet Muhammad's prophethood is the enormous amount of love for him that God instilled in his followers' hearts. I've never seen or met Prophet Muhammad, yet he's my role model in every fine detail of life. When I read some of his sayings, my eyes flow with tears at the amount of gentleness and love he had for his followers, and I feel I'm so lucky to be one of them. ...

http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1235628872478&pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam%2FDIELayout
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The Prophet's Daughters[/FONT]

Prophet Muhammad had four daughters from his marriage to Lady Khadijah. Each one of them had her special place in his heart and mind.

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica]He had to bear the pain of watching his oldest daughter, Zainab, losing her husband, the love of her life, for her religion.[/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica]He also witnessed the death of his two middle daughters, Ruqqayah and Umm Kulthum, as one died after the other.[/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica]One can imagine the agony of the Prophet, as parents always expect that their children will bury them, and not vice versa. Finally, his youngest daughter, Fatimah, lived in extreme poverty and hardly had any source of income.[/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica][FONT=Verdana, Helvetica]Torn Between Two Loves ( Lady Zainab)[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica]


[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica][FONT=Verdana, Helvetica]A Woman of Perfection ( Lady Fatimah)

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica]Want to Meet the Prophet's Daughters? - Reading Islam.com[/FONT]​


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Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Signs of Prophet Muhammad's Birth
[/FONT]
Q: On Islamic web-sites I found narratives about the birth of Prophet Muhammad in which it is claimed that miraculous events had happened at Muhammad's birth. The narratives are very different and they include Muhammad's mother Amina, light, angels, prophets, his paternal grandfather Abdul Mutalib, the Kaaba, strange events in Persia (Zoroastrian fire temple, the palace of Khosrau I) and in Byzantine Empire (the royal chapel of Emperor Justin II). In which of these narratives do Muslims believe to be indeed historically true ...?

A: Muslims do not build their love and acceptance of Prophet Muhammad on the miracles that accompanied his blessed birth. Rather, they build that on their faith in him, which stems from the faith in the message he was sent with.

The historical events of the life of any Prophet cannot be taken without undergoing the process of verification and authentication. Therefore, Muslims are not very bothered with the great events that shaped a change in the world celebrating the coming of the final Messenger Muhammad.

Rather, they are more focused on the essence of the message that Prophet Muhammad brought to mankind.

The value of great men is not derived from the events that happen around them; rather, it is driven from the contribution they have made to human race, the amount of goodness they brought with them and the positive change they managed to carry out.

When Prophet Muhammad came, he changed the face of humanity and brought new concepts to people and managed to bring light to their minds and lives.
The very event of his birth was in itself a big addition to mankind. Regardless of the great signs that accompanied his birth and the attempt of trying to prove that historically, the fact that he was a prophet and a great man is still the same ...

If you ask me, do you believe that these strange events happened around the time of the birth of Prophet Muhammad, I will say, yes I do believe that what has been told to us by the Prophet to have happened, must have happened .....

http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1234631317542&pagename=IslamOnline-English-AAbout_Islam%2FAskAboutIslamE%2FAskAboutIslamE
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Prophet Muhammad`s Farewell Sermon [/FONT]

This sermon was delivered by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H. in the 'Uranah valley of Mount Arafat' (in Mecca).

[FONT=Verdana,arial]After praising, and thanking Allah he said:[/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana,arial]"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and TAKE THESE WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,arial]O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,arial]Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,arial]ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah has Judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn 'Abd'al Muttalib (Prophet's uncle) shall henceforth be waived...[/FONT]


 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Human Rights in the Qur'an (Part One)[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica]Given the centrality of the Qur'an in the lives of the majority of more than one billion Muslims worldwide, the critical question is, "What, if anything, does the Qur'an say about human rights?"[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica]I believe that the Qur'an is the Magna Carta of Muslims. A large part of its concern is focused on freeing human beings from the bondage of traditionalism, authoritarianism (religious, political, economic, etc.), tribalism, racism, sexism, slavery, or anything else that prohibits or inhibits human beings from actualizing the Qur'anic vision of human destiny. This vision is embodied in the following classic proclamation:[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Helvetica](And that to your Lord is the final goal) (An-Najm 53:42).[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica]The Glorious Qur'an affirms the fundamental rights that all human beings possess. These rights are so deeply rooted in our humanness that denying or violating them is tantamount to a negation or degradation of that which makes us human ...[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica][FONT=Verdana, Helvetica]- Right to Life[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica][FONT=Verdana, Helvetica]- [FONT=Verdana, Helvetica]Right to Respect[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica][FONT=Verdana, Helvetica][FONT=Verdana, Helvetica]- [FONT=Verdana, Helvetica]Right to Justice

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica]The right to seek justice and the duty to do justice are greatly emphasized in the Qur'an. Almighty Allah says,

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica](O you who believe, be upright for Allah, bearers of witness with justice, and let not hatred of a people incite you not to deal justly. Deal justly — that is nearer to piety, and be careful of (your duty toward) Allah; surely Allah is Ever-Aware of what you do.) (Al-Ma'idah 5:8)​
​
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http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1228489988191&pagename=Zone-English-Living_Shariah%2FLSELayout
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The Path to Paradise [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Perfecting Your Prayers[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Assess your mental readiness for Prayer before its commencement, during the various postures with its attendant recitations, after each rakah (unit of prayer) and ultimately, at the end. Try to make improvements at each stage.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Pray with humility both in your mental state and in your physical manner. Pray with hope and awe, asking Allah for His mercy and forgiveness.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]Remind yourself continually that you are talking to the most important 'Being' in your life: your Creator and Sustainer.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]He is in front of you. You are facing Him and you are involved in a dialogue with Him. Commence your Prayer by seeking Allah's help and protection from the influences of Satan. Lower your gaze while praying and do not allow the physical environment to distract you ...[/FONT]

http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1236509076970&pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam%2FDIELayout​
 
Cordoba

Cordoba

Well-Known Member
[FONT=Arial,Geneva,Verdana,Sans-Serif]The Procedures of Converting to Islam [/FONT]​

Q: What are the procedures to follow if someone wishes to convert to Islam?

A: Conversion to Islam is a simple procedure; it does not entail any complicated rituals or ceremonies, since Islam does not allow any intermediaries in worship, and as such there is no priestly class to administer specific rites.

Therefore, conversion is mostly a person's own choice; as long as he/she is willing to accept the basic tenets of faith. This must be done without any external coercion or pressure. As long as the person verbally expresses his or her belief in front of some Muslims his or her conversion is acceptable. However, because of the need for documentation, it is best that the person goes to an Islamic center that can issue a certificate of conversion. To do this, the person has to book an appointment with the imam of the local mosque who would be more than willing to facilitate the conversion.

At the time of conversion, the person will be asked to repeat the following words of the Shahadah:

Ashahadu anlaa ilaaha illa Allah wa ashahdu anna Muhammadan rasoolul Allah (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah; I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah).

Besides this, it is also good to affirm faith in the following tenets of Islam: I believe in Allah; in His angels; in His scriptures; His messengers; the Last Day and the fact that good and bad are decreed by Him. The person can request a certificate indicating the date of conversion as he or she may need it for purposes like pilgrimage to Makkah.

Finally, let me also suggest that the person consults the following excellent work entitled, "Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam" by Yahya Emerick (2nd edition): It has all of the essential information you need to know about Islam.

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?cid=1233567716711&pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar%2FFatwaE%2FFatwaEAskTheScholar
 
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