Islam: Ask your questions

[Onkara]

Hi Peace
Why are we humans so weak, that we sin despite knowing what Allah asks from us? Has this to do with Original Sin (Adam eating the apple?) or is there another way to understand our weakness even as a fully devote Muslim? Thanks for the answers above too!

 

[Peace]

Hi Peace
Why are we humans so weak, that we sin despite knowing what Allah asks from us? Has this to do with Original Sin (Adam eating the apple?) or is there another way to understand our weakness even as a fully devote Muslim?

Hi Onkarah,

In Islam there is no original sin. Both Adam and Eve sinned when they disobeyed the order of Allah and ate from the tree. They are the ones who sinned and Allah forgave them when they asked for forgiveness. That sin doesn't pass on to their generation. Allah says: "No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another" (39:7)
You are right concerning our weakness. We are so weak and we sin despite knowing the outcome of sinning. We are so weak and we give in easily to our lust and to the whispers of Shaytan. We are so weak because we are dependent creatures who depend solely on God. Therfore, we must always ask support and seek refuge with God from Satan, our enemy whose ultimate goal is to mislead us and to drop us in the dark abyss of sins.
We are so weak because we are here in this life to be tested. We know both good and evil and we have the freedom of choice to choose the path we want to follow.

Thanks for the answers above too!

You are most welcome

 

[GURSIKH]

Not all sins have double punishment. If for examble one lies or cuts kinship ties or eats pork, are we going to put him in jail? of course no. However, God will punish him for that if he doesn't repent and ask for forgivenss.

Hi Peace ,

may i ask ,why God punish for Pork ?

 

[Peace]

Hi Peace ,

may i ask ,why God punish for Pork ?

Hi GURSIKH,

As you might know eating pork is forbidden in Islam because it is not good for the health.
Anything that can harm one's health is forbidden in Islam and that's why pork, alcohol, drugs.. are forbidden in Islam.

 

[Onkara]

What is the fundamental basics or foundation that Muslim's must follow to know they are a Muslim?

By the way, I could not find a result to this question from my online searches, so perhaps the question could be asked differently.

 

[Peace]

What is the fundamental basics or foundation that Muslim's must follow to know they are a Muslim?

Welcome again to this thread Onkarah

The five pillars of Islam are:

1. To believe that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the last Messenger of Allah sent to all humankind.
2. to pray the daily five prayers
3. To fast Ramadan
4. The give Zakah (poor due)
5. To go to the pilgrimage (Hajj in Makkah) if one can afford it.

And the pillars of faith are six:

1. To believe in God (Monstheistic belief = Tawhid)
2. To beleive in Angels
3. To believe in the books that were revealed by God to His Prophets
4. To believe in all Prohets of God
5. To believe in the Day of Judgment
6. To believe in Predistination whether good or bad.

"The Messenger believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one (of them) believeth in Allah, His angels, His books, and His apostles. "We make no distinction (they say) between one and another of His apostles." And they say: "We hear, and we obey: (We seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys." (Quran: 2-285)

 

[Onkara]

Thanks Peace, that is much more clear

 

[fatima_bintu_islam]

Not forgetting that everything starts by the testimony of monotheism, and the testimony that Muhammad peace be upon him is His messenger, then everything can come later. And here I quote a brother in ISlam of mine while he was speaking about this particular thing:

" I want to share a narration about the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with you. He sent Mooath Ibn Jabal to Yemen to call the people to Islam. Mooath was a friend and companion of the Prophet known for his religious knowledge and intelligence. Look at these instructions how the Prophet took into account the specifics of the situation and how Mooath should approach the nation he was being sent to. It is almost as if he could have been sending him to America! He instructed him with this:

'...You are going to a nation from the people of the Scripture [ie: Christian] , so let the first thing to which you will invite them, be the Tauhid of Allah [this means monotheism that Allaah is one with no sons or partners and that they should only worship him]. If they learn that, tell them that Allah has enjoined on them, five prayers to be offered in one day and one night. And if they pray, tell them that Allah has enjoined on them Zakat of their properties and it is to be taken from the rich among them and given to the poor. And if they agree to that, then take from them Zakat but avoid the best property of the people...'

So here the Prophet (peace be upon him) is telling him to firstly call them to Islam and teach them. Then if they accept tell them to pray and help them in that. Then if they do that, tell them to pay the zakat (2.5 percent on certain types of wealth to be given to the poor). And notice he said 'but avoid the best property of the people'. He said this so that Mooath didn't upset these new Muslims by taking their best property. Perhaps they still were getting used to the concept of giving the poor due and he didn't want Mooath to upset them and turn them away from Islam. Notice also the gradual approach the Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed Mooath with"

Just an addition I wish will benefit ,and may Allah azza wajal reward this brother ameen.

Best regards

 

[Onkara]

Thanks for the addition, Fatima
As it happens the testimony of faith (Shahadah) was appearing in my searches. My question arised as I assume, as you say, this is only the first step and much more follows. So to get a complete picture of being a righteous Muslim is perhaps quite challenging to explain and I am pleased with Peace's answer.

Zakat and the other Pillars of Islam are logical of course. From the post above it is the belief in Angels which struck me as being one of the most challenging to one's path with the Pillars of faith, because rarely is one gifted with their sight, perhaps?

 

[fatima_bintu_islam]

If you believe that the prophet peace be upon him was the messenger of Allah as one states in the testimony, then you'll believe that Quran is the word of Allah and that it was passed by an angel called Gabriel. But in general, you'll believe and submit to anything that is said in Quran , so thats not a that big challenging belief at all

ALl these things are part of the faith, believing in the unseen that Allah azza wajjal tells you about, since you believe He is the only true God and that Allah is His messener

As for getting a complete picture of a righteous Muslim then a bedouin came to the prophet peace be upon him and asked; Tell me if I was to pray my five prayers, fast Ramadan, Give Zakat, and perform Hajj, do I enter paradise?

The prophet peace be upon him answered yes ; so the bedouin said, I swear that I wont add or lessen any of it. So when he left the prophet peace be upon him said; Faqiha arrajulu, i.e this man has became a shcolar

 

[Onkara]

Stimluated by Peace's post on Mercy, I would like to ask please,
can we liken Allah's mercy to Allah's love for Allah's creation?

 

[fatima_bintu_islam]

Quran ( 3:132-134)
132. And obey Allâh and the Messenger (Muhammad

) that you may obtain mercy.133. And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for Al-Muttaqin (the pious - see V.2:2).
134. Those who spend [in Allâh's Cause - deeds of charity, alms, etc.] in prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily, Allah loves Al-Muhsinin (the good doers).


[FONT=arial,verdana,geneva,lucida][SIZE=-1]Quran ( Surat attawbah)
[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,verdana,geneva,lucida][SIZE=-1]Surely Allâh loves Al- Mattaqûn (the pious)[/SIZE][/FONT]




[FONT=&quot]387.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "When Allah loves a slave, calls out Jibril and says: `I love so-and-so; so love him'. Then Jibril loves him. After that he (Jibril) announces to the inhabitants of heavens that Allah loves so-and-so; so love him; and the inhabitants of the heavens (the angels) also love him and then make people on earth love him".
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Mercy of Allah azza wajjal is general to all creatures, humans wether they worship him or not, animals, plants etc. Love is restricted to those who worship Him, the pious, the good doers ( and there are other examples in Quran, but I have a bad connection so I have a hard time searching the translation)[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]There are others verses where Allah azza wajjal states that He does not love the unjusts, the arrogant etc , for example:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
6. Worship Allâh and join none with Him in worship, and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, Al-Masakin (the poor), the neighbour who is near of kin, the neighbour who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and those (slaves) whom your right hands possess. Verily, Allâh does not like such as are proud and boastful;


And Allah knows best
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

 

[Peace]

Stimluated by Peace's post on Mercy, I would like to ask please,
can we liken Allah's mercy to Allah's love for Allah's creation?

Hello Onkarah,

Allah's mercy supersedes His punishment. And as sister Fatima had pointed out Allah's mercy overspreads everything and His love is only for those who love Him, remember Him, obey Him and follow His injunctions.

Peace

 

[Onkara]

Thanks Fatima and Peace.
So by supersedes you mean that His mercy will come in place of any punishment when one submits to His will (islam), is that correct?

There is still the posiblity of sinning though one submits fully to Allah. Is it a burden to know that one could sin at any time and fall from His grace?

 

[Peace]

Thanks Fatima and Peace.
So by supersedes you mean that His mercy will come in place of any punishment when one submits to His will (islam), is that correct?

There is still the posiblity of sinning though one submits fully to Allah. Is it a burden to know that one could sin at any time and fall from His grace?

I believe the 3rd part of the Divine Mercy of God in Allah's thread, which I have just posted a couple of minutes ago will answer your question

 

[Onkara]

Hi Peace
Yes, that is an enocouraging read you shared from that link. I specifically liked the following:

“Whoever accepts Islam purely for God will not be held to account, but one who does so for some other reason will be accountable for the time before Islam and after.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

My impression as I learn more about Islam is that what is being spoken is clear guidance on the path to God. In my understanding it is when one acts with God in mind that one's action are less prone to error or sin. When one acts only for God then are not those actions righteous? If a Muslim happens to fail, whilst acting only for God, then that Muslim can repent and pray for Allah's mercy.

 

[fatima_bintu_islam]

You're welcome Onkarah

Two characteristics are to be present in order for actions to be righteous in Islam ;
1) The intention must be pure for Allah azza wajjal ( not showing off , or arrogance and similar)
2) He must be following the prophet peace be upon him, any action that is not prescribed as permitted is not accepted.

Therefore we have this rule in Islam; The origin in Ibadat ( for eg prayer, zakat) is the non permissibility unless there is a proof for the contrary. The origin of others things ( for eg food, clothes) is the permissibility until there is a proof for the contrary.

On another hand, the bold part in your quote is to mean that whoever accept Islam will not be held accountable for what he did before it, he become clean from sins until he sins again. Not that he is not held accountable for the rest of his life, thats a christian thing ( i.e Jesus died for us, therefore we're clean from sins)

Therefore when one accepts Islam, he should submit to Allah's orders and pay attention from sinnins from fear that he may be held accountable for the past and the present.

When one acts with God in mind ( purity in intention), and the prophet peace be upon him as a leader in his deeds ( thats what we call Sunnah) ; thats when actions are less prone to error or sin.

And Allah knows best

 

[Onkara]

You're welcome Onkarah

Two characteristics are to be present in order for actions to be righteous in Islam ;
1) The intention must be pure for Allah azza wajjal ( not showing off , or arrogance and similar)
2) He must be following the prophet peace be upon him, any action that is not prescribed as permitted is not accepted.

Therefore we have this rule in Islam; The origin in Ibadat ( for eg prayer, zakat) is the non permissibility unless there is a proof for the contrary. The origin of others things ( for eg food, clothes) is the permissibility until there is a proof for the contrary.

On another hand, the bold part in your quote is to mean that whoever accept Islam will not be held accountable for what he did before it, he become clean from sins until he sins again. Not that he is not held accountable for the rest of his life, thats a christian thing ( i.e Jesus died for us, therefore we're clean from sins)

Therefore when one accepts Islam, he should submit to Allah's orders and pay attention from sinnins from fear that he may be held accountable for the past and the present.

When one acts with God in mind ( purity in intention), and the prophet peace be upon him as a leader in his deeds ( thats what we call Sunnah) ; thats when actions are less prone to error or sin.

And Allah knows best

Hi Fatima
It seems each of my questions has a sophisticated answer waiting for them (my questions cannot be that new)

The bold part of the quote should have been less, as what I like is that “Whoever accepts Islam purely for God " as the implications in that statement alone are profound.

In part "2) He must be following the prophet peace be upon him, any action that is not prescribed as permitted is not accepted."

My question is, is this where the Hadith becomes important, as through the Hadith we can understand how to follow the prophet, or am I going too far to include the Hadith at this point?

So ´purity of intention`is slightly less than Sunnah, because the Prophet (pbuh) was guided by Allah, who knows best, where as you and I can only hope to act from purity of intention. Correct?

Could I be saving you and Peace time in typing by reading something specific which captures the types of questions I am asking? I have been reading the Qu'ran but these answers don't come so naturally to my eye, it seems.

 

[fatima_bintu_islam]

Its easier for me to type an answer rather than searching the net for "english" and "Islamic" articles, since as you may know; Im an arab girl , so Im not very familiar with english Islamic websites, but can try and find you some if no one offers to do it for me

My question is, is this where the Hadith becomes important, as through the Hadith we can understand how to follow the prophet, or am I going too far to include the Hadith at this point?

The purity of intention is the "why" question. i.e Why do I so such a deed? For the sake of Allah azza wajjal, thats the intention.

The Quran and Sunnah is the "how" question,i.e How Allah azza wajjal wants me to adore him? What deeds are forbidden and what others are permissible ? Thats what Quran says in general terms , while the sunnah applies it in the daily life. ( Sunnah is to mean the prophet peace be upon him, acts, orders and so forth ,one example is prayer where we are ordered to perform it in Quran but are not told how except in Sunnah ) )

So ´purity of intention`is slightly less than Sunnah, because the Prophet (pbuh) was guided by Allah, who knows best, where as you and I can only hope to act from purity of intention. Correct?

As I stated above, the purity of intention is the why, and the Sunnah is the how , one can have a pure intention in his deed, but do not know wether Allah wishes him or permits him to do that specific deed.

I have been reading the Qu'ran but these answers don't come so naturally to my eye, it seems.

If you had read this verse, I think you would have understood

110. Say (O Muhammad

): "I am only a man like you. It has been inspired to me that your Ilâh (God) is One Ilâh (God i.e. Allâh). So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord."

Ibn kathir says in his commentary: ( Translating myself, thats why its horrible ) :

Who ever wishes to be rewarded gracefully, then these are the two angles of an accepted deed:
1) That the act is pure and only for the sake of Allah azza wajal, without associating any partner in the intention. ( Such as polytheists, or those who show off with their acts)
2) And that it is going side by side with the shariah of the prophet peace be upon him

It seems each of my questions has a sophisticated answer waiting for them (my questions cannot be that new)

Im stil learning myself , and sharing what you know is the best way to a profound learning

Nice to see you interested in learning, and what is nicer is the opportunity of helping which you gave us

Best regards

Ps: Im in a far far town for holidays, so I have avery bad connection therefore Im not sure Im able to research the net to find you some english Islamic website which will help, but I'll do my best Inshallah. You can always use the www.islamonline.com website, its a very useful tool for those who wish to learn, and also the Islam q-a website ( Bad connection, try the google astuce )

 

[Onkara]

Thanks Fatima!
It is a pleasure to read the answers you and Peace provide. There is such depth to Islam, I feel I am just scraping the surface.

I hope you enjoy your holiday. Please do not use the time to find articles, God willing the answers will come from my own efforts also. I am happy if you don't mind answering my few questions now and then

Enjoy your break!