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Default The true religion





The religion of Islam
The first thing that one should know and clearly understand about
Islam is what the word 'Islam' itself means. The religion of Islam is
not named after a person as in the case of Christianity, which was
named after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Gotama Buddha, Confucianism
after Confucius, and Marxism after Karl Marx. Nor was it named after a
tribe like Judaism after the tribe of Judah and Hinduism after the
Hindus. Islam is the true religion of 'Allaah' and as such, its name
represents the central principle of Allaah's (God's) religion -- the
total submission to the will of Allaah (God).
The Arabic word 'Islam' means the submission or surrender of one's
will to the only true God worthy of worship Allaah; and anyone who
does so is termed a 'Muslim'. The word also implies 'peace' which is
the natural consequence of total submission to the will of Allaah.
Hence, it was not a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad , in
Arabia in the 7th century CE, but it is the true religion of Allaah re-
expressed in its final form.
Islam is the religion which was given to Aadam (Adam) the first man
and the first Prophet of Allaah, and it was the religion of all the
Prophets sent by Allaah to mankind. The name of God's religion lslam
was not decided upon by later generations of man. It was chosen by
Allaah Himself and clearly mentioned in His final revelation to man.
In the final book of Divine Revelation, the Quran, Allaah states the
following (which means):
"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor
upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion." [Quran 5:3]
And (what means):
"If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allaah
(God) never will It be accepted of Him." [Quran 3:85]
And (what means): "Ibraaheem (Abraham) was not a Jew nor Christian;
but an upright Muslim." [Quran 3:67]
Nowhere in the Bible will you find Allaah saying to the people of
Prophet Moosaa (Moses) or their descendants that their religion is
'Judaism', nor to the followers of Christ that their religion is
'Christianity'. In fact, Christ was not even his name, nor was it
Jesus! The name 'Christ' comes from the Greek word Christos, which
means 'the anointed'. That is, Christ is a Greek translation of the
Hebrew title 'Messiah'. The name 'Jesus' on the other hand, is a
Latinized version of the Hebrew name Esau.
For simplicity's sake, I will however continue to refer to Prophet
'Eesaa as Jesus. As for his religion, it was what he called his
followers to. Like the Prophets before him, he called the people to
surrender their will to the will of Allaah; (which is Islam) and he
instructed them to stay away from the false gods of human imagination.
According to the New Testament, he taught his followers to pray as
follows: "Your Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven".
The message of Islam
Since the complete submission of one's will to Allaah represents the
essence of worship, the basic message of Islam -- Allaah's divine
religion -- is the worship of Allaah Alone and the avoidance of
worship directed to any person, place or thing other than Allaah.
Since everything other than Allaah, the Creator of all things, is
Allaah's creation; it may be said that Islam, in essence calls man
away from the worship of creation and invites him to worship only its
Creator. He is the only One deserving man's worship as it is only by
His Will that prayers are answered. If man prays to a tree and his
prayers are answered, it was not the tree, which answered his prayers,
but Allaah who allowed the circumstances prayed for to take place.
One might say: "That is obvious," however, to tree-worshippers it
might not be. Similarly, prayers to Jesus Buddha, or Krishna, to
Saint Christopher, or Saint Jude or even to Muhammad , are not
answered by them but are answered by Allaah. Jesus did not tell his
followers to worship him but to worship Allaah. As the Quran states
(what means):
"And behold Allaah will say: 'O Jesus the son of Mary, did you say to
men, worship me and my mother as gods besides Allaah?' He will say:
'Glory to You I could never say what I had no right (to say)' " [Quran
5:116]
Nor did Jesus worship himself when he worshipped, rather he
worshipped Allaah. This basic principle is enshrined in the opening
chapter of the Quran, known as Chapter Al-Faatihah, verse 4 (which
means):
"You Alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help". [Quran
1: 4]
Elsewhere, in the final book of revelation, the Quran, Allaah
also said (what means):
"And your Lord says: "Call on Me and I will answer your
(prayer)." [Quran 40:60]
It is worth noting that the basic message of Islam is that Allaah
and His creation are distinctly different entities. Neither is Allaah
His creation or a part of it, nor is His creation Him or a part of
Him.
This might seem obvious, but man's worship of creation instead of the
Creator is to a large degree based on ignorance of this concept. It is
the belief that the essence of Allaah is everywhere in His creation or
that His Divine Being is or was present in some aspects of His
creation, which has provided justification for the worship of
creation, although such worship may be called the worship of Allaah
through his creation. However, the message of Islam as brought by the
Prophets of Allaah, may Allaah exalt their mention, is to worship only
Allaah and to avoid the worship of his creation either directly or
indirectly. In the Quran, Allaah clearly states (what means):
"For We assuredly sent amongst every people a Prophet, (with the
command) worship Me and avoid false gods." [Quran 16:36]
When the idol worshipper is questioned as to why he or she bows down
to idols created by men, the invariable reply is that they are not
actually worshipping the stone image, but Allaah who is present within
it. They claim that the stone idol is only a focal point for Allaah's
essence and is not in itself Allaah! A person who has accepted the
concept of the presence of God's being within His creation in any way
will be obliged to accept this argument of idolatry. Whereas, one who
understands the basic message of Islam and its implications, would
never concede to idolatry no matter how it is rationalized.
Those who have claimed divinity for themselves down through the ages
have often based their claims on the mistaken belief that Allaah is
present in man. They merely had to assert that although Allaah,
according to their false beliefs, is within all of us, He is 'more
present' in them than in the rest of us. Hence, they claim, we should
submit our will to them and worship them, as they are either God in
person or God concentrated within the person.
Similarly, those who have asserted the godhood of others after their
passing, have found fertile ground among those who accept the false
belief of God's presence in man. One who has grasped the basic message
of Islam and its implications could never agree to worship another
human being under any circumstances. God's religion in essence is a
clear call to the worship of the Creator and the rejection of creation-
worship in any form.
This is the meaning of the motto of Islam: "Laa Ilaaha
Illallaah" (There is none worthy of worship but Allaah). Its
repetition automatically brings one within the fold of Islam and
sincere belief in it guarantees one Paradise.
Thus, the final Prophet of Islam , is reported to have said: "Any one
who says: There is no god but Allaah and dies holding that (belief)
will enter Paradise". [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
It consists in the submission to Allaah as one God, yielding to
Him by obeying His commandments, and the denial of polytheism and
polytheists.
The message of false religion
There are so many sects, cults, religions, philosophies and movements
in the world, all of which claim to be the right way or the only true
path to Allaah. How can one determine which one is correct or if, in
fact, all are correct? The method by which the answer can be found is
to clear away the superficial differences in the teachings of the
various claimants to the ultimate truth, and identify the central
object of worship to which they call, directly or indirectly. False
religions all have one basic concept about Allaah in common. They
either claim that all men are gods or that specific men were Allaah,
or that Nature is Allaah, or that Allaah is a figment of man's
imagination.
Thus, it may be stated that the basic message of false religion is
that Allaah may be worshipped in the form of His creation. False
religion invites man to the worship of creation by calling the
creation or some aspect of it God. For example, Prophet Jesus
invited his followers to worship Allaah but those who claim to be his
followers today call people to worship Jesus claiming that he was
Allaah!
Buddha was a reformer who introduced a number of humanistic principles
to the religion of India. He did not claim to be God nor did he
suggest to his followers that he was an object of worship. Yet, today
most Buddhists who are to be found outside of India have taken him to
be God and prostrate to idols made in their perception of his
likeness.
By using the principle of identifying the object of worship,
false religions become obvious and the contrived nature of their
origin clear. As Allaah said in the Quran (what means):
"That which you worship besides Him are only names you and your
forefathers have invented for which Allaah has sent down no authority.
The command belongs only to Allaah. He has commanded that you only
worship Him; that is the right religion, but most men do not
understand." [Quran 12:40]
It may be argued that all religions teach good things, so why should
it matter which one we follow. The reply is that all false religions
teach the greatest evil, the worship of creation. Creation-worship is
the greatest sin that man can commit because it contradicts the very
purpose of his creation. Man was created to worship Allaah alone as
Allaah has explicitly stated in the Quran (what means):
"I have only created Jinns and men, that they may worship me." [Quran
51:56]
Consequently, the worship of creation, which is the essence of
idolatry, is the only unforgivable sin. One who dies in this state of
idolatry has sealed his fate in the next life. This is not an opinion,
but a revealed fact stated by Allaah in his final revelation to man
(which means):
"Verily Allaah will not forgive the joining of partners with Him, but
He may forgive (sins) less than that for whom so ever He
wishes." [Quran 4:48, 116]
THE UNIVERSALITY OF ISLAM
Since the consequences of false religion are so grave, the true
religion of Allaah must be universally understandable and attainable,
not confined to any people, place or time. There cannot be conditions
like baptism, belief in a man as a Savior etc., for a believer to
enter Paradise. Within the central principle of Islam and in its
definition, (the surrender of one's will to God) lay the roots of
lslam's universality. Whenever man comes to the realization that
Allaah is One and distinct from His creation, and submits himself to
Allaah, he becomes a Muslim in body and spirit and is eligible for
Paradise.
Thus, anyone at anytime in the most remote region of the world can
become a Muslim, a follower of God's religion, Islam, by merely
rejecting the worship of creation and by turning to Allaah (God)
alone. It should be noted however, that the recognition of and
submission to Allaah requires that one chooses between right and wrong
and such a choice implies accountability. Man will be held responsible
for his choices, and as such, he should try his utmost to do good and
avoid evil. The ultimate good being the worship of Allaah alone, and
the ultimate evil being the worship of His creation along with or
instead of Allaah. This fact is expressed in the final revelation as
follows (which means):
"Verily those who believe, those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures),
the Christians and the Sabians any who believe in Allaah and the Last
Day, and work righteousness all have their reward with their Lord;
they will not be overcome by fear nor grief." [Quran 2:62]
And (what means):
"If only they had stood by the Law, the Injeel, and all the revelation
that was sent to them from their Lord, they would have enjoyed
happiness from every side. There is from among them a party on the
right course; but many of them follow a course that is evil." [Quran
5:66]
Recognition of Allaah
The question, which arises here is: How can all people be expected to
believe in Allaah given their varying backgrounds, societies and
cultures? For people to be responsible for worshipping Allaah they all
must have access to knowledge of Allaah. The final revelation teaches
that all humankind has the recognition of Allaah imprinted on their
souls, a part of their very nature with which they are created. In
Chapter Al-A'raaf, verses 172-173, Allaah explained that when He
created Aadam He caused all of Aadam's descendants to come into
existence and took a pledge from them saying (what means): "Am I not
your Lord?" To which they all replied: "Yes, we testify to it."
Allaah then explained why He made humankind bear witness that He is
their creator and the only true God worthy of worship. He Said (what
means): "That was in case you (mankind) should say on the Day of
Resurrection: 'Verily we were unaware of all this.' That is to say, we
had no idea that You, Allaah, were our God. No one told us that we
were only supposed to worship You alone." Allaah explains that it was
also in case you should say: 'Certainly it was our ancestors who made
partners (with Allaah) and we are only their descendants; will You
then destroy us for what those liars did?'" Thus, every child is born
with a natural belief in Allaah and an inborn inclination to worship
Him alone that is called 'Fitrah' in Arabic.

If the child were left alone, he would worship Allaah in his own way,
but all children are affected by those things around them, seen or
unseen.
The Prophet , reported that Allaah Said (what means "I created my
servants in the right religion but devils made them go astray". The
Prophet , also said: "Each child is born in a state of Fitrah, then
his parents make him a Jew, Christian or a Zoroastrian, the way an
animal gives birth to a normal offspring. Have you noticed any that
were born mutilated?" [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
So, just as the child submits to the physical laws which Allaah has
put in nature, his soul also submits naturally to the fact that Allaah
is his Lord and Creator. However, his parents try to make him follow
their own way and the child is not strong enough in the early stages
of his life to resist or oppose the will of his parents. The religion
which the child follows at this stage is one of custom and upbringing
and Allaah does not hold him to account or punish him for this
religion.
Throughout people's lives -- from childhood until the time they die --
signs are shown to them in all regions of the earth and in their own
souls, until it becomes clear that there is only one true God
(Allaah). If the people are honest with themselves, reject their false
gods and seek Allaah, the way will be made easy for them but if they
continually reject Allaah's signs and continue to worship creation,
the more difficult it will be for them to escape. For example, in the
South Eastern region of the Amazon jungle in Brazil, South America, a
primitive tribe erected a new hut to house their main idol Skwatch,
representing the supreme god of all creation.
A young man prostrated himself to pay homage to their god, and while
he was in prostration to what he had been taught was his Creator and
Sustainer, a mangy old flea-ridden dog walked into the hut. The young
man looked up in time to see the dog lift its hind leg and pass urine
on the idol. Outraged, the youth chased the dog out of the temple, but
when his rage died down, he realized that the idol could not be the
Lord of the Universe. Allaah must be elsewhere. He now had a choice to
act on his knowledge and seek Allaah, or to dishonestly go along with
the false beliefs of his tribe. As strange as it may seem, that was a
sign from Allaah for that young man. It contained within it divine
guidance that what he was worshipping was false.
As mentioned earlier, Prophets were sent to every nation and tribe to
support man's natural belief in Allaah and the inborn inclination to
worship Him; as well as to reinforce the divine truth in the daily
signs revealed by Allaah. Although, in most cases, most of the
teachings of the Prophets became distorted, portions remained which
point out right and wrong. For example, the ten commandments of the
Torah, their confirmation in the Injeel and the existence of laws
against murder, stealing and adultery in most societies point to this.
Consequently, every soul will be held to account for its belief in
Allaah and its acceptance of the religion of Islam; the total
submission to the will of Allaah.
We pray to Allaah, The Exalted, to keep us on the right path to which
He has guided us, and to bestow on us a blessing from Him, He is
indeed The Most Merciful. All praise and gratitude is due to Allaah,
The Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be on Prophet
Muhammad , his family, his companions, and those who rightly follow
them.

By Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips




The universal da'wah of Islam



The Da'wah of the Prophet Muhammad , was not restricted to a
particular time or place, rather it was a universal Da'wah; one to
last until the end of time.

There is much evidence to substantiate this and some wonderful
examples can be found in the Quran. Allaah clarifies the timeless
prophetic role of Muhammad , in the following verses (what mean):
"And We have not sent you (O Muhammad) except as a giver of glad
tidings and as a warner to all mankind." [Quran 34:28]

And (what means): "Say (O Muhammad): 'O mankind! Verily, I am sent to
you all as the Messenger of Allaah." [Quran 7:158]
And (what means): "Blessed be He Who sent down the criterion (of right
and wrong, i.e., this Quran) to His slave (Muhammad) that he may be a
Warner to the 'Aalameen (mankind and Jinn)." [Quran 25:1]

There is a Hadeeth in which the Messenger of Allaah , said: "I have
been given superiority over the other Prophets in six respects: I have
been given words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning; I
have been helped by terror (in the hearts of enemies); spoils have
been made lawful to me; the earth has been made for me clean and a
place of worship; I have been sent to all of mankind and the line of
Prophets is closed with me." [Muslim]

The proof that the Da'wah (call) of the Prophet , was also for the
Jinn is manifested in the statement of Allaah Almighty (what means):
"And (remember) when We sent towards you (O Muhammad ) Nafran (three
to ten persons) of the Jinns, (quietly) listening to the Quran. When
they stood in the presence thereof, they said: 'Listen in silence!'
And when it was finished, they returned to their people, as warners.
They said: 'O our people! Verily, we have heard a Book (this Quran)
sent down after Moses, confirming what came before it, it guides to
the truth and to a Straight Path (i.e., Islam). O our people, respond
(with obedience) to Allaah's caller, and believe in him (i.e., believe
in that which Muhammad has brought from Allaah and follow him). He
(Allaah) will forgive you of your sins, and will save you from a
painful torment (i.e., Hell-fire).'" [Quran 46: 29-31]

Thus, the Prophet , spread his Da'wah outside of his own people, and
indeed, outside the Arab world entirely. The introduction of Islamic
Da'wah spread globally after a truce was made with the Quraysh in the
treaty of Hudaybiyyah. He , sent messengers and wrote letters to the
various kings of his time. The first of these messengers according to
Ibn Al-Qayyim was 'Amr ibn 'Umayyah ad-Dimry who was sent to Negus,
King of Abyssinia (Ethiopia). He carried a letter, rather an
invitation, which stated: "Come to a word that is just between us and
you, that we worship none but Allaah, and that we associate no
partners with Him; and that none of us shall take others as lords
besides Allaah. Then, if they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we
are Muslims."
Thus, the king and whoever was with him believed in the message.

The Prophet , also sent 'Abdullaah ibn Huthayfah to Chosroes, ruler
of Persia, with a letter that stated: "In the name of Allaah, the
Beneficent, the Most Merciful, from Muhammad, Messenger of Allaah to
Chosroes, Shah of Persia. Peace be upon those who follow the truth,
who believe in Allaah and His Prophet and who testify that there is no
divinity but Allaah and that Muhammad is His Messenger. I call you
with the Call of Allaah, because I am His Messenger, sent that I may
give warning to him who is living, and that the Word (charge) may be
justified against the disbelievers, that if they do not accept His
Message, they must live with the consequence. Become Muslim and you
will be safe. If you refuse, then upon you is the sin of the
Magians."
When Chosroes read this, he tore the letter up, so the Prophet ,
said: "May Allaah also tear up his kingdom."

The Prophet , also wrote a letter to Heraclius, the ruler of the
Byzantine, in which he said: "In the name of Allaah, the Beneficent,
the Merciful. This letter is from Muhammad the slave of Allaah and His
Messenger to Heraclius, the ruler of the Byzantine. who follows the
right path. Furthermore, I invite you to Islam and if you become a
Muslim you will be safe, and Allaah will double your reward, and if
you reject this invitation of Islam you will be committing a sin by
misguiding your subjects. And I recite to you Allaah's statement
(which means): "Say (O Muhammad): 'O people of the Scriptu Come to
a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but
Allaah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of
us shall take others as lords besides Allaah.' Then, if they turn
away, say: 'Bear witness that we are Muslims.'" [Quran 3:64]


The Prophet , similarly sent numerous messages to other kings, each
conveying an identical meaning as those above.

These letters re-affirm an understood reality -- that Islam is a
universal religion, for all creation. Thus, it was a duty upon the
Prophet , to convey the pure message of Islam, calling everyone he
knew, by every means available at that time with beautiful preaching
in its purest form.

From: Al Jumu'ah Vol. 14 Issue



The world of Islam



A fifth of humankind follows Islam, the fastest growing and perhaps
most misunderstood religion on earth. Faced with a secular modern
world, Muslims are turning anew to the roots of their faith.

Borne aloft five times a day, from Shanghai to Chicago, Jakarta to
Timbuktu, Islam's call to prayer stirs the soul of devout Muslims
everywhere. Whether cast from metal loudspeakers over teeming city
streets or lifted as the murmured song of camel drivers kneeling in
the sand, it begins with the same Arabic phrase Muslims have used for
nearly 1400 years, Islam's melodic paean to the Creator: "Allaahu
Akbar -- God is Great."

Some 1.3 billion human beings -- one person in five -- heed Islam's
call in the modern world, embracing the religion at a rate that makes
it the fastest growing on Earth, with 80 percent of believers now
outside the Arab world.

The term Islam, is an Arabic word meaning "submission to God," with
its etymological roots firmly planted in "salaam", or peace.

Muslims revere all Prophets of God, including Moses and Jesus, may
Allaah exalt their mention, and regard the books revealed to these
prophets - Torah and Injeel -- as an integral part of their tradition.
They disagree with Christians about the divinity of Jesus but honor
him as an especially esteemed Messenger from God. The ultimate
Messenger for Muslims is the Prophet Muhammad .

Born about 570 CE at Makkah, Muhammad , was an orphan raised by his
grandfather and uncle. He grew up to be a modest and respected
businessman who rejected the widespread polytheism of his day and
turned to the One God.

At about age 40, Muhammad , retreated to a cave in the mountains
outside Makkah to meditate. There, he was visited by the archangel
Gabriel, who began reciting to him the Word of God. Until his death 23
years later, Muhammad , passed along these revelations to a growing
band of followers, including many who wrote down the words or
committed them to memory.

These verses became the Quran, or "recitation," the literal Word of
God and confirmation of the real Jewish and Christian Scriptures.

The Quran consists of 114 chapters, and covers everything from the
nature of God (Compassionate and Merciful) to laws governing the
mundane affairs of men. Among its commands are (what mean): "Do not
usurp one another's property by unjust means" and "Do not kill anyone
which God has forbidden."

The Quran is also a source of the pure Arabic language memorized by
Muslim school children and recited by Muslim adults on every important
occasion.

One of the five pillars of Islam, along with the two testimonies of
faith (Shahaadah), prayer (Salaah), fasting the month of Ramadhaan
(Sawm), charity (Zakaah), the pilgrimage (Hajj) is required of all who
can manage it at least once in a lifetime.

By the time the Prophet , passed away in 632 CE, Islam was
established throughout the Arabian Peninsula, bringing peace and unity
to the tribes for the first time in memory. Within a century of his
death the armies of Islam, empowered by faith, had conquered a vast
swathe of territory -- stretching from India to the Atlantic coasts of
Spain and Portugal, including North Africa and the Middle East.

This Islamic world built on the intellectual achievements of other
civilizations, sponsoring an explosion of learning unparalleled until
the Renaissance.

At a time when Europe was languishing in the early Middle Ages, Muslim
scholars and thinkers were giving the world a great center of Islamic
learning (Al-Azhar in Cairo) and refining everything -- from
architecture to the use of numbers. At the same time, seagoing Muslim
traders were spreading the faith to southern Asia, China and the east
coast of Africa.

Flourishing by the end of the first millennium, the realm of Islam was
tested as western Europe, spurred by its contact with the Islamic near
East, awoke and lashed out, launching a series of armed Crusades to
wrest Jerusalem from Muslim control.

Though fragmented and initially overcome, Muslims rallied to
ultimately defeat the invading Christian armies, whose blood-soaked
legacy -- the indiscriminate killing of thousands of innocent Muslim
and Christian Arabs, and the Jews of Jerusalem -- lives on in the
minds of people to this day.

As Europe rose to glory during the Renaissance and beyond, the Islamic
world continued to thrive after the creation of the Ottoman Empire in
the late 1200s CE. This powerful state fell at the end of World War I,
resulting in the subdivision of its mostly Muslim lands into the
Middle Eastern countries we know today.

Although a few Muslim nations are wealthy from oil resources, most are
poor and increasingly demoralized by their position in the world.
Disaffected and disenfranchised, many people in these societies are
turning to Islam to assert their identity and reclaim power over their
own lives.

In addition many Muslims, especially in the Arab world, are angry at
the United States' continued support of Israel, the war and the
economic sanctions against 'Iraq, which are widely perceived to have
hit the people of 'Iraq -- who are fellow Muslims -- right between the
eyes.

For most of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims, Islam is a way of life, a
discipline based on looking at the world through the eyes of faith.

"Islam gave me something that was lacking in my life," says Jennifer
Calvo of Washington, DC.

Calvo is 28 and looks as if she just stepped out of a painting by
Botticelli, with aquiline features and striking blue eyes, set off by
a white head scarf tucked neatly into her full-length robe. Calvo was
raised Catholic and works as a registered nurse.

Two years ago, as people have done for 1,400 years, Jennifer became a
Muslim by simply declaring the words: "Laa ilaaha illallaah, Muhammad
Rasoolullaah" (There is none worthy of being worshipped except
Allaah (God), and Muhammad is His Messenger)."

"Everything is so much simpler now," she said. "It's just me and God.
For the first time in my life I'm at peace."

For Calvo and most Muslims on Earth, that is what Islam's call to
prayer represents. Kneeling to God five times a day, in unison, facing
Makkah from wherever they happen to be, they find peace in an act of
surrender.
Visit this web site
http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/MainPage/indexe.php
http://www.rasoulallah.net/index_english.asp


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Default The true religion

On 31 γΗΡΣ, 11:29, "Dave Bugg" wrote:
wrote:

Nothing.

True religion is this: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you,
and to hear the lamentation of the women.

Conan


What you are saying is not correct.
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Default The true religion

On Mar 31, 12:41*am, wrote:
The religion of Islam
The first thing that one should know and clearly understand about
Islam is what the word 'Islam' itself means. The religion of Islam is
not named after a person as in the case of Christianity, which was
named after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Gotama Buddha, Confucianism
after Confucius, and Marxism after Karl Marx. Nor was it named after a
tribe like Judaism after the tribe of Judah and Hinduism after the
Hindus. Islam is the true religion of 'Allaah' and as such, its name
represents the central principle of Allaah's (God's) religion -- the
total submission to the will of Allaah (God).
The Arabic word 'Islam' means the submission or surrender of one's
will to the only true God worthy of worship Allaah; and anyone who
does so is termed a 'Muslim'. The word also implies 'peace' which is
the natural consequence of total submission to the will of Allaah.
Hence, it was not a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad *, in
Arabia in the 7th century CE, but it is the true religion of Allaah re-
expressed in its final form.
Islam is the religion which was given to Aadam (Adam) *the first man
and the first Prophet of Allaah, and it was the religion of all the
Prophets sent by Allaah to mankind. The name of God's religion lslam
was not decided upon by later generations of man. It was chosen by
Allaah Himself and clearly mentioned in His final revelation to man.
In the final book of Divine Revelation, the Quran, Allaah states the
following (which means):
"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor
upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion." [Quran 5:3]
And (what means):
"If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allaah
(God) never will It be accepted of Him." [Quran 3:85]
And (what means): "Ibraaheem (Abraham) was not a Jew nor Christian;
but an upright Muslim." [Quran 3:67]
Nowhere in the Bible will you find Allaah saying to the people of
Prophet Moosaa (Moses) *or their descendants that their religion is
'Judaism', nor to the followers of Christ that their religion is
'Christianity'. In fact, Christ was not even his name, nor was it
Jesus! The name 'Christ' comes from the Greek word Christos, which
means 'the anointed'. That is, Christ is a Greek translation of the
Hebrew title 'Messiah'. The name 'Jesus' on the other hand, is a
Latinized version of the Hebrew name Esau.
For simplicity's sake, I will however continue to refer to Prophet
'Eesaa *as Jesus. As for his religion, it was what he called his
followers to. Like the Prophets before him, he called the people to
surrender their will to the will of Allaah; (which is Islam) and he
instructed them to stay away from the false gods of human imagination.
According to the New Testament, he taught his followers to pray as
follows: "Your Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven".
The message of Islam
Since the complete submission of one's will to Allaah represents the
essence of worship, the basic message of Islam -- Allaah's divine
religion -- is the worship of Allaah Alone and the avoidance of
worship directed to any person, place or thing other than Allaah.
Since everything other than Allaah, the Creator of all things, is
Allaah's creation; it may be said that Islam, in essence calls man
away from the worship of creation and invites him to worship only its
Creator. He is the only One deserving man's worship as it is only by
His Will that prayers are answered. If man prays to a tree and his
prayers are answered, it was not the tree, which answered his prayers,
but Allaah who allowed the circumstances prayed for to take place.
One might say: "That is obvious," however, to tree-worshippers it
might not be. Similarly, prayers to Jesus *Buddha, or Krishna, to
Saint Christopher, or Saint Jude or even to Muhammad *, are not
answered by them but are answered by Allaah. Jesus *did not tell his
followers to worship him but to worship Allaah. As the Quran states
(what means):
"And behold Allaah will say: 'O Jesus the son of Mary, did you say to
men, worship me and my mother as gods besides Allaah?' He will say:
'Glory to You I could never say what I had no right (to say)' " [Quran
5:116]
Nor did Jesus *worship himself when he worshipped, rather he
worshipped Allaah. This basic principle is enshrined in the opening
chapter of the Quran, known as Chapter Al-Faatihah, verse 4 (which
means):
"You Alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help". [Quran
1: 4]
* * *Elsewhere, in the final book of revelation, the Quran, Allaah
also said (what means):
"And your Lord says: "Call on Me and I will answer your
(prayer)." [Quran 40:60]
* * *It is worth noting that the basic message of Islam is that Allaah
and His creation are distinctly different entities. Neither is Allaah
His creation or a part of it, nor is His creation Him or a part of
Him.
This might seem obvious, but man's worship of creation instead of the
Creator is to a large degree based on ignorance of this concept. It is
the belief that the essence of Allaah is everywhere in His creation or
that His Divine Being is or was present in some aspects of His
creation, which has provided justification for the worship of
creation, although such worship may be called the worship of Allaah
through his creation. However, the message of Islam as brought by the
Prophets of Allaah, may Allaah exalt their mention, is to worship only
Allaah and to avoid the worship of his creation either directly or
indirectly. In the Quran, Allaah clearly states (what means):
"For We assuredly sent amongst every people a Prophet, (with the
command) worship Me and avoid false gods." [Quran 16:36]
When the idol worshipper is questioned as to why he or she bows down
to idols created by men, the invariable reply is that they are not
actually worshipping the stone image, but Allaah who is present within
it. They claim that the stone idol is only a focal point for Allaah's
essence and is not in itself Allaah! A person who has accepted the
concept of the presence of God's being within His creation in any way
will be obliged to accept this argument of idolatry. Whereas, one who
understands the basic message of Islam and its implications, would
never concede to idolatry no matter how it is rationalized.
Those who have claimed divinity for themselves down through the ages
have often based their claims on the mistaken belief that Allaah is
present in man. They merely had to assert that although Allaah,
according to their false beliefs, is within all of us, He is 'more
present' in them than in the rest of us. Hence, they claim, we should
submit our will to them and worship them, as they are either God in
person or God concentrated within the person.
Similarly, those who have asserted the godhood of others after their
passing, have found fertile ground among those who accept the false
belief of God's presence in man. One who has grasped the basic message
of Islam and its implications could never agree to worship another
human being under any circumstances. God's religion in essence is a
clear call to the worship of the Creator and the rejection of creation-
worship in any form.
This is the meaning of the motto of Islam: "Laa Ilaaha
Illallaah" (There is none worthy of worship but Allaah). Its
repetition automatically brings one within the fold of Islam and
sincere belief in it guarantees one Paradise.
Thus, the final Prophet of Islam *, is reported to have said: "Any one
who says: There is no god but Allaah and dies holding that (belief)
will enter Paradise". [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
* * *It consists in the submission to Allaah as one God, yielding to
Him by obeying His commandments, and the denial of polytheism and
polytheists.
The message of false religion
There are so many sects, cults, religions, philosophies and movements
in the world, all of which claim to be the right way or the only true
path to Allaah. How can one determine which one is correct or if, in
fact, all are correct? The method by which the answer can be found is
to clear away the superficial differences in the teachings of the
various claimants to the ultimate truth, and identify the central
object of worship to which they call, directly or indirectly. False
religions all have one basic concept about Allaah in common. They
either claim that all men are gods or that specific men were Allaah,
or that Nature is Allaah, or that Allaah is a figment of man's
imagination.
Thus, it may be stated that the basic message of false religion is
that Allaah may be worshipped in the form of His creation. False
religion invites man to the worship of creation by calling the
creation or some aspect of it God. For example, Prophet Jesus
invited his followers to worship Allaah but those who claim to be his
followers today call people to worship Jesus *claiming that he was
Allaah!
Buddha was a reformer who introduced a number of humanistic principles
to the religion of India. He did not claim to be God nor did he
suggest to his followers that he was an object of worship. Yet, today
most Buddhists who are to be found outside of India have taken him to
be God and prostrate to idols made in their perception of his
likeness.
* * *By using the principle of identifying the object of worship,
false religions become obvious and the contrived nature of their
origin clear. As Allaah said in the Quran (what means):
"That which you worship besides Him are only names you and your
forefathers have invented for which Allaah has sent down no authority.
The command belongs only to Allaah. He has commanded that you only
worship Him; that is the right religion, but most men do not
understand." [Quran 12:40]
It may be argued that all religions teach good things, so why should
it matter which one we follow. The reply is that all false religions
teach the greatest evil, the worship of creation. Creation-worship is
the greatest sin that man can commit because it contradicts the very
purpose of his creation. Man was created to worship Allaah alone as
Allaah has ...

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Jesus loves you.

Joe


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