My name is Sharon. I'm American & live in Texas. When I was a child, I was taught to worship God at the appropriate times - Christmas, Easter, & Need Help Day. We went to church but we weren't crazy enough to let that effect our lifestyle or anything. After all people who base their lives around God are annoying & need therapy right?




So, this was our way and our family seemed quite pleased with it until I hit puberty. I wanted to know why God created me & no one could give me a satisfactory answer. Go through this life for what? A house, a car & 2.5 children did not seem like a good reason to me. I had trouble motivating myself when I realized I cared very little what others thought of me.

I decided to eat, drink & be merry because I did not have a clue. I dedicated myself to thrills & merriment AND I WAS GOOD AT IT. My parents declared it Need Help Day and began to pull out their only defence - the Bible. I decided it was time to be on my own my, parents did not understand my right to party & they were so boring.

I left with 5 dollars & went to live with flower children. Life was just a big party. Then I began to feel sorry for my parents at Christmas time & went home. They had a wonderful surprise planned for me - a Christian Reform school just for me! I was soon packed, shipped and on my way. I arrived at the door of this home for wayward girls & was led into an office to meet the evangelist that ran the ministry that ran the home.

"What's your name?", he said as he extended a friendly handshake. I told him my name and shook his hand. Then, he managed to surprise me by biting my thumb," Don't you give me that HIPPY handshake! We'll soon run the devil out of you!" I made the mistake of saying, "Can I leave with him?". The rest of the day was spent showing me my bed & telling me the rules.

Bars on the windows, surrounded by a barbed wire fence, intercoms in every room so that THEY could hear you, radio bible broadcast in the morning at 5, 15 minutes of every class in bible study, then home to bible study, then more radio bible broadcast then 2 hours to bathe & get ready for tomorrow. I knew the first ten minutes I was there that I would make a break for it at the first possible opportunity.

The next day I jumped the barbed wire fence & booked it. I hitched a ride with a stranger, who to my horror turned out to be one of the dreaded WORKERS. They drove me right back to the home & I was ushered into PAPA'S office for punishment. I found out Papa was a man about 6'5, middle aged. He asked my name. I was angry at this point and responded with, "Do you talk to God?" He said, "Yes, quite often". I said, " Then why don't you ask him what my name is?" I was beaten severely with a black jack by a 24 year old man that wanted to please Christ by putting me in my place.

I never gave him the pleasure of seeing me cry. Amazingly enough, I am grateful for all of these events because this was the beginning of my search for the true church of Jesus having painfully become aware that this was definitely not it. I was forced to read the Bible & read it I did, not for them - for me. I was searching for truth for myself. I asked Jesus to save me and come into my heart. Everything was supposed to be wonderful after that, but everything wasn't.

Great, I was going to heaven now (everyone assured me of that). BUT WHY WAS I CREATED IN THE FIRST PLACE? AND GOD, WHY WONT YOU LET ME TELL YOU MY PROBLEMS - WHY DO I HAVE TO GO THROUGH JESUS? JESUS IS WONDERFUL BUT I NEED YOU.

I was finally released from the home back to the loving home of my family. They were eating pig meat & it bothered me. I told them the Bible says in Deuteronomy not to eat pigs. They said I was driving them crazy, had become a religious fanatic & it was plainly not normal to worry about what God thinks ALL THE TIME.

I was asked by my parents to find someplace else to live. I was 15 years old. I searched for the pure teachings of Jesus. I knew belief in Jesus was not enough. I need guidance and answers. I led a very lonely life even though I was surrounded by people. I went to many many many churches searching, always searching. I never considered Islam as a possibility because Christian preachers had already warned us of THOSE HEATHEN MUSLIMS (now here's the funny part) AND HOW THEY FORCE YOU INTO THEIR RELIGION.

All the lies they told me about Islam kept me from even putting Islam on the shelf as a possibility. Preachers tell tall tales but they have no effect on the plans of Allah. I read the Bible for many years because I wanted to be sure of which Christian religion should join. I had heard many ministers claiming to have the ' Holy Spirit' guiding them, and they were all teaching different doctrines. I came to realize that ANYONE could claim almost anything as Biblical teaching and I understood why, when I came across too many mistakes to print here.

The modern day Bible was collected and binded together in the 16th century. It was supervised by King James who had control of the church at that time. Books of the Bible we have today are books which agreed with the interpretation of the scholars of a particular school of thought. The chapters they did not feel expressed their point of view were not included in the Bible and called fraudulent. The average man never got a look at those chapters because the matters of the heart were decided for him by the church council which was functioning under the political wheel of the government. I finally threw my hands in the air & gave up because of these Bible Verses:

Isiah 46:3 I will not meet thee as a man.

Isaih 46:8 Neither shall I know the loss of children

Hebrews 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to soccour them that are tempted.

James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any man.

1 John 3:2 Beloved now are we the sons of God.

1 John 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him.

1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin we decieve ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Matthew 15:24 I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel ( HE did not say he was sent to all mankind).

Mark 6:4 ( here Jesus calls himself a prophet)

Matthew 19:17 And he said unto them, "Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God.

I was told that God was always there & that he was not made. We are told that Jesus is made in:

Hebrews 2:9 and Hebrews 1:4

Ecclesiastes 3:19 so that man hath no preeminence above a beast.

Genesis 1:28 ..and have dominion over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Ecclesiastes 9:5 ... the dead know not anything neither have they anymore a reward.

Psalms 19:11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned and in the keeping of them there is great reward.

Ecclesiastes 10:19... but money answereth all things.

Isaih 52:3 ... and ye shall be redeemed without money.

1st Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil.

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear O Israel the lord our God is one Lord.

Psalms 82:6 I have said ye are gods and all of you are children of the Most High.

Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels.

Hebrews 1:2 Spoken to us by his son..being made so much better than the angels.

Genesis 32:30 I saw God face to face.

1 John 4:12 no man hath seen God at any time.

Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker strong drink is raging and whosoever is decieved thereby is not wise.

1 Timothy 5:23 Drink no longer water but use a little wine for thy stomachs sake and thine often infirmities.

Genesis 1:22 And god blessed them saying be fruitful and multiply.

1 Corinthians 7:1 it is good for a man not to touch a woman.

2nd Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God.

1 Corinthians 7:6 and I speak this by permission and not of commandment.

1 Corinthians She is happier if she so abide after my judgement and I think also that I have the spirit of God.

Phillipians 2:6 Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal to God.

John 5:57 Ye have neither heard his voice at any time or seen his shape.

2nd Corinthians 11:8 I robbed other churches (says Paul)

1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin.

John 5:30 I can of mine ownself do nothing.

John 8:42 Jesus said unto them if God were your father ye would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God NEITHER CAME I OF MYSELF, but HE sent me.

AND THE LIST GOES ON.....THE LIST GOES ON.

Is there any wonder I was bewildered?

I became convinced that God hated me because He would not let me find the Truth. About this time an acquaintance sent me a pamphlet about Islam. She was American like me. I felt so sorry for the poor stupid misled thing. I was quite sure she was weak minded & had let her Arab husband brainwash her. I opened the pamphlet because I was sure it was stupid & nothing is better to make fun of than Muslims.

The pamphet said THINK VERY CAREFULLY ABOUT THE TRINITY. I had never been exposed to anything but Arab boozers & Muslims who were not practising their religion. Those people were so easy to put down. I would tell them," Look at you. YOU can't even believe in your own religion enough to practice it!"

The guy who wrote this pamphlet was a different sort of Arab - to my dismay, not an easy target. I stopped reading in the middle of the pamphlet because I knew HE KNOWS THE TRUTH! I can't believe this! God has given the Truth to the Muslims! They are Arabs! I'm not Arab! This is a disaster! I cannot be a Muslim , everyone I know hates Muslims! I will have to dress like those women and take off my beloved make-up! How could you do this to me God?!

Then I thought I'd play a game with God...Well, they might not have the Truth & I'm not SURE they have the truth - so I'll just forget about all of this. I'd been on my own since age 15 & was now 26. I was lonely. I asked God to send me a husband. I asked God for a religious man (I had a Christian man in mind when I placed this request. I made a solemn promise to God to marry the very next man who asked me. I was going to take it as a sign.)

Allah has never failed to answer my requests. The next man to ask me to marry him was Palestinian. He was 2 things I did not want in a man - he was Arab & he was Muslim. He was different than any man I'd ever met. He was practicing Islam & he did not drink. I complained to God. I was convinced God sent me an Arab Muslim to ask me for marriage because He hated me.

I was now angry with God & decided to marry this Muslim since God will not help me. However I felt about this man's background, I have to say it was love at first sight. The most surprising thing was that he seemed to know everything I needed. It was the first time I felt like another human being loved me. We married. Our marriage was horrible. I told him not to ever discuss his religion with me & he didn't. I put him through a lot of misery in the beginning of our marriage.

Then one night he brought a Qur'an home to me. He handed it to me explaining that it was a Holy Book. He told me I could read it if I wanted to. My response in front of him was, "Why should I read that? Just set it over there. I don't want it." I waited until he went to bed & was asleep. I prayed, "Oh God show me whether or not this book is true. If the book is true I will accept it. If it is false - show me." I opened the Qur'an and randomly read;

Proclaim ! (or Read !) In the name Of thy Lord and Cherisher,
Who created-Created man , out of A leech like clot:
Proclaim ! And thy Lord Is Most Bountiful,
He Who taught (The use of) the Pen,
Taught man that Which he knew not

I felt strangely some new emotion - I flipped open to another spot - I read :

There will be those of the people of the book who when they see the truth they will recognise it.

I quite suddenly became aware of the fact that I was touching something very Holy for the first time. I was in AWE. I knew I was holding the very Words of God. Then I realized for the first time that God did not hate me because He let me find this miracle.

I felt joy! I had found the treasure! I had finally found the Truth. I felt ashamed that I had been so arrogant towards my Creator & Merciful Allah. I knew I had been given Mercy because I found the Truth when I wasn't even looking for it. Allah in His Mercy sent it to a poor blind fool. I sat transfixed for quite some time rejoicing in my new found treasure.

It was 4 am. Who cares?! I have found a miracle! I ran to wake my husband. "Honey! Wake up! I need to tell you something you don't know!" My husband woke up and said," I have to work tomorrow. What are you talking about?" "That book you gave me is a miracle from God! Why aren't you guys screaming from the mountaintops about this book?!"

My husband smiled, "Every ayah (verse) has it's miracle - but not everybody wants to know about it." We have 5 children now, and have been married 15 years. Islam is my way of life. Now, when rednecks asks me about why I'm wearing this thing on my head I have to smile & be patient. I was once that arrogant redneck. I understand where they are coming from BUT DON'T WISH TO RETURN. You may not believe it but:

There is no God but Allah

Muhammad is His Messenger

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Author: Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens)

All I have to say is all what you know already, to confirm what you already know, the message of the Prophet, may Allâh send prayers and blessings on him, as given by God - the Religion of Truth. As human beings we are given a consciousness and a duty that has placed us at the top of creation. Man is created to be God's deputy on earth, and it is important to realize the obligation to rid ourselves of all illusions and to make our lives a preparation for the next life. Anybody who misses this chance is not likely to be given another, to be brought back again and again, because it says in Qur'ân Majîd that when man is brought to account, he will say, "O Lord, send us back and give us another chance." The Lord will say, "If I send you back you will do the same."




MY EARLY RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING

I was brought up in the modern world of all the luxury and the high life of show business. I was born in a Christian home, but we know that every child is born in his original nature - it is only his parents that turn him to this or that religion. I was given this religion (Christianity) and thought this way. I was taught that God exists, but there was no direct contact with God, so we had to make contact with Him through Jesus - he was in fact the door to God. This was more or less accepted by me, but I did not swallow it all.

I looked at some of the statues of Jesus; they were just stones with no life. And when they said that God is three, I was puzzled even more but could not argue. I more or less believed it, because I had to have respect for the faith of my parents.

POP STAR

Gradually I became alienated from this religious upbringing. I started making music. I wanted to be a big star. All those things I saw in the films and on the media took hold of me, and perhaps I thought this was my God, the goal of making money. I had an uncle who had a beautiful car. "Well," I said, "he has it made. He has a lot of money." The people around me influenced me to think that this was it; this world was their God.

I decided then that this was the life for me; to make a lot of money, have a 'great life.' Now my examples were the pop stars. I started making songs, but deep down I had a feeling for humanity, a feeling that if I became rich I would help the needy. (It says in the Qur'ân, we make a promise, but when we make something, we want to hold onto it and become greedy.)

So what happened was that I became very famous. I was still a teenager, my name and photo were splashed in all the media. They made me larger than life, so I wanted to live larger than life and the only way to do that was to be intoxicated (with liquor and drugs).

IN HOSPITAL

After a year of financial success and 'high' living, I became very ill, contracted TB and had to be hospitalized. It was then that I started to think: What was to happen to me? Was I just a body, and my goal in life was merely to satisfy this body? I realized now that this calamity was a blessing given to me by Allâh, a chance to open my eyes - "Why am I here? Why am I in bed?" - and I started looking for some of the answers. At that time there was great interest in the Eastern mysticism. I began reading, and the first thing I began to become aware of was death, and that the soul moves on; it does not stop. I felt I was taking the road to bliss and high accomplishment. I started meditating and even became a vegetarian. I now believed in 'peace and flower power,' and this was the general trend. But what I did believe in particular was that I was not just a body. This awareness came to me at the hospital.

One day when I was walking and I was caught in the rain, I began running to the shelter and then I realized, 'Wait a minute, my body is getting wet, my body is telling me I am getting wet.' This made me think of a saying that the body is like a donkey, and it has to be trained where it has to go. Otherwise, the donkey will lead you where it wants to go.

Then I realized I had a will, a God-given gift: follow the will of God. I was fascinated by the new terminology I was learning in the Eastern religion. By now I was fed up with Christianity. I started making music again and this time I started reflecting my own thoughts. I remember the lyric of one of my songs. It goes like this: "I wish I knew, I wish I knew what makes the Heaven, what makes the Hell. Do I get to know You in my bed or some dusty cell while others reach the big hotel?" and I knew I was on the Path.

I also wrote another song, "The Way to Find God Out." I became even more famous in the world of music. I really had a difficult time because I was getting rich and famous, and at the same time, I was sincerely searching for the Truth. Then I came to a stage where I decided that Buddhism is all right and noble, but I was not ready to leave the world. I was too attached to the world and was not prepared to become a monk and to isolate myself from society.

I tried Zen and Ching, numerology, tarot cards and astrology. I tried to look back into the Bible and could not find anything. At this time I did not know anything about Islâm, and then, what I regarded as a miracle occurred. My brother had visited the mosque in Jerusalem and was greatly impressed that while on the one hand it throbbed with life (unlike the churches and synagogues which were empty), on the other hand, an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity prevailed.

THE QUR'ÂN

When he came to London he brought back a translation of the Qur'ân, which he gave to me. He did not become a Muslim, but he felt something in this religion, and thought I might find something in it also.

And when I received the book, a guidance that would explain everything to me - who I was; what was the purpose of life; what was the reality and what would be the reality; and where I came from - I realized that this was the true religion; religion not in the sense the West understands it, not the type for only your old age. In the West, whoever wishes to embrace a religion and make it his only way of life is deemed a fanatic. I was not a fanatic, I was at first confused between the body and the soul. Then I realized that the body and soul are not apart and you don't have to go to the mountain to be religious. We must follow the will of God. Then we can rise higher than the angels. The first thing I wanted to do now was to be a Muslim.

I realized that everything belongs to God, that slumber does not overtake Him. He created everything. At this point I began to lose the pride in me, because hereto I had thought the reason I was here was because of my own greatness. But I realized that I did not create myself, and the whole purpose of my being here was to submit to the teaching that has been perfected by the religion we know as al-Islâm. At this point I started discovering my faith. I felt I was a Muslim. On reading the Qur'ân, I now realized that all the Prophets sent by God brought the same message. Why then were the Jews and Christians different? I know now how the Jews did not accept Jesus as the Messiah and that they had changed His Word. Even the Christians misunderstand God's Word and called Jesus the son of God. Everything made so much sense. This is the beauty of the Qur'ân; it asks you to reflect and reason, and not to worship the sun or moon but the One Who has created everything. The Qur'ân asks man to reflect upon the sun and moon and God's creation in general. Do you realize how different the sun is from the moon? They are at varying distances from the earth, yet appear the same size to us; at times one seems to overlap the other.

Even when many of the astronauts go to space, they see the insignificant size of the earth and vastness of space. They become very religious, because they have seen the Signs of Allâh. When I read the Qur'ân further, it talked about prayer, kindness and charity. I was not a Muslim yet, but I felt that the only answer for me was the Qur'ân, and God had sent it to me, and I kept it a secret. But the Qur'ân also speaks on different levels. I began to understand it on another level, where the Qur'ân says, "Those who believe do not take disbelievers for friends and the believers are brothers." Thus at this point I wished to meet my Muslim brothers.

CONVERSION

Then I decided to journey to Jerusalem (as my brother had done). At Jerusalem, I went to the mosque and sat down. A man asked me what I wanted. I told him I was a Muslim. He asked what was my name. I told him, "Stevens." He was confused. I then joined the prayer, though not so successfully. Back in London, I met a sister called Nafisa. I told her I wanted to embrace Islâm and she directed me to the New Regent Mosque. This was in 1977, about one and a half years after I received the Qur'ân. Now I realized that I must get rid of my pride, get rid of Iblîs, and face one direction. So on a Friday, after Jumma' I went to the Imâm and declared my faith (the Kalimah) at this hands. You have before you someone who had achieved fame and fortune. But guidance was something that eluded me, no matter how hard I tried, until I was shown the Qur'ân. Now I realize I can get in direct contact with God, unlike Christianity or any other religion. As one Hindu lady told me, "You don't understand the Hindus. We believe in one God; we use these objects (idols) to merely concentrate." What she was saying was that in order to reach God, one has to create associates, that are idols for the purpose. But Islâm removes all these barriers. The only thing that moves the believers from the disbelievers is the salât. This is the process of purification.

Finally I wish to say that everything I do is for the pleasure of Allâh and pray that you gain some inspirations from my experiences. Furthermore, I would like to stress that I did not come into contact with any Muslim before I embraced Islâm. I read the Qur'ân first and realized that no person is perfect. Islâm is perfect, and if we imitate the conduct of the Holy Prophet may Allâh send prayers and blessings on him we will be successful. May Allâh give us guidance to follow the path of the ummah of Muhammad may Allâh send prayers and blessings on him. Amîn!

-- Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens)

Source:

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First Rak'at

• Niyyat

Stand erect facing the qibla (The Ka'aba), and form the following intention in your mind:



"I offer, the _________ prayer (name of a particular prayer), of ______ rakats (number of rakats), wajib Qurbatan Ilallah, (seeking nearness to Allah, in obedience to Him").

• Qayam
  
  

  
  

  To stand erect facing the qibla (The Ka'aba) while saying Takbiratul Ehram, and to stand before the Ruku.
  
  

  
  

  
  


• Takbiratul Ehram

Lift both hands up to the ears and say:









"Allaho Akbar"


(Allah is Great).





To say Allahu Akbar in the beginning of every prayer is obligatory. It is also necessary that these two words should be pronounced in correct Arabic. If a person pronounces these words incorrectly, or utters their translation, it will not be valid. It is necessary that when a person pronounces Takbiratul Ehram, his body is steady, if he pronounces Takbiratul Ehram intentionally when his body is in motion, his Takbir is void.





Qira'at (Reciting the Surah Ul-Fatihah and Other Surah of Holy Qur'an)

In the the daily obligatory prayers, after the Takbiratul Ehram, one should recite Surah Ul-Fatihah

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim



Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil 'alamin



Arrahmanir Rahim



Maliki yaw middin



Iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'in



Ihdinas siratal mustaqim



Siratal lazina an'amta 'alayhim



Ghayril maghzubi 'alayhim walazzallin.


I commence with the Name of Allah - in Whom all excellences are combined and Who is free from all defects. The Compassionate - One Whose blessings are extensive and unlimited. The Merciful - One Whose blessings are inherent and eternal.





Praise be to Allah, the Sustainer of the creation.





The Compassionate, the Merciful.





Lord of the Day of Judgment.





You alone we worship, and to You alone we pray for help.





Guide us to the straight path.





The path of those whom You have favored - the Prophets and their successors.





Not of those who have incurred Your wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.





In the first and second Rak'ats, and thereafter one should, on the basis of precaution, recite one complete Surah (in this case Surah-Ikhlas).





Surah-Ikhlas



Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim





Qul huwallahu Ahad





Allahus Samad





Lam yalid walam yulad





Walam yakullahu kufuwan ahad.



I commence with the Name of Allah - in Whom all excellences are combined and Who is free from all defects. The Compassionate - One Whose blessings are extensive and unlimited. The Merciful - One Whose blessings are inherent and eternal.



Say: Allah is One - the Eternal Being.



Allah is He Who is independent of all beings.



He begot none, nor was He begotten.



And none in the creation is equal to Him.

• Do Takbir and go to Ruku

"Allaho Akbar"

(Allah is Great).



Ruku

In every Rak'at, a person offering prayers should, after reciting the Surahs (Qira'at), bow to an extent that he is able to rest his finger tips on his knees. This act is called Ruku.

The following zikr should be recited in the ruku once:

Subhana Rabbiyal 'Azimi wa bihamdih once.

(Free from all defects is my Lord, and with His praise I bow.) or Subhanallah three times. (Glory to Allah.)

• After ruku stand up in Qayam and say:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Samey-Allaho Layman hamedah
  
  
  Allah listens to one who praises Him
  
  
  
  
  
  Say:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "Allaho Akbar"
  
  
  (Allah is Great).
  
  
  
  
  
  Now go to Sajdah
  
  
  
  
  
  Sajdah
  
  
  

Sajdah means that one should place one's forehead on earth in a special manner, with the intention of humility (before Allah).



While performing Sajdahs during prayers, it is obligatory that both the palms and the knees, and both the big toes are placed on the ground.



A person offering prayers should perform two Sajdahs after the Ruku, in each Rak'at of the obligatory.

The following zikr should be recited in the Sajdah once:







Subhana Rabbi yal A'la wa bihamdih once.



(Glory be to my Great Sustainer, Most High, and I praise Him.)



or Subhanallah three times. (Glory to Allah.)



After first Sajdah,



sit up in a kneeling position with the ankle of the right foot in the sole of the left foot, with hands resting on the thighs and say:

"Allaho Akbar"



(Allah is Great).



followed by:







"Astaghfir-oolaha Rabbee wa Atoobo Ilaih"



(I ask Allah, my Lord, to cover up my sins and unto Him I turn repentant).

again followed by:







"Allaho Akbar"



(Allah is Great).



Repeat the Sajdah again and then sit up in a kneeling position and say:







"Allaho Akbar"



(Allah is Great).



Sit up for a moment and then rise while saying:







"Bay Hawlillahay wa Qoowateyhee Aqoomo wa Aqud"



(Due to the vigour given by Allah and because of the vitality from Him I rise and stand).

Second Rakat



Recite Surah Al-Hamd and Other Surah of Holy Qur'an as in the first rakat.



followed by:







"Allaho Akbar"



(Allah is Great).



Now do Qunoot



Qunoot

Keep your hands in front of your face, turning the palms facing the sky, and keeping both, the hands and the fingers, close together and recite the following:







Rabbana Aatayna Fiddoonya Hasasatawn wa fil Aakheratey Hasanatawn wa Qena Azabzn Nar



(O our Lord! Bestow upon us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the fire)



Go back to Ruku,

recite the zikr, stand up momentarily and then do the two sajdah's (just as in the first rakat) Tashahhud After the second Sajdah recite the following:







"Ash hadu an la ilaha illal lahu wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ash hadu anna Muhammadan 'Abduhu wa Rasuluh Alla humma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa Ali Muhammad"



(I testify that there is none worth worshipping except the Almighty Allah, Who is One and has no partner, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. O Allah! Send Your blessings on Muhammad and his progeny)



If you are doing the Dawn prayers (Fajr):-

( For Dawn prayers (Fajr) Only:



Recite the Salaam as follows:







Assalamu 'alayka ayyuhan Nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh



(O Prophet! Allah's peace, blessings and grace be upon you!).



Assalamu 'alayna wa 'ala 'ibadil lahis salihin



(Allah's peace be on us, those offering prayers - and upon all pious servants of Allah).



Assalamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.



(Allah's peace, blessings and grace be on you believers!)



Thereafter



say (below) three times and that completes your Salât:







"Allaho Akbar"



(Allah is Great). )



If you are doing the Midday (Zuhr), Afternoon prayers ('Asr) or Night ('Isha), ignore the above section (in red)



and then stand up for the third rakat.

Third Rakat

Tasbihat Arba'ah



Recite Tasbihat Arba'ah three times, as follows:







"Subhanallahi wal hamdu lillahi wa la ilaha lallahu wallahu Akbar"



(Glory be to Allah, and all praise is for Him and there is no one worth worshipping other than Allah, and He is Greater than any description).



Go back to Ruku,



recite the zikr, stand up momentarily and then do the two sajdah's (just as in the first rakat) and thereafter recite the Tashahhud (just as in the second rakat).

Tashahhud



After the second Sajdah recite the following:







"Ash hadu an la ilaha illal lahu wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ash hadu anna Muhammadan 'Abduhu wa Rasuluh Alla humma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa Ali Muhammad"



(I testify that there is none worth worshipping except the Almighty Allah, Who is One and has no partner, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. O Allah! Send Your blessings on Muhammad and his progeny)



If you are doing the Dusk prayers (Maghrib) :-



( For Dusk prayers (Maghrib) Only:



Recite the Salaam as follows:







Assalamu 'alayka ayyuhan Nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh



(O Prophet! Allah's peace, blessings and grace be upon you!).



Assalamu 'alayna wa 'ala 'ibadil lahis salihin



(Allah's peace be on us, those offering prayers - and upon all pious servants of Allah).



Assalamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.



(Allah's peace, blessings and grace be on you believers!)



Thereafter



say (below) three times and that completes your Salât:







"Allaho Akbar"

(Allah is Great). )





Fourth Rakat

• If you are doing the Midday (Zuhr), Afternoon prayers ('Asr) or Night ('Isha), ignore the above section (in red)
  
  
  
  
  
  and then stand up for the fourth rakat.
  
  
  
  
  
  Recite Tasbihat Arba'ah three times, as follows:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "Subhanallahi wal hamdu lillahi wa la ilaha lallahu wallahu Akbar"
  
  (Glory be to Allah, and all praise is for Him and there is no one worth worshipping other than Allah, and He is Greater than any description).
  
  


• Go back to Ruku,
  

recite the zikr, stand up momentarily and then do the two Sajdahs (just as in the first rakat) and thereafter recite the Tashahhud.

• Salaam

  
  

After the Tashahhud, recite the Salaam as follows:







Assalamu 'alayka ayyuhan Nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh



(O Prophet! Allah's peace, blessings and grace be upon you!).



Assalamu 'alayna wa 'ala 'ibadil lahis salihin



(Allah's peace be on us, those offering prayers - and upon all pious servants of Allah).



Assalamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.



(Allah's peace, blessings and grace be on you believers!)



Thereafter



say (three times and that completes your Salât):







"Allaho Akbar"

(Allah is Great).

Source:

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FARDS IN WUZOO


There are four Fara'ID (Mandatory Acts) in an Ablution).

1. To wash the face once.




2. To wash the two arms together with the elbows once.




3. To apply masah on the one-fourth of the head, that is, to rub a wet hand softly on it.




4. To wash the feet, together with the ankle-bones on the side once.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Sunnats in Ablution
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   There are eighteen Sunnats in an ablution.
   
   
   

1. To recite "Bismillah" before the making the ablution.




2. To wash the hands including the wrists three times.




3. To rinse the mouth three times by using new water each time. This is called madmada.




4. To wash both nostrils three times, taking fresh water each time. This is called istinshaq.




5. To wet the invisible parts of the skin under the eyebrows, the beard and the mustache. It is fard to wash their exterior surfaces. If the hairs are scarce and the skin can be seen, it will be fard to wet and wash the skin.




6. To wet the section under the two eyebrows when washing the face.




7. To apply the masah on the hanging part of the beard.




8. To comb (taklil) the hanging part of the beard with the wetted fingers of the right hands.




9. To rub and clean the teeth with something.




10. To apply masah (to wipe) both ears once.




11. To apply masah on the neck once with three adjacent fingers of both hands.




12. To wash (takhlil ) between the fingers and the toes, the little fingers of the left hand is inserted between the toes from under them in successions,beginning with the little toe of the right foot and, after finishing with the right foot, carrying on with big toe of the foot.




13. To apply masah on the whole head once.




14. To wash every limb three times which is to be washed. At each washing every part of the limb must be moistened. It is sunnat not to pour water three times but to wash it completely three times. It is makruh to wash more than three times.




15. To intend through the heart to get reward when beginning the Wudu.




16. Tartib. In other words, to wash the two hands, the mouth, the nostrils, the face, the arms, then apply masah on the head, and not to change this order.




17. Dalk, to rub the limbs washed.




18. Muwalat, to wash the limbs one right after another quickly.
    
    
    
    

Mustahabbats in Ablution







There are twenty-eight twenty-eight mustahabbats in an ablution.


In this context adab means something which causes blessings when done but incurs no sin if committed.

1. To make an ablution before it is time for Salaat




2. If the private parts have not been smeared with najasat (impurity); it is an adab to wash them with water. If the najasat (impurity) is less than one dirham [which is equal to one mithqal: four grams and eighty centigrams], it is sunnat to wash. If one has been smeared with one dirham of it, it is wajib, and if more than that it is fard to wash




3. To wipe oneself dry with a piece of cloth after washing. If there is no cloth one must wipe with one's hand




4. To cover oneself right after the cleaning is completed.




5. Not to ask for help from anybody, but to perform the ablution by oneself. If one pours water for one without being asked, it will be permissible.




6. To turn towards the qibla when making an ablution.




7. Not to talk while making an ablution.




8. To recite the kalmia-i-shahadat while washing each limb.




9. To recite the prescribed prayers (du'a) of ablution.




10. To put water in the mouth with the right hand.




11. To put water in the nose with the right and to clean the nose with the left hand.




12. When washing the mouth, rinse it if not fasting.




13. When washing the nostrils, to draw the water almost up to the bone.




14. When applying masah on the ears, insert each little finger into each earhole, respectively.




15. To use the little finger of the left hand when washing between the toes when inserting from the lower sides of them.




16. To shift the ring when washing the hands. It is necessary and fard to shift a tight ring.




17. Not to waste water though it may be plentiful.




18. Not to use little water so as to appear rubbing with oil. During each the three washing, at least two drops of water must fall from the place washed.




19. After using a container for ablution, to leave the container full of water so that the other may use it.




20. To recite the prayer (du'a ) "ALLAHUMMAJ'ALNI MINATTAWWABIN….."after or during the ablution.




21. To make an ablution though one has an ablution. In other words, after performing one namaz, renew your ablution for the next namaz.




22. To clean the inner corner of the eyes and clear away the dried mucus in the eyelids when washing the face.




23. When washing the face, the arms and the feet, wash a little more than the compulsory amount. When washing the arms, we must fill our palm with water and then pour it towards the elbow.




24. When performing an ablution, do not let the water used splash back on the body, the cloths, etc.




25. To wash the face with both hands.




26. To put the water container on the right side. While performing an ablution.




27. When washing the foot, start from the fingers.




28. To perform two rak'at [cycle] salaat after an ablution, which is called "THAHEEYA-TUL-WUDU".
    
    
    
    

Prohibitions in Wazoo







There are ten prohibitions in performing an ablution

1. When relieving one or urinating in the toilet or outdoors, one should not turn one's front or back towards the Qibla. It is makruh also to stretch one's feet towards the Qibla or the Quran. If the Quran is above one it will not be makruh.




2. It is haram to open one's private parts near someone in order to make taharat.




3. One should not make taharat with one's right hand.




4. When there is no water, it is makruh to make taharat (to clean oneself ) with food products, manure,bones,animals food,coal,someone else's property,reeds,leaves. Instead of that should have "Tayammum".




5. One must not spit or throw mucus into the pool where one makes an ablution.




6. One should not wash one's limbs of ablution much more or less than the prescribed limit, nor wash them more or less than three times.




7. While washing the face, one must not splash the water on one's face, but pour it from the upper forehead downwards.




8. One must not blow on or over the surface of the water.




9. One must not close one's mouth and eyes tightly. If even a tiny part of the outward part of the lips or the eyelids is left dry, the ablution will not be acceptable.




10. One must not make masah on one's head, ears or neck more than once after moistening the hands each time. But it can be repeated with moistening the hands again
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Source:

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Questions From A Christian

By Mufti Taqi Usmani
Additional comments made by IPCI by Rafeek Hassen (Director IPCI, Islamic Propagation Center International) and
reviewed by Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Posted: 18 Safar 1424, 20 April 2003

The University of Birmingham Islamic Society received the following email from a Christian:

=========================================

Hello, I am a Christian who is considering converting to Islam. I have a number of questions which I would like answered --- they are from a Christian perspective i.e. mainly dealing with Jesus and his position in the two faiths. I would very much appreciate your wisdom and help on these issues. Please find time to reply... Thank you.

Questions & Answers:



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Q.) 1. Allah - does He love everyone in the world, or only "good" people?

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A.) (Mufti Taqi Usmani) 'Allah's love' may have two different meanings: One that He likes the well being of every person. And second, that He likes him in all respects and will admit him into the Paradise. In the first meaning He loves everyone in the world because He likes the well being of all people, both here and in the Hereafter. Because of this love He gives sustenance to every one, regardless of his religion and his deeds, and it is because of this kind of love that He has sent a large number of messengers and revealed the divine books, so that every one may know the truth and after following His instructions becomes entitled to the reward in the Hereafter. But the second kind of love is applicable only to those people who believe in His Oneness and in all messengers sent and all books revealed by Him, and then act accordingly.

A.) (IPCI) Allah is the Creator of All, and as such is the Provider of All. He is also Merciful to all of His Creation. Even the atheist and polytheists benefit from the rain, the vegetation, the air etc. This, Allah out of His Lordship and Mercy provides to all, 'good and bad people', believers or disbelievers, without discrimination. However when we talk of love of Allah towards His Creation especially human beings, Allah is more loving to those who do good deeds :

"And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah and make not your own hands contribute to your destruction but do good; for Allah loves those who do good." [Al-Baqarah 2:195]

Inherently, everyone is 'good' and has the capacity to do good, it's the evil actions that are disliked by Allah, the same person can become liked by Allah by changing and doing good deeds. In the Qur'an Chapter 2 Verse 21, Allah addresses all of humankind:

"O humankind! Adore your Guardian-Lord who created you and those who came before you that ye may have the chance to learn righteousness (do good deeds)" [Al-Baqarah 2:21]




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Q.) 2. Did Muhammad understand the Trinity to include God, Jesus & Mary? If so, did that not influence his understanding of Christianity and his teachings?

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A.) (Mufti Taqi Usmani) Yes, the Holy prophet Muhammad knew well the concept of Trinity because it is mentioned in the Holy Qur'an in specific words, and it is because of this knowledge that he had refuted the doctrines of Christianity.

A.) (IPCI) "And behold! Allah will say "O Jesus the son of Mary! didst thou say unto men `worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah"? He will say: "Glory to Thee! Never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing You would indeed have known it. You know what is in my heart though I know not what is in Yours. For You know in full all that is hidden" [Al-Maidah 5:116]

Though the Protestant world does not deify Mary (alayhas salam, or peace be upon her), some of the the early Churches did, and so does the Catholic World till today as it confers divinity on her. The above verse of the Qur'an negates this deification of Mary by some sectors of Christianity. Hence Prophet Muhammad, was responding to this wrong belief of some Christians who were present during his time and who still exist today. Trinity was neither preached nor practiced by Jesus, alayhis salam; he preached the oneness of God. It is impossible to take three things that create 3 different mental pictures and to make them one.

Mark|12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? [Mark 12: 28]

Mark|12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

Mark|12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.



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Q.) 3. Apparently, for "mild" sins Allah may punish us or demand penance. For "serious" sins there is no forgiveness. How do you ascertain what is a mild / serious sin? What happens to you if you commit a "serious" sin before you come to faith - is it too late?

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A.) (Mufti Taqi Usmani) It is not correct, according to the Islamic beliefs, that serious sins cannot be forgiven. The correct position enunciated by the Holy Qur'an is that Allah forgives any sin, major or minor, mild or serious for the one who truly repents to Him. This rule is applicable even to Shirk (ascribing partners to Allah) and Kufr (disbelief) in the sense that if a person repents from these beliefs and embraces Islam, his past beliefs of Shirk and Kufr are forgiven. It is also mentioned in the Holy Qur'an that Allah may forgive any sin that is short of Shirk and Kufr even without repentance by the relevant person, but He does not forgive Kufr and Shirk without repentance. The text of the holy Qur'an is as follows:

"Surely Allah does not forgive the sin of ascribing partners to Him and He may forgive any sin short of that for whomsoever He wills." [An-Nisa 4:116]

If someone has committed serious sins before he comes to faith, all such serious sins are forgiven as soon as he embraces Islam. The Holy Prophet Muhammad has said: "Surely Islam demolishes all sins committed before it."



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Q.) 4. Both Jews & Christians have historically claimed that Jesus died on the cross. Why then does the Qur'an deny the crucifixion?

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A.) (Mufti Taqi Usmani) It is true that Jews and Christians claim that Jesus Christ died on the cross, but there is no historical evidence to prove this. The Holy Qur'an has specifically mentioned that the Jews were not able to crucify the Prophet 'Isa, alayhis salam, (Jesus Christ) rather they confused him with one of his companions, and Allah raised him up before his crucifixion could have taken place.



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Q.) 5. If Jesus was only a prophet like Muhammad, why was it necessary for him to be born miraculously without a Father and to be raised to Heaven without dying? Surely, this makes Jesus far more superior to the prophets, such as Muhammad, who did die on the 8th June 632 CE, and is still buried in a tomb in Medina to this day? If Jesus has not died (and never will), then the Muslim claim of Muhammad as the successor of Jesus is surely null & void?

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A.) (Mufti Taqi Usmani) Different miracles have been demonstrated by Allah through different prophets and no miracle can be held as superior to any other miracle. It was only on the basis of Allah's discretion and requirements of the relevant time that a particular miracle was chosen to be shown through a particular prophet. Miraculous birth of Jesus Christ and his being raised to the heaven are the miracles shown by Allah, but no miracle can prove the divinity of the prophet through whom it was shown. The Prophet Adam, alayhis salam, was also born without father, rather his birth was more miraculous because he was born even without a mother, but no body can argue that he was god. According to the Christian belief, St. Paul has mentioned about Melchizedekh that he was born without a father and mother. He says about him:

"He is without father or mother or genealogy, and has neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest for ever." (Hebrews: 7:3)

He has expressly mentioned that Melchizedekh was like the Son of God in that he was born without father, rather he has no beginning or end of his life. Still, he has not been held by the Christians as god. This proves our assertion that the miraculous birth of the prophet 'Isa, alayhis salam, (Jesus Christ) cannot be held as evidence of his being god.

Similarly his being raised to the heavens cannot prove his divinity, neither from Islamic point of view, nor according to the Christian principles. The Islamic belief is that he was raised up by Allah Almighty. Had he been a god, he never needed someone to raise him up. As for Christian principles, it is claimed by the Bible that the prophet Elia or Elijah was raised to heaven long before Jesus Christ. The Bible says:

"And as they still went on and talked, beheld, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and cried……and he saw him no more." (2 Kings, 2:11)

Not only this, the Israelites believed that Elijah will descend down from the heaven at a particular time. That is why when the prophet Yahya, alayhis salam, (John the Baptist) appeared, they asked him, "Are you Elijah"? (See Gospel of John, 1:21).

So, despite the belief that Elijah was raised to heaven, the Christians do not believe that he was god.

Similarly, according to the Bible, prophet Enoch was also raised up to the heaven. The bible has said:

"Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." (Genesis: 05:24)

But no body has ever claimed that Enoch was god. This is another evidence that some one's being raised up to the heavens does not prove that he is god. Therefore, if the Muslims believe that 'Isa, alayhis salam, (the Jesus Christ) was raised to heaven, how can it be argued that this is an evidence of his being a god.

So far as the question of succession is concerned, no Muslim has ever claimed that the Holy Prophet Muhammad was a successor of Jesus Christ. He was the last in the chain of prophets that starts from the Holy Prophet Adam, alayhis salam, and ends on the Holy Prophet Muhammad . All of them preached the same fundamental beliefs of Allah's Oneness and the messengership of the prophets and the life after death. If someone from among them was raised to heaven, it cannot stop the following prophets from preaching these beliefs.

A.) (IPCI) Concerning Jesus, alayhis salam, being raised 'without dying' to heaven and due to this, he is greater than Mohammed we have two comments. Firstly, in question 5 above you state that Jesus, alayhis salam, died on the cross, now you say that he was raised without dying! Did Jesus, alayhis salam, die on the cross or not ? If you say he died on the cross, you cannot say he was raised to heaven without dying. Secondly, being raised up to heaven is again no proof of divinity or greatness. In the Qur'an in Surah Al-Isra verse 1 and in An-Najm verses 7-18, Allah mentions that Mohammed was taken up Alive into the very Presence Of God. So the ascension to heaven is not unique to Jesus, alayhis salam, as claimed by you, and this in no way confers divinity to him or greatness over Mohammed .




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Q.) 6. Because Muhammad was a mortal man, he was prone to sin and needed to repent of his sins to Allah. The Qur'an teaches that even the prophets of God, such as Abraham, Moses, David, etc. were guilty of sin. However, both the Qur'an and the Bible testify to the sinlessness of Jesus and teach that Jesus was faultless and holy and an example for all mankind. Surely this makes Jesus far superior to the other prophets, including Muhammad?

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A.) (Mufti Taqi Usmani) According to the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet all prophets are immune from committing sins. No prophet has ever committed a sinful act in the correct sense of the term. However, at times these prophets have done some acts that, though not included in the definition of sin in its exact sense, were not held by Allah as befitting the high station of prophet-hood. Such acts may be termed as slips and not sins. Being on a very high level of religious integrity, they took such slips also as their sins because of which they turned to Allah to repent. According to the Islamic belief based on the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah, this principle applies to all the prophets right from Adam, alayhis salam, upto the Holy Prophet Muhammad . The Holy prophet 'Isa, alayhis salam, (Jesus Christ) is no exception to this rule. Even according to the Bible, he refused to be called as 'good' or 'righteous'. The Gospel of Mark states:

"And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you cal me 'good'"? No one is 'good' but God alone." (Mark, 10:17,18)

The event is also reported by Luke in his Gospel 18:18. Not only this, St. Paul has used for Jesus Christ the words that no Muslim can imagine about him. St. Paul says:

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us - for it is written. "Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree." (Gelatians, 3:13)

Hence, the comparison mentioned in your question is not valid, neither according to the Islamic beliefs nor on the basis of some Biblical texts.

A.) (IPCI) It has been shown to you above in many examples and quotations from the Bible, that Jesus, alayhis salam, is not divine, thus he is as mortal as Mohamed or any other Prophet before him. Nowhere in the entire Bible did Jesus use the words "I am God" or "Worship me". So Jesus, alayhis salam, is also mortal and not divine. However, one major difference between The Qur'an and the Bible is that the Qur'an regards Prophets of God as special human beings who were appointed by God to preach His Divine Mission and to be examples to their communities, and thus God protected them from committing sin. The Qur'an Chapter 6 endorses the sinlessness of all Prophets.

That was the reasoning about Us which We gave to Abraham (to use) against his people: We raise whom We will degree after degree: for thy Lord is full of wisdom and knowledge. We gave him Isaac and Jacob: all (three) We guided: and before him We guided Noah and among his progeny David Solomon Job Joseph Moses and Aaron: thus do We reward those who do good. And Zakariya and John and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of the righteous: And Ismail and Elisha and Jonas and Lot: and to all We gave favor above the nations. (To them) and to their fathers and progeny and brethren: We chose them. And We guided them to a straight way. This is the guidance of Allah: He gives that guidance to whom He pleases of His worshippers. If they were to join other gods with Him all that they did would be vain for them. These were the men to whom We gave the Book and authority and Prophethood: if these (their descendants) reject them behold! We shall entrust their charge to a new People who reject them not. Those were the (prophets) who received Allah's guidance: copy the guidance they received; Say: "No reward for this do I ask of you: this is no less than a Message for the nations." [Al-An'am 6: 83-90]

Unlike the Bible, which falsely attributes heinous and shameful sins to Prophets. In fact it accuses Lot, alayhis salam, for example in Genesis 19-30/36 as having incest with his two daughters while drunk! No Muslim will ever accept this as a fact! All Muslims revere all Prophets as sinless. To single out Jesus, alayhis salam, alone as being the only Prophet who is sinless, is baseless and has no moral, Biblical or Qur'anic justification. Quote me the Qur'anic verses that accuse Abraham, David , Moses or Mohammed as having committed sin.




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Q.) 7. Why do Muslims acknowledge Jesus' miraculous birth and sinless life, (something that they cannot attribute to any other prophet, including Muhammed) and yet they still deny the divinity of Christ?

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A.) (Mufti Taqi Usmani) Answer to this question has already been given in our answer to Question No.5. To sum up, neither the miraculous birth can prove the divinity of a person such as in the case of the Holy Prophet Adam, alayhis salam,, nor being faultless can prove the divinity of a person because, as explained earlier, all the prophets were immune from sins but no body can take them as God.

A.) (IPCI) Both these points have been adequately answered in your questions 5 and 6 above. Who determines what criterion is to be used to measure the greatness of personalities be they religious or secular? You are harping on a few criterions like birth, sinless and ascension of Jesus, alayhis salam, to prove his superiority over other Prophets. Firstly, it has been proven to you adequately above that these criterions are not unique to Jesus, alayhis salam. Secondly, if one has to follow your reasoning of using ones own criterion, can it be fair then to state that Mohammed is greater than Jesus, alayhis salam, in that Mohammed's enemies could not kill him, but Jesus, alayhis salam, "lost the battle" against his enemies and was killed? Can we say that Mohammed is greater than Jesus, alayhis salam, in that he split the moon as one of his miracles, and that Jesus, alayhis salam, did not do that ? Can we say that Moses, alayhis salam, is greater than Jesus, alayhis salam, in that he split the red sea open while Jesus, alayhis salam, did not do that ? According to your own criterion Melcisedec will be greater than Jesus, alayhis salam?

Allah says in Qur'an Chapter 2 Verse 253 :

"Those apostles We endowed with gifts some above others: to one of them Allah spoke; others He raised to degrees (of honor); to Jesus the son of Mary We gave clear (Signs) and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit. If Allah had so willed succeeding generations would not have fought among each other after clear (Signs) had come to them but they (chose) to wrangle some believing and others rejecting. If Allah had so willed they would not have fought each other; but Allah fulfilleth His plan." [Al-Baqarah 2:253]




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Q.) 8. If Muslims believe that Islam is rooted in the Jewish and Christian religions, then why do they deny belief in a propitiatory sacrifice, when such prophets as Noah, Abraham, Jacob and Moses practiced sacrifice? Id-ulAdha...is it not an annual reminder to all Muslims of how Allah provided a ram as an innocent substitute in order to be sacrificed as a ransom, for Abraham's son?

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A.) (Mufti Taqi Usmani) Islam does not deny the propitiatory sacrifice as a form of worship. However, this is restricted to three days on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha during which period sacrifice has been held as the most favorable form of worship. It is true that it is a reminder of the sacrifice offered by the Prophet Ibrahim, alayhis salam. Therefore, whoever wishes to offer such a sacrifice, he can do it during these three days. Since every form of worship must conform to the rules prescribed for it by Allah it must be performed only on the times specified by Him. The sacrifice recognized by Islam is restricted to these three days on the basis of Allah's command.

A.) (IPCI) Firstly, Muslims do not believe that Islam is rooted in Judeo-Christian traditions. Muslims believe that all Prophets came and preached Islam, that all Prophets were Muslims that came and preached the same message namely, that God is one, He has no partner, that we must obey the Prophets of God and that there is life after death, a day of Judgement when everyone will appear before their Lord and Creator and be answerable for their actions.

"They say: 'Become Jews or Christians if ye would be guided (to salvation).' Say thou: 'Nay! (I would rather) the religion of Abraham the true and he joined not gods with Allah.' Say ye: 'We believe in Allah and the revelation given to us and to Abraham Isma`il Isaac Jacob and the Tribes and that given to Moses and Jesus and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord we make no difference between one and another of them and we bow to Allah (in Islam).'" [Al-Baqarah 2:135-136]

Secondly, it seems that you have answered the question yourself. Muslims do not deny animal sacrifice and as you rightfully point out, we do practice this during Eid ul Adha and also at other times. However, Muslims believe that Ismail, alayhis salam, was being sacrificed and not Isaac, alayhis salam, as Christians incorrectly believe. This is based on the Biblical evidence in the Book of Genesis wherein Abraham, alayhis salam, was called upon to sacrifice his firstborn son. Ismail was the firstborn of Abraham, not Isaac (alayhimus salam).




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Q.) 9. Did Muhammad have the assurance that he was going to go to heaven?

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A.) (Mufti Taqi Usmani) Yes, the Holy prophet Muhammad has been assured by Allah Sabhanahu Taala that he would go to heaven. This is proved by many verses of the Holy Qur'an as well as through other revelations received by him and mentioned in different Ahadith.

A.) (IPCI) Yes he was. Both in the Qur'an and in Prophetic Traditions.

"To thee have We granted the Fount (Of Abundance). Therefore to thy Lord turn in Prayer and Sacrifice. For he who hateth thee he will be cut off (from Future Hope)." [Al-Kauthar 108:1-3]

Al-Kauthar literally means "good in abundance". It is the abundant bounty which Allah bestowed on Prophet Muhammad . This includes a river (or fountain) in heaven of this name which Allah has promised the Prophet . (108:1) Not only was Prophet Mohammed promised heaven, he was also promised to be the only Prophet to be given the right of intercession on the day of Judgement.

Hadith Qudsi No. 36:

"The believers will gather together on the Day of Resurrection and will say: Should we not ask [someone] to intercede for us with our Lord? So they will come to Adam and will say: You are the Father of mankind; Allah created you with His hand He made His angels bow down to you and He taught you the names of everything, so intercede for us with you Lord so that He may give us relief form this place where we are. And he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention his wrongdoing and will feel ashamed and will say: Go to Noah, for he is the first messenger that Allah sent to the inhabitants of the earth. So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention his having requested something of his Lord about which he had no [proper] knowledge (Qur'an Chapter 11 Verses 45-46), and he will feel ashamed and will say: Go to the Friend of the Merciful (Abraham). So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that]. Go to Moses, a servant to whom Allah talked and to whom He gave the Torah. So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention the talking of a life other that for a life (Qur'an Chapter 28 Verses 15-16), and he will fell ashamed in the sight of his Lord and will say: Go to Jesus, Allah's servant and messenger, Allah's word and spirit. So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that]. Go to Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), a servant to whom Allah has forgiven all his wrongdoing, past and future. So they will come to me and I shall set forth to ask permission to come to my Lord, and permission will be given, and when I shall see my Lord I shall prostrate myself. He will leave me thus for such time as it pleases Him, and then it will be said [to me]: Raise your head. Ask and it will be granted. Speak and it will be heard. Intercede and your intercession will be accepted. So I shall raise my head and praise Him with a form of praise that He will teach me. Then I shall intercede and HE will set me a limit [as to the number of people], so I shall admit them into Paradise. Then I shall return to Him, and when I shall see my Lord [I shall bow down] as before. Then I shall intercede and He will set me a limit [as to the number of people]. So I shall admit them into Paradise. Then I shall return for a third time, then a fourth, and I shall say: There remains in Hell-fire only those whom the Qur'an has confined and who must be there for eternity. There shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing a barley-corn; then there shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing a grain of wheat; then there shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing an atom."

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Britain’s High Class Are Flocking to Islam
Authentic research has shown that over 14000 Brits have converted to Islam after having lost hope in the style of life the West is offering.
‘Amongst the converts there exists many famous personalities which is a great booster for the Muslims who have become a prey to accusations of terrorism and are living in fear’ in the words of Muslim leaders.
The Muslim Council has appointed the former health minister’s son Ahmed Dobson as chairman of their new committee which is striving to explain the reality of Islam to the whites living in the United Kingdom.
Yahya Britt (Jonathan Britt) the former BBC director has researched thoroughly the data of Christians converting to Islam and concluded that the total number of new Muslims in Britain was 14200. In his statement of conversion to Islam last week, Britt stressed the point that Britain also needed a leader to bring whites more easily into Islam, just as Malcom X had done for the blacks of America and to make Islam a more national religion rather than the strange one it is at present. Furthermore, he explained how Islam’s balanced system, strong beliefs and spirituality gave him that hearts contentment.
Herbet Scott’s great grand daughter, Emma Clark has also accepted Islam as a way of life, a former designer for the gardens of the Prince of Wales is now involved in designing a mosque’s garden. She stated to the press a few days ago that ‘I accepted Islam after detesting the doubt standards of Western values and to lee from the filth that surrounds it. Her great grandfather who was the prime minister of Britain in 1908-1916 led his people to the lines of victory in the First World War.
Most new converts have been greatly influenced by Charles Easton’s book, ‘Islam and the Destiny of Man’. He states that I’ve receives thousands of letters informing me that we have lost hope in today’s Christianity which is following the whims and desires of people and are searching for such a religion which does not have this.
The earl of Yarbrough who is the owner of over 28000acres of land in Lincolnshire told the press, ‘I have changed my name to Abdul Mateen and would only like to say that ‘Study Islam and you shall see its beauty’.
Her Majesty has given full permission for Muslim staff working in Buckingham Palace to take time off to perform their Friday prayers.
The above were examples of people who were directly connected to the kingdom, whose grandparents were the bearers of knighthoods and lordships, who used to sit in the houses of Parliament, wealthy people, from a nation who has never been ruled. But what happened to these people’s progeny? There was no slavery or force on them to make them accept Islam; ‘it was solely the unexplainable hearts contentment we found which compelled us.’
After all this I see not the reasons of my shyness, my regret, my inferiority complex that is stopping me from even performing my Jumu’ah Salaat amidst my colleagues at work only because of the fear of what will people say and that my business may lose important profits, yet the kingdom headquarters, Buckingham Palace, has such facilities…
[ extracted from the monthly ‘Al-Furqan’. Written by Nicholas Hellan, Christopher Morgan and Maqbool Jaan ]

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Experiences of a Recently Converted Hindu Woman

I came from a purely Hindu family where we were always taught to regard ourselves (i.e. women) as beings who were eventually to be married off and have children and serve the husband, whether he was kind or not. Other than this, I found that there were a lot of things, which really oppressed women, such as: If a woman was widowed, she would always have to wear a white sari costume, eat vegetarian meals, cut her hair short, and never re-marry. The bride always had to pay the dowry (bridal money) to the husband’s family. And the husband could ask for anything, irrespective of whether the bride would have difficulty giving it.
Not only that, if after marriage she was not able to pay the full dowry she would be both emotionally and physically tortured, and could end up being a victim of “kitchen death” where the husband, or both the mother-in-law and the husband try to set fire to the wife while she is cooking or is in the kitchen, and try to make it look like an accidental death. More and more of these instances are taking place. The daughter of a friend of my own fathers had the same fate last year!

In addition to all this, men in Hinduism are treated literally as among the gods. In one of the religious Hindu celebration, unmarried girls pray for and worship an idol representing a particular god (Shiva) so that they may have husbands like him. Even my own mother had asked me to do this. This made me see that the Hindu religion which is based on superstitions and things that have no manifest proof, but were merely traditions which oppressed women could not be right.

Subsequently, when I came to England to study, I thought that at least this is a country, which gives equal rights to men and women, and does not oppress them.

We all have the freedom to do, as we like, I thought. Well, as I started to meet people and make new friends, learn about this new society, and go to all the places my friends went to in order to “socialize” (bars, dance halls, ...etc.), I realized that this “equality” was not so true in practice as it was in theory. Outwardly, women were seen to be given equal rights in education, work, and so forth, but in reality women were still oppressed in a different, subtler way.

When I went with my friends to those places they hung out at, I found everybody interested to talk to me and I thought that was normal. But it was only later that I realized how naive I was, and recognized what these people were really looking for. I soon began to feel uncomfortable, as if I was not myself: I had to dress in a certain way so that people would like me, and had to talk in a certain way to please them. I soon found that I was feeling more and more uncomfortable, less and less myself, yet I could not get out. Everybody was saying they were enjoying themselves, but I don’t call this enjoying. I think women in this way of life are oppressed; they have to dress in a certain way in order to please and appear more appealing, and also talk in a certain way so people like them.

During this time I had not thought about Islam, even though I had some Muslim acquaintances. But I felt I really had to do something, to find something that I would be happy and secure with, and would feel respected with. Something to believe in that is the right belief, because everybody has a belief that they live according to. If having fun by getting off with other people is someone’s belief, they do this. If making money is someone’s belief, they do everything to achieve this. If they believe drinking is one way to enjoy life then they do it. But I feel all this leads to nowhere; no one is truly satisfied, and the respect women are looking for is diminishing in this way.

In these days of so called ‘society of equal rights,” you are expected to have a boyfriend (or you’re weird!) and to not be a virgin. So this is a form of oppression even though some women do not realize it. When I came to Islam, it was obvious that I had finally found permanent security. A religion, a belief that was so complete and clear in every aspect of life.

How I find that Islam does not Oppress Women:

Many people have a misconception that Islam is an oppressive religion, where women are covered from head to toe, and are not allowed any freedom or rights. In fact, women in Islam are given more rights, and have been for the past 1400 years, compared to the only recently rights given to non-Muslim women in some western and some other societies. But there are, even now, societies where women are still oppressed, as I mentioned earlier in relation to Hindu women that Muslim women have the right to inheritance. They have the right to run their own trade and business. They have the full right to ownership, property, disposal over their wealth to which the husband has no right. They have the right to education, a right to refuse marriage as long as this refusal is according to reasonable and justifiable grounds.

The Quran itself, which is the word of Allah, contains many verses commanding men to be kind to their wives and stressing the rights of women. Islam gives the right set of rules, because they are NOT made by men, but made by Allah; hence it is a perfect religion.

Quite often Muslim women are asked why they are covered from head to toe (except the face and the hands), and are told that this is oppression! It is not. In Islam, marriage is an important part of life, the making of the society. Therefore, a woman should not go around showing herself to everybody, only for her husband. Even the man is not allowed to show certain parts of his body to none but his wife. In addition, Allah has commanded Muslim women to cover themselves for their modesty: “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) over their bodies (when outdoors). That is most convenient that they could be known as such (i.e. decent and chaste) and not molested.” (Qur’an 33:59).

If we look around at any other society, we find that in the majority of cases women are attacked and molested because of how they are dressed. Another point I’d like to comment on is that the rules and regulation laid down in Islam by Allah (God) do not apply just to women but to men also. There is no intermingling and free running between men and women for the benefit of both. Whatever Allah commands is right, wholesome, pure and beneficial to mankind; there is no doubt about that.

A verse in the Quran explains this concept clearly: “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and protect their private parts (i.e. from indecency, illegal sexual acts); that will make for greater purity for them. And Allah is well aware of what they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and protect their private parts (from indecency, illegal sexual intercourse); and that they should not display their beauty and ornaments....” (Quran, Surah “Al-Nur” 24:31).

When I put on my Hijab (veil), I was really happy to do it. In fact, I really want to do it. When I put on the Hijab, I felt a great sense of satisfaction and happiness. Satisfied that I had obeyed Allah’s command. And happy with the good and blessings that come with it. I have felt secure and protected. In fact people respect me more for it. I could really see the difference in behavior towards me.

Finally, I’d like to say that I had accepted Islam not blindly, or under any compulsion. In the Qur’an itself there is a verse which says “There is no compulsion in religion.” I accepted Islam with conviction. I have seen, been there, done that, and seen both sides of the story. I know and have experienced what the other side is like, and I know that I have done the right thing.

Islam does not oppress women, but rather Islam liberates them and gives them the respect they deserve. Islam is the religion Allah has chosen for the whole of mankind. Those who accept it are truly liberated from the chains and shackles of mankind whose ruling and legislating necessitates nothing but the oppression of one group by another and the exploitation and oppression of one sex by the other.

This is not the case of Islam, which truly liberated women and gave them individuality not given by any other authority.
Sister Noor has been a Muslim for over a year and a half and is currently in her second year of undergraduate study in the Department of Biology.

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