Messages

The reality is that nothing he said regarding the religion was from himself, but completely from God(as a revelation)

Funny, isn't that exactly what the Christians say about the Bible?
So tell me... Who's right? The Christians or the Muslims?
They both have texts that are the undeniable "true" word of God.
That's why Christian's and Muslims are spending so much time hating and killing each other IN THE NAME OF GOD!!!

Actually that is a little incorrect. I have never heard a Christian completely stand upon teh point the Bible is the undenaible 'true' word of God. In fact, the majority of the New Testament was written by men (John, Mark etc.) and their supposed 'accounts' of Jesus. Likewise, you look into any Bible and you'll find Christian commentators admitting to missing parts, inaccuracies etc. You cannot say any of this about the Qur'an.

You continue by stating 'whta if God was this' 'what if the Prophets were this'. These are your vain desirse. The Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him)'s life was clearly recorded and documented, his message was clear, and his religion was clear. Worship God alone, and Obey His Messengers. The only way we can get to know God Almighty and His Will, is by following those who he sends as Messengers, not by following our own ideas, desires, and opinions.

No, not completely. Mohammed was definately very familiar with both Jewish and Christian scripture; he obviously greatly depended upon it because he quotes it a lot, and...

As for the Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) being very familar with both Jewish and Christian scripture, this impossible based upon a number of points:

1)The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not know how to read or write.

And thou was not (able) to recite a Book before this (Book came), nor art thou (able) to transcribe it with thy right hand: in that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted."
[Al-Qur'an 29:48]

2) The Arabic translation of the Bible was nott present at the time of the Prophet Muhammad(peacea nd blessings of Allah be upon him). The earliest Arabic version of the Old Testament was in 900 C.E., nearly 200 years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The oldest Arabic version of the New Testament was not present until 1616 C.E., nearly 1000 years afetr the death of the Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

3) The knowledge of Jewish scripture was kept secret and hidden by the Jews in Madinah, and the only Christians who were near were in Yemen.

4) The life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was recorded like an open book, revelation came to him sometimes immediately after someone asked hima question. He was constantly being examined and suoght after by the Pagans of Makkah. And even after all that, they could not point out any instance of secret converstaions with any Jews or Christians to help him.

The similarity of some teachings in the Qur'an and the Bible in no way proves that the Qur'an came from the Bible. But rather, it is an affirmation that the Qur'an is a continuation of God's Message to humanity.

When you come to the conclusion that the Qur'an is from God, then you'll take that above yoru own ideas, your own speculations, your own conjectures, and worship God sincerely based upon what He revealed for humanity.

[and]

The Rewards For Justice Program, United States Department of State, is offering a reward of up to $25 million for information leading directly to the apprehension or conviction of Usama Bin Laden. An additional $2 million is being offered through a program developed and funded by the Airline Pilots Association and the Air Transport Association.

I am just curious. If you truly believe your Astral Projection is worth anything, or that your out of body experiences are real, then why havent you found Osama? It has probably crossed some of your minds.

So my challenge to you all is to find the locatino of Osama bin Laden, and report it to the FBI to get your reward.  And if you cant do such a 'simple endeavor' then either

1) your astral projection is fake or useless in reality

2) God is protecting Osama bin Laden like many think.

Thanks,

Abraham

It is a combo actually. All AP is fake and God is protecting Osama. Hope this answers your question and helps you to move on.

Thats the best answer i ever heard! Bravo!

[humanity to use its intellect]

Abraham wrote:

Islam is based upon revelation from the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth which can be applied in accordance with the intellect. The difference is our refernce point is the revelation, and their reference point is their own intellect.

What do you think 'revelation' is, if not 'apprehension by the intellect'?

And just where, Abraham, do you think the earliest Islamic writers got the ideas that there even is an intellect that can be in accordance with the earth and heavens, let alone the fact that the intellect could ever apprehend anything of a divine nature at all??

I'll answer this one for you:  Plato and Aristotle.

The 'earliest Islamic writers' plainly and quite simply derived their entire thinking and basis from the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

Did it ever occur to you that perhaps the most important message that Mohammed was communciating, was to set a most excellent example of how essential it is for humanity to use its intellect?  


Somehow I don't think that Mohammed would approve of his people 'ceasing to use their own intellects' in favor of totally depending upon his.  

The reality is that nothing he said regarding the religion was from himself, but completely from God(as a revelation)

By the star when it goes down, (or vanishes).
Your companion (Muhammad ) has neither gone astray nor has erred.
Nor does he speak of (his own) desire.
It is only an Inspiration that is inspired.
He has been taught (this Qur'an) by one mighty in power [Jibrael (Gabriel)].
free from any defect in body and mind, [then he (Jibrael ­ Gabriel) rose and became stable]. [Tafsir At-Tabari].
While he [Jibrael (Gabriel)] was in the highest part of the horizon,
Then he [Jibrael (Gabriel)] approached and came closer,
And was at a distance of two bows' length or (even) nearer,
So did (Allah) convey the Inspiration to His slave [Muhammad  through Jibrael (Gabriel)].
The (Prophet's) heart lied not (in seeing) what he (Muhammad ) saw.
[Surah An-Najm verses 1-11]

Say (O Muhammad ): "I warn you only by the revelation (from Allah and not by the opinion of the religious scholars and others). But the deaf (who follow the religious scholars and others blindly) will not hear the call, (even) when they are warned "[Surah Anbiya verse 45]


I will answer the rest later i have to go.

-Abraham

Hi I'm new here but from what I have just read, you all seem to be jumping on Abraham's back with no valid reason.
He asked a simple question and I for one seem to think he has a point. I was under the impression that if you thought of somebody when you were projecting then you would go to that person.

You do not just go to anybody you think of. It isn't magic. It doesn't work that way.

A person ignorant of the way things work in the astral or the real time zone should not come in here with preconceived notions and religious convictions and then start demanding proof of this, that and the other.

This sort of thing is just plain annoying to me. I think I would annoy the hell out of a Islam forum if I were to burst onto one and start demanding proof of the various believes expressed in the Qur'an.

Actually I wouldnt mind at all. I frequently visit the forum www.revivingislam.com

Ask any questions you would like there!

[Averroe--1126*1198 also Ibn-Rushd Spanish-Arab philosopher & physician; wrote philosophical works (ca. 1179), especially commentaries on Aristotle, on Plato's Republic; chief reconciler of Islamic and Greek thought.]

Abraham,

While Gandalf can certainly speak for himself, and I hope he does, I can say right now that Judaism, Christianity and Islam would not exist if not for Platonism.  In fact, unlike Judaism and Christianity, Islam is additionally dependent upon Aristotle as well.  

You want proof???....Read something besides the Quran and Surah... read something academic, like the history of religions in the western/near/middle eastern world...study some of the ancient Islamic philosophers such as Averroe:  

Averroe--1126*1198 also Ibn-Rushd Spanish-Arab philosopher & physician; wrote philosophical works (ca. 1179), especially commentaries on Aristotle, on Plato's Republic; chief reconciler of Islamic and Greek thought.

If you want proof of the things that we talk about...do your homework.   STUDY about the world that you live in...not just your religion.  

We have done our homework; it is not our job to do your homework for you.

~Beth

Good thing you brought up the 'Islamic philosophers and thinkers.' For in reality, these 'concilers of Islamic and Greek thought were completely refuted by scholars such as Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Qayyim(May Allah have mercy on them).  Greek thought is based upon speculation and conjecture free from any revelation. This is conisdered to be complete disbelief and blasphemuy. Islam is based upon revelation from the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth which can be applied in accordance with the intellect. The difference is our refernce point is the revelation, and their reference point is their own intellect.

Greek philosophers used to claim that universe always existed. Such claims were stated by the pagans of makkah(mecca) and are a common type of disbelief:

"And they say: "There is nothing but our life of this world, we die and we live and nothing destroys us except Ad-Dahr (the time). And they have no knowledge of it, they only conjecture. " [Surah Jathiyah verse 24]

The Qur'an is completely against these type of 'philosophies' and clearly stated that true knowledge (of reality) comes from God alone.

They (angels) said: "Glory be to You(O God), we have no knowledge except what you have taught us. Verily, it is You, the All-Knower, the All-Wise." [Surah Al-Baqarah verse 32]


The reality is, the greek works werent  translated and read by Muslims until after the Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and after the development of Islam. These 'thinkers' who tried to reconcile them did so when the dominance of Islam  became weakened and people started to deviate from the religion.

So if you want to talk about greek thought 'developed Islam' then the statements of thinkers who came hundreds of years after the 'development of Islam' cant be used as proof.


-Abraham

   Btw, when I say 'Qur'an and Sunnah', the sunnah arent the 'Surahs' surahs are chapters of the Qur'an. The Sunnah is the example of the Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) [his life, statements, actions, and other revelation that he spoke besides the Qur'an]

Shut the bonk up. I or anyone here has nothing to prove to you. You practice your own religion/spirituality and we'll practice our own. People like you are intolerant douche bags.

And in regards to your comment about God protecting Osama: God would never protect a murderer and a manipulator who justifies his murderous actions by distorting the practices of Islam to suit his needs. This comment shows me the lack of depth or morality you encompass.

I made a simple challenge that should expose the reality of the situation. Im here to get the truth out, and to expose what is real and what is our own imagination. If you dont like reality then live in yoru dream world deceiving yourself. But as for me, I will strive to live upon the truth from my Lord.

"So woe that Day to the beliers,
Who are playing in falsehood .
The Day when they will be pushed down by force to the Fire of Hell, with a horrible, forceful pushing.
This is the Fire which you used to belie.
" [Surah At-Tur (from the Qur'an) verses 11-14]

I cant believe you actualyl believed that lol

The Rewards For Justice Program, United States Department of State, is offering a reward of up to $25 million for information leading directly to the apprehension or conviction of Usama Bin Laden. An additional $2 million is being offered through a program developed and funded by the Airline Pilots Association and the Air Transport Association.

I am just curious. If you truly believe your Astral Projection is worth anything, or that your out of body experiences are real, then why havent you found Osama? It has probably crossed some of your minds.

So my challenge to you all is to find the locatino of Osama bin Laden, and report it to the FBI to get your reward.  And if you cant do such a 'simple endeavor' then either

1) your astral projection is fake or useless in reality

2) God is protecting Osama bin Laden like many think.

Thanks,

Abraham

Hi. According to your claims, your Ultimate Reality Book teaches people how to attract wealth and success to an individual with ease. If thats the case, why are you charging money for the book? I mean, id think if your magical powers could get you wealth, you wouldnt need to charge money  for the book.

This is a serious post and I am just curious.

Thanks,

Abraham

Christianity was mixed with pagan beliefs of the Roman empire before the 'true christianity(which included the trinity)' was decided on by a court of scholars.

[Prophet Muhammad's Last SermonThis sermon was delivered on the Ninth day of Dhul al Hijjah 10 A.H. in the 'Uranah valley of Mount Arafat. After praising, and thanking God, he said:"O People, listen well to my words, for I do not know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present today.O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Treat others justly so that no one would be unjust to you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds. God has forbidden you to take usury (riba), therefore all riba obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital , however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer inequity. God has judged that there shall be no riba and that all the riba due to `Abbas ibn `Abd al Muttalib shall henceforth be waived. Every right arising out of homicide in pre-Islamic days is henceforth waived and the first such right that I waive is that arising from the murder of Rabi`ah ibn al Harith ibn `Abd al Muttalib. O Men, the Unbelievers indulge in tampering with the calendar in order to make permissible that which God forbade, and to forbid that which God has made permissible. With God the months are twelve in number. Four of them are sacred, three of these are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumada and Sha`ban. Beware of the devil, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things. O People, it is true that you have certain rights over your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under God's trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Treat your women well and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers. It is your right and they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste... O People, listen to me in earnest, worship God (The One Creator of the Universe), perform your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your financial obligation (zakah) of your wealth. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves. Remember, one day you will appear before God (The Creator) and you will answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone. O People, no prophet or messenger will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I am leaving you with the Book of God (the Quraan) and my Sunnah (the life style and the behavioral mode of the Prophet), if you follow them you will never go astray. All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness O God, that I have conveyed your message to your people.]

The Farewell Pilgrimage - Prophet Muhammad's Sermon - Charter for Social Justice-
Prof. Abdur Raheem Kidwai
Dept.of English, Aligarh University, India

The Prophet  led the Pilgrims from Makkah through the Valley of Mina and up to the Mountain of Arafat and then stopped them in the Valley of Uranah. They stopped them in the Valley of Uranah. They stood in front of him silently as he sat on his camel; he delivered a sermon which was later to be known as the Farewell Sermon just as the pilgrimage itself was called the Farewell Pilgrimage. Although it was his first Pilgrimage, it was also his last and therefore his only pilgrimage. With such a large crowd, his voice could not reach out to all those who were present. He therefore asked Rab'ah Ibn Umayya Ibn Khalaf, who was known to have a loud voice, to repeat the sermon after him, sentence by sentence so that everyone could hear.

Prophet Muhammad's  Last Sermon
This sermon was delivered on the Ninth day of Dhul al Hijjah 10 A.H. in the 'Uranah valley of Mount Arafat.

After praising, and thanking God, he said:

"O People, listen well to my words, for I do not know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present today.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Treat others justly so that no one would be unjust to you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds. God has forbidden you to take usury (riba), therefore all riba obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital , however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer inequity. God has judged that there shall be no riba and that all the riba due to `Abbas ibn `Abd al Muttalib shall henceforth be waived.

Every right arising out of homicide in pre-Islamic days is henceforth waived and the first such right that I waive is that arising from the murder of Rabi`ah ibn al Harith ibn `Abd al Muttalib.

O Men, the Unbelievers indulge in tampering with the calendar in order to make permissible that which God forbade, and to forbid that which God has made permissible. With God the months are twelve in number. Four of them are sacred, three of these are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumada and Sha`ban. Beware of the devil, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights over your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under God's trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Treat your women well and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers. It is your right and they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste...

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship God (The One Creator of the Universe), perform your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your financial obligation (zakah) of your wealth. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.

All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

Remember, one day you will appear before God (The Creator) and you will answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, no prophet or messenger will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I am leaving you with the Book of God (the Quraan) and my Sunnah (the life style and the behavioral mode of the Prophet), if you follow them you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness O God, that I have conveyed your message to your people.
On being asked to throw light on Prophet Muhammad's  conduct, Aishah, the Prophet's wife, observed that his life and conduct demonstrated practically what the Quran teaches theoretically. This observation is reflected at its sharpest in the historic Sermon, which the Prophet delivered before 120,000 Muslim pilgrims at Arafat on 9 Dhu al-Hijjah as part of his Farewell Pilgrimage. For this captures the essence of the Quranic teachings. It stands out as a summary of the Quranic perspective. Since it was a huge gathering of the Muslim community, the Prophet aptly focused on such elements which are essential for constructing a society and community as sought by the Quran. In other words, his directives addressed directly to the Muslim community reiterate the essential teachings of the Quran on social community life. Little is said in this Sermon on articles of faith, spiritual matters and other aspects of creed.

Throughout the emphasis is on building cordial social relations; between man and wife, between individual members of the community and between all sections and classes of the society. These directives aim at forging a mutually cordial and trustworthy community life, ensuring peaceful co-existence among all the constituents of the society. Social justice is distinctly the unmistakable and overarching tenor of the Sermon. The life-enriching message is indubitably derived from the Quranic worldview which forbids wrong-doing and injustice in all its forms - social, marital and economic in particular. The Sermon is premised on the virtues, which guarantee a happy, peaceful life for everyone. The Sermon opens with a glowing tribute to the majesty and glory of Allah. This readily brings to mind the opening Surah of the Quran al-Fatihah. For without self-surrender to the Will of the Supreme Being and thus for worshipping him alone, man is liable to err in his social dealings. The awareness of His all-presence and the desire to mould one's existence in the light of His awareness, helps man keep on the right track. There is no law or worldly authority that can induce such fear in a man's heart to enable him to withstand all temptations. easy yet unlawful gains, than the awareness of the One to whom man is ultimately responsible. The principles of Life after Death and of the organic consequences of man's action and behavior, in which heart and mind to a way which is branded as "the straight path" (Sirat al-Mustaqeem).

The Prophet's Sermon brings out in full as to what constitutes this straight path. This is followed by a direct address to the audience with an emotionally surcharged note, which was bouynd to strike a chord in every heart present there. As this gathering may be his last it made the audience all the more attentive to his message. It goes without saying that the Prophet's Companions always made it a point to listen to him in rapt attention and deemed it as their highest privilege to comply readily with all that was commanded by him. Those many Muslims who had turned up from distant, remote parts of Arabia it was their first chance to see and hear him, and could be their last chance to listen to him, naturally made them more receptive. It is nonetheless worth-clarifying that the Prophet  made no assertion death approaching him definitely that year. For the exact time of one's death is determined only by Allah and he had no access to the realm of al-Ghayb (the domain which lies outside the realm of human perception).

After having secured the audience's full attention with his opening, dramatic remark, he recited before them an immensely significant Quranic verse in which Allah declares:

O men! Behold, we have created you all out of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another. Verily, the noblest of in the sight of God is the one who is deeply conscious of Him. Behold, God is all knowing, all-aware.
[Surah Al-Hujurat 49:13]

This declaration underscoring the unity of mankind and piety as the sole criterion of winning Allah's  blessing is immediately followed by his elucidation that an Arab or a white person enjoys no superiority over a non-Arab or a black person and vice versa. This elaboration of the the Quranic declaration was necessary in view of the mindset and psyche of his immediate addresses. By lining excellence, honour and superioruty with one's good conduct the Prophet  gave a new orientation to their perception. It is worth recalling that the truth of the unity of mankind is reiterated at several places in the Quran. Take the following as illustrative:

All mankind was once single community.
[Surah Al Baqarah 2:213]

O mankind! Be conscious of your Sustainer, who has created you out of one living entity, and out of its mate, and out of the two spread abroad a multitude of men and women. And remain conscious of God, in whose name you demand [your rights] from one another, and of these ties kinship. Verily, God is ever watchful over you!
[Surah An-Nisa 4:1]

That all men have originated from the same progenitor - Prophet Adam  recurs also in al-Anam 6:98, al-Araf 7.189 and al-Zumar 39.6. It is thus unmistakable that the Prophet's insistence on the unity of mankind reiterates the Quranic stance.

This is followed by his forceful plea for social justice, for peaceful existence and for a tension-free society. The tribal society of Arabia was plagued with feuds and internecine wars. Several Quranic passages preach the lesson of tolerance, forgiveness and cordial relations. The Prophet's directive follows from the same fountain of guidance. The direct address to the members of the Quraysh tribe, to which the Prophet  belonged has a very important functional value. Being the temporal religious authority in the pre-Islamic Arabia for centuries, the Quraysh thought very highly of themselves. With the advent of Islam and their familial ties with the Prophet  they were prone to suffering from some complex of superiority and immunity against divine punishment. They could easily fall into the error of considering themselves as the chosen people an God's favorites. Some earlier communities has fallen into the same trap. In this public gathering, in which thousands of non Quraysh and non-Arabs were present, the Prophet  made absolutely plain that the Quraysh's ties of kinship with him would not avail them even in the least. They would be judged solely on the basis of their deeds. It is high time they should empty their minds of all pride and arrogance. This assertion, once again, stemmed from the Quranic standard of justice and fairness which does away with all false notions of ancestry or kinship.

The Prophet  is seen making the most of the sacred day of a sacred month, as was recognized throughout Arabia even in the pre-Islamic period. He dwelt on a related yet far more important issue that human life, property and honour too, are sacred and deserve to be treated so by everyone. He thus established an effective religious and social. This was designed to leave an indelible imprint on the minds of the audience about the inviolability of human life, of the honour and belongings of others. Needless to add, this directive, if followed faithfully, is bound to construct a happy, peaceful society, free from revenge. His other assertions in the Sermon about refraining from killing one another, usurping others belongings and betraying the trusts reposed in them re-echo the following Quranic commands.

But whoever deliberately slays another believer, his requital shall be hell, therein to abide; and God will condemn him, and will reject him, and will prepare for him awesome suffering.
[Surah An-Nisa 4:93]

But if you trust one another, then let him who is trusted fulfill his trust, and let him be conscious of God, his Sustainer.
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2:283]

And it is not conceivable that a prophet should deceive since he who deceives shall be faced with his deceit on the Day of Resurrection, when every human being shall be repaid in full for whatever he has done, and none shall be wronged.
[Surah Al-Imran 3:161]

The next directives, of immediate and immense relevance to the society, consist in his exhortation to treat slaves fairly. Slavery was entrenched deep in the social and economic system of the day for centuries. A sudden, total ban over it would have caused much chaos and destabilized the social order. Islam nonetheless made it a point to urge Muslims to free the slaves and to treat them  well. The same note of well being permeates the Prophet's directive, which is couched in the language of authority. Moreover, the Prophet  is found denouncing all the practices of the Jahiliyah period, outlawing these in highly surcharged and dramatically delivered declarative sentences. The intended effect is achieved by setting his own example, by making himself and his kin, subject to the same rule as he has proclaimed for others. These prohibitions are obviously drawn from the Quran, for example, it forbids usury in unequivocal terms:

Those who gorge themselves on usury behave but as he might behave whom Satan has confounded with his touch; for they say, "Buying and selling is but a kind of usury" - while God has made buying and selling lawful and usury unlawful. Hence, whoever becomes aware of his Sustainer's admonition, and thereupon desists [from usury] may keep his past gains, and it will be for God to judge him; but as for those who return to it - they are destined for the fire, therein to abide!.
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2:275]

O you who have attained to faith! Remain conscious of God, and give up all outstanding gains from usury, if you are [truly] believer; for if you do it not, then know that you at war with God and His Apostle.
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2:278]

The next part of the Sermon aims at reminding everyone of his obligations, especially the ones that he owes to fellow human beings in general and his family members, friends and neighbors in particular. Once again, the address is direct and straightforward. The precepts are articulated in simple, easy to understand language.

The audience is instructed particularly in discharging the trusts reposed in one as a responsible member of the society and as a good citizen.

With such conditioning of the mind which trains everyone to perform his obligations cheerfully and in the spirit of doing something which would earn him immense rewards in the next, external life every member of the community is bound to contribute to collective happiness, peace and order. Mention is made first, in this context, of observing faithfully the law of inheritance prescribed by Allah. For any unfairness in the distribution of inheritance could vitiate relations within the family and engender bad blood, vendetta and injustice.

Equally sensitive is the issue of paternity. Any doubts aired about the legitimacy of a baby may devastate the entire family and neighborhood ties. It is therefore strictly maintained that no aspersions be cast on this count. However, an open case of adultery, as established by a court of law, is to be treated in accordance with the prescribed course of action and the severe penalty of stoning to death. This deterrent punishment for sexual relations outside marriage, as laid down by Islam, is once again, designed to protect healthy sexual mores and reinforce the honor and sanctity of family life and moral ambience in the community life. The instructions about debts, gifts and surely also to seek to promote cordial, friendly social relations, ruling out any cause of conflict and dents in social life. Throughout the emphasis is on respecting others rights and discharging ones obligations to them willingly and generously. Mutual trust is encouraged which is conducive to creating an amicable, caring and stable society.

Therefore, family is the nucleus of a society and a happy marital partnership is essential for family life and concomitant values and relationships. In Islam much attention is focused on ensuring a stable, happy family and more particularly on warm, strong matrimonial relations permeated with love, understanding, sympathy and concern.

Islam, no doubt, takes marriage as a contract between two consenting adults with their own specific sets of obligations and role-play. In the then Arabian society and even in our times, the wife being physically and financially weaker, has not been treated fairly.

The Prophet , being alive to the problems plaguing the society, displays his remarkable sensitivity and concern in his emphatic and strongly worded advice in this Sermon, urging men to be kind and considerate towards their wives. In so doing, he reminds them of their duty of behaving decently towards them and to be lenient even in the case of the recalcitrant ones.

On the one hand, he tells men to exercise their authority in ensuring unblemished conduct on the part of the their wives. To press home the point further, he invoking Almighty Allah. Therefore they should be more particular and cautious in the treatment of their wives. For any misconduct on their part would not escape Allah's punishment.

It is understood that no stable society can be constructed without this realisation that marriage partners should enjoy each other's total confidence, trust and love. As in the case of other pieces of advice contained in this Sermon, the above guidance to both husbands and wives for discharging their mutual obligations is culled from the Quran

And consort with your wives in a godly manner; for if you dislike them, it may be that you dislike something which God might yet make a source of abundant good.
[Surah An-Nisa 4:19]

And the righteous women are the truly devout ones, who guard the intimacy which God has [ordained to be] guarded.
[Surah An-Nisa 4:34]

And among His wonders is this: He creates for you mates out of your own kind, so that you might incline towards them, and He engenders love and tenderness between you: in this behold, there are messages indeed for people who think!
[Surah Ar-Rum 30:21]

These specific instructions, mostly related to good social relations, are followed by a general directive of abiding value that the Quran being the infallible Word of God for all persons of all times and places must be taken as the source of guidance. Furthermore, utmost caution must be exercised in regard to Satan, the sworn enemy of mankind. All evil, however minor it might be, must be resisted and repulsed. Likewise, no effort must be spared in performing the prescribed religious duties - of five daily prayers, one month fasting, paying Zakah annually and pilgrimage to the House of Allah once in life, if one has the means to do so. This constant remembrance of Allah, which is the objective of the religious duties at regular intervals would help keep one on the straight path - of piety, of good morals and manners and of contributing to the maintenance of healthy, positively oriented and cordial social relations.

For achieving the maximum effect of receptivity the Sermon is interfaced at the end with an emotionally charged, dramatic dialogue in which the Prophet  asked those present to testify that he had carried out his assignment of conveying divine guidance to them. When they affirmed unanimously, he directed them to transmit this message to others who were not present there and by implication to the subsequent generations. As the Final Messenger of God for the entire mankind until the end of time he arranged for the spread of his message for all times. The Hajj performed every year since then by millions and millions of people serves as the perfect occasion for bringing to mind the Prophet's Sermon which, as discussed above, stands out as a historic charter of social justice. It is high time to enforce this charter in full, to both individual and collective, for the benefit of mankind.

Abraham_

Take a chill pill mate.

btw I am a pagan and i'm comin 'atcha like a wicker-man on fire!

My Neo-Platonist philosophy & theology allowed for the very development of your religion so put that in a pipe and smoke it!

I have seen you make that claim a few times on this forum. I'd like to see where you have got such an idea from(that platonist philosophy played any role in Islam).

Thanks,

Abraham

I can see how wealth played a crucial part in the devellopment of certain idealogies. But you cant apply it to every single idealogy. My point was that if you are going to apply such an idea to the history of the development of Islam then bring your proof.

Thanks,

Abraham

Thank you for your polite response Beth.

The argument that you are trying to put forth is that because the names of such 'biblical characters' are word plays, then that means they are not people but rather mythological figures.

That is a bold statement. In reality, many names in 'real life' are word plays, or were derived from other words to make certain points. It is not surprising that Eve would be given the name "life" by God to stress that point, and it does not cancel out the fact that she was a real figure.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) reported that Adam asked Allah who the woman was that Allah created for him. Allah responded that she was eve. He asked then why was she named that and Allah responded: "because she was created from something living"


Likewise simply becuase Adam's name may have came from the word "dust" possibly to stress a certain point in no way contradicts with the fact that he was a single figure. To fully  reject revelation because of such conjecture is simply a rejection of the concept of revelation in itself.

The Qur'an claims and fully announces itself as a revelation from t he Creator of all that exists, informing us of the unseen matters( such as the past), and guiding us to the straight path, not as a simple "jest". The first claim the Qur'an makes about itself is:

"This is the Book (the Qur'an), whereof there is no doubt" [Surah Al-Baqarah verse 2]

Likewise the Qur'an never wavers in this and exclaims:

"Falsehood cannot come to it(the Qur'an) from before it or behind it (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise (Allah) [Surah Al-Fussilat aayah 42]

The Qur'an commands mankind to reflect on the life of the Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) which has been historically documented in a very scientific fashion and things from his sayings, his actions, his manners, etc. have all been recorded and well-documented(if not more documented than any other figure in history):

Say (to them O Muhammad ): "I exhort you on one (thing) only: that you stand up for Allah's sake in pairs and singly, and reflect (within yourselves the life history of the Prophet ): there is no madness in your companion (Muhammad ), he is only a warner to you in face of a severe torment."  [Surah Saba aayah 46]

So I suggest you read the Qur'an, read the history of hte Prophet Muhammd(peace be uppon him) life and his ahadeeth(sayings, actions, statements, etc.) and you will realize if you are sincere that he is not a liar, a forger, a magician, or a madman, but a Messenger from the Creator of the heavens and the earth.

"O mankind! Verily, there has come to you a convincing proof (Prophet Muhammad ) from your Lord, and We sent down to you a manifest light (this Qur'an). " [Surah An-Nisa ayah 174]

"But Allah bears witness to that which He has sent down (the Qur'an) unto you (O Muhammad ), He has sent it down with His Knowledge, and the angels bear witness. And Allah is All-Sufficient as a Witness. " [Surah An-Nisa ayah 166]


"And this Qur'an is not such as could ever be produced by other than Allah (Lord of the heavens and the earth), but it is a confirmation of (the revelation) which was before it [i.e. the Torah and the Gospels and a full explanation of the Book (i.e. laws and orders, etc, decreed for mankind) - wherein there is no doubt from the the Lord of allc reation." [Surah Yunus ayah 37]

So I suggest that you and whoever is reading this, read some authentic material about the Qur'an adn the Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) which have been preserved for the past 1400 years. Put aside your biases about the Prophet and Islam, your hatred towards Islam, and read for yourself if you rtruly are sincere in finding the truth.

-Abraham

If you want to stop 'suicide bombnig' then get your troops and your dogs out of the Muslim lands.

Otherwise stop complaining and wait until the day when the rule of Islam is over your heads. It is not far off inshaAllah.

It is He Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad ) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islam), to make it superior over all religions even though the mushrikun(pagans, disbelievers, non-muslims) may hate (it). [Qur'an 9:33]

And im sorry if youre so offended by the term infidel, its just an accurate description of what you are. You rebel against God and have no faith in Him, and you ascribe partners to Him. So you deserve to be called that.

Thanks,

-Abraham.

[# What was man created from, blood, clay, dust, or nothing?]

Quran

# What was man created from, blood, clay, dust, or nothing?

  1. "Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood," (96:2).
  2. "We created man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape, (15:26).
  3. "The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: "Be". And he was," (3:59).
  4. "But does not man call to mind that We created him before out of nothing?" (19:67, Yusuf Ali). Also, 52:35).
  5. "He has created man from a sperm-drop; and behold this same (man) becomes an open disputer! (16:4).

lol. That is very ignorant. Those are all stages of development. They are all mentioned in several verses(to make sense of it):


"And indeed We created man (Adam) out of an extract of clay (water and earth).

Thereafter We made him (the offspring of Adam) as a Nutfah (mixed drops of the male and female sexual discharge) (and lodged it) in a safe lodging (womb of the woman).

Then We made the Nutfah into a clot (leech-like substance), then We made the clot into a little lump of flesh, then We made out of that little lump of flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, and then We brought it forth as another creation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of creators. " [Surah Mu'minoon ayaat 12-14]



O mankind! If you are in doubt about the Resurrection, then verily! We have created you (i.e. Adam) from dust, then from a Nutfah (mixed drops of male and female sexual discharge i.e. offspring of Adam), then from a clot (leech-like substance) then from a little lump of flesh, some formed and some unformed (miscarriage), that We may make (it) clear to you (i.e. to show you Our Power and Ability to do what We will)." [Surah Al-Hajj aayah 5]

Allah created the first human (Adam) out of the dust and clay, and He created his children in the wombs of the mother through the stages that were listed. Im sure if yout ry hard enough you can 'make up your own contradictions'.

# Is there or is there not compulsion in religion according to the Qur'an?

  1. "Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things," (2:256).
  2. "And an announcement from Allah and His Messenger, to the people (assembled) on the day of the Great Pilgrimage,- that Allah and His Messenger dissolve (treaty) obligations with the Pagans. If then, ye repent, it were best for you; but if ye turn away, know ye that ye cannot frustrate Allah. And proclaim a grievous penalty to those who reject Faith," (9:3).
  3. "But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful," (9:5).
  4. Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued," (9:29).

As for the fourth verse, in no way does it contradict the first verse "There is no compulsion in religion" It dose not call to force non-Muslims to Islam, but rather until they pay jizyah and feel themselves subdued(accept the authority of the Islamic state).

As for the third verse that you posted, and the second, the problem is you omitted the verse in the middle of them(they are in the same chapter), which clearly state that the 'forcing' was only to be done against those who broke a treaty.

And a declaration from Allah and His Messenger to mankind on the greatest day (the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah - the 12th month of Islamic calendar) that Allah is free from (all) obligations to the Mushrikun (see V.2:105) and so is His Messenger. So if you (pagans) repent, it is better for you, but if you turn away, then know that you cannot escape (from the Punishment of) Allah. And give tidings (O Muhammad ) of a painful torment to those who disbelieve.

Except those of the pagans with whom you have a treaty, and who have not subsequently failed you in aught, nor have supported anyone against you. So fulfill their treaty to them to the end of their term. Surely Allah loves  the pious

So when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful," (9:3-5).

Its funny how you try to find contradictions, but twisting the text and omitting verses, but in the end it they are just lies.

# The first Muslim was Muhammad?  Abraham?  Jacob? Moses?

  1. "And I [Muhammad] am commanded to be the first of those who bow to Allah in Islam," (39:12).
  2. "When Moses came to the place appointed by Us, and his Lord addressed him, He said: "O my Lord! show (Thyself) to me, that I may look upon thee." Allah said: "By no means canst thou see Me (direct); But look upon the mount; if it abide in its place, then shalt thou see Me." When his Lord manifested His glory on the Mount, He made it as dust. And Moses fell down in a swoon. When he recovered his senses he said: "Glory be to Thee! to Thee I turn in repentance, and I am the first to believe." (7:143).
  3. "And this was the legacy that Abraham left to his sons, and so did Jacob; "Oh my sons! Allah hath chosen the Faith for you; then die not except in the Faith of Islam," (2:132).

The third verses makes no reference that they would be the first.

The second verse is Moses (peace be upon him) saying " I am the first to believe" in the sense that noone else will see God in this life. This is what was said regarding the verse by many commentators and companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

As for the first verse, Allah revealed different shareeahs(sets of laws) for different Prophets. As Allah says in another verse "To each nation We prescribe a way" . So in a lingustic sense it means that the Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) is the first to submit to the way hat Allah revealed to him for his people(that abrogated the laws that came before it). And to show you im not just making up this interpretation, then another verse of similarity can clarify it for you:

(161. Say: "Truly, my Lord has guided me to a straight path, a right religion, the religion of Abrahom, monotheism, and he was not of the pagans.") (162. Say: "Verily, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of all that exists.'') (163. "He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims."

Notice how Allah mentions Abraham and that they are upon the same message, and that they are both upon Islaam, but the Prophet Muhammad sws is the first of the Muslims of his nation.

For a fuller explanation by a classical Islamic scholar : http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=6&tid=17347

# Does Allah forgive or not forgive those who worship false gods?

  1. Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin Most heinous indeed," (4:48).  Also 4:116
  2. The people of the Book ask thee to cause a book to descend to them from heaven: Indeed they asked Moses for an even greater (miracle), for they said: "Show us Allah in public," but they were dazed for their presumption, with thunder and lightning. Yet they worshipped the calf even after clear signs had come to them; even so we forgave them; and gave Moses manifest proofs of authority," (4:153).

Allah forgave them because they had repented before death, but if one die upon shirk(associating partners with Allah) then Allah will never forgive you.

"Say: "(Allah says) My Slaves who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

"And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him, (in Islam), before the torment comes upon you, then you will not be helped. " [Surah Az-Zumar 53-54]

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said "Whoever dies while stille invoking other than Allah will enter hellfire, and whoever dies while invoking Allah alone(and noone else) will enter paradise."

# Are Allah's decrees changed or not?

  1. "Rejected were the messengers before thee: with patience and constancy they bore their rejection and their wrongs, until Our aid did reach them: there is none that can alter the words (and decrees) of Allah. Already hast thou received some account of those messengers," (6:34).
  2. "The word of thy Lord doth find its fulfillment in truth and in justice: None can change His words: for He is the one who heareth and knoweth all, (6:115).
  3. None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar: Knowest thou not that Allah Hath power over all things?" (2:106).
  4. When We substitute one revelation for another,- and Allah knows best what He reveals (in stages),- they say, "Thou art but a forger": but most of them understand not," (16:101).

The issue is simply a misunderstanding of what it means when it says "none can change His words." He clears states in the other verses that it is He who substittues one revelation for another, not any human being, jinn, or creation. Likewise, It is His Decree that He should change some of the revelation and none can change that.

# Was Pharaoh killed or not killed by drowning?

  1. "We took the Children of Israel across the sea: Pharaoh and his hosts followed them in insolence and spite. At length, when overwhelmed with the flood, he said: "I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in: I am of those who submit (to Allah in Islam). (It was said to him): "Ah now!- But a little while before, wast thou in rebellion!- and thou didst mischief (and violence)!  This day shall We save thee in the body, that thou mayest be a sign to those who come after thee! but verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our Signs!" (10:90-92).
  2. Moses said, "Thou knowest well that these things have been sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth as eye-opening evidence: and I consider thee indeed, O Pharaoh, to be one doomed to destruction!"  So he resolved to remove them from the face of the earth: but We did drown him and all who were with him," (17:102-103).

The first verse is actually a miracle that testifies to the Truth of the Qur'an and in no way contradicts the second. The Pharoah who was drowned was found in the ocean by archealogists in egypt and they have his body preserved.

# Is wine consumption good or bad?

  1. O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination,- of Satan's handwork: eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper," (5:90).
  2. (Here is) a Parable of the Garden which the righteous are promised: in it are rivers of water incorruptible; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear. In it there are for them all kinds of fruits; and Grace from their Lord. (Can those in such Bliss) be compared to such as shall dwell for ever in the Fire, and be given, to drink, boiling water, so that it cuts up their bowels (to pieces)?" (47:15).
  3. Truly the Righteous will be in Bliss: On Thrones (of Dignity) will they command a sight (of all things): Thou wilt recognize in their faces the beaming brightness of Bliss. Their thirst will be slaked with Pure Wine sealed," (83:22-25).[/

Another ridiculous claim. The wine in paradise is not an intoxicant.  Proof for this are in the verses:

"They will be served by immortal boys,
With cups, and jugs, and a glass from the flowing wine,
Wherefrom they will get neither any aching of the head, nor any intoxication. "
[Surah Waaqiah ayaat 17-19]

Biological Evolution – An Islamic Perspective

|Prepared by the Research Committee of IslamToday.net under the supervision of Sheikh `Abd al-Wahhâb al-Turayrî|

Many Muslims wonder about the theory of biological evolution – the theory that living species on Earth today are descended from others in the past, and that the present diversity of living species we see is a result of descent with modification over the course of numerous generations.

Muslims also wonder about one of the main processes that evolutionary theory proposes to explain how evolution takes place – the process of natural selection. This is the idea that the individuals within a populations of living organism vary in their individual traits – they are not exactly alike – and that the organisms which are most successful at leaving descendants will pass on their unique traits to the next generation at the expense of the traits possessed by less successful organisms in the population, thereby contributing to a long-term gradual change in the suite of traits found within the population.

To start with, it is not our intention in this article to discuss the scientific implications of evolutionary theory. We wish to explore the issue from the perspective of Islamic teachings.

We as Muslims must ask:

Does the theory of evolution – and likewise the theory of natural selection as a mechanism of evolution – conform to Islamic teachings or conflict with them?

Is a Muslim allowed to believe in evolution as a scientific theory as long as he or she accepts that Allah is behind it?

Is a Muslim allowed to believe in human evolution? If not, how can we explain the fossils of upright, bipedal, tool-using apes with large brains that have been discovered?

We wish to re-emphasize that our concern here is not with examining the scientific merits of the theory of evolution. What we want to know is what Islamic teachings have to say about the idea. Whether evolution is true or false scientifically is another matter altogether.

When we look at the sources of Islam – the Qur'ân and Sunnah – we see that, with respect to human beings living on the Earth today, they are all descendants of Adam and Eve.

Allah also says: "O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is the one who is the most God-fearing." [Sûrah al-Hujûrât:13]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) identified the "male" mentioned in this verse as being Adam. He said: "Human beings are the children of Adam and Adam was created from Earth. Allah says: 'O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is the one who is the most God-fearing'." [Sunan al-Tirmidhî (3270)]

We also see that Allah created Adam directly without the agency of parents.

Allah says: "The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: 'Be' and he was." [Sûrah Âl `Imrân: 59]

We also know that Eve was created from Adam without the agency of parents.

In the Qur'ân, Allah states clearly: "O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women." [Sûrah al-Nisâ': 1]

Therefore, the Qur'ân tells us that Adam and his wife were the father and mother of all human beings living on the Earth today. We know about this by way of direct revelation from Allah.

The direct creation of Adam (peace be upon him) can neither be confirmed nor denied by science in any way. This is because the creation of Adam (peace be upon him) was a unique and singular historical event. It is a matter of the Unseen and something that science does not have the power to confirm or deny. As a matter of the Unseen, we believe it because Allah informs us about it. We say the same for the miracles mentioned in the Qur'ân. Miraculous events, by their very nature, do not conform to scientific laws and their occurrence can neither be confirmed nor denied by science.

What about other living things, besides the human beings living on the Earth today? What about plants, animals, fungi, and the like?

When we turn our attention to this question, we find that the Qur'ân and Sunnah do not tell us much about the flora and fauna that was present on the Earth before or at the time of Adam and Eve's arrived upon it. The sacred texts also do not tell us how long ago Adam and Eve arrived upon the Earth. Therefore, these are things we cannot ascertain from the sacred texts.

The only thing that the Qur'ân and Sunnah require us to believe about the living things on Earth today is that Allah created them in whatever manner He decided to create them.

Allah says: "Allah is the Creator of all things and over all things He has authority." [Sûrah al-Zumar: 62]

Indeed, Allah states specifically that He created all life forms: "And We made from water all living things." [Sûrah al-Anbiyâ': 30]

We know that "Allah does what He pleases." Allah can create His creatures in any manner that He chooses.

Therefore, with respect to other living things, the Qur'ân and Sunnah neither confirm nor deny the theory of biological evolution or the process referred to as natural selection. The question of evolution remains purely a matter of scientific enquiry. The theory of evolution must stand or fall on its own scientific merits – and that means the physical evidence that either confirms the theory or conflicts with it.

The role of science is only to observe and describe the patterns that Allah places in His creation. If scientific observation shows a pattern in the evolution of species over time that can be described as natural selection, this is not in itself unbelief. It is only unbelief for a person to think that this evolution took place on its own, and not as a creation of Allah. A Muslim who accepts evolution or natural selection as a valid scientific theory must know that the theory is merely an explanation of one of the many observed patterns in Allah's creation.

As for the fossil remains of bipedal apes and the tools and artifacts associated with those remains, their existence poses no problem for Islamic teachings. There is nothing in the Qur'ân and Sunnah that either affirms or denies that upright, brainy, tool using apes ever existed or evolved from other apelike ancestors. Such animals may very well have existed on Earth before Adam's arrival upon it. All we can draw from the Qur'ân and Sunnah is that even if those animals once existed, they were not the forefathers of Adam (peace be upon him).

And Allah knows best.

http://www.islamtoday.com/showme2.cfm?cat_...&sub_cat_id=792

That's very true Leyla...the political and social climate was at such a hopelessly low point, that the very reason behind Mohammed's writing was in response to the fact that Christianity was not being an effective religious moral influence for the people and the government (what there was of one) was so totally corrupt that any kind of 'civilized society' was almost extinct.

While Mohammed and his family get the credit, post hoc, for the success of Islam, it was in truth the wealth of certain individuals that got it off the ground and assured its success.

Likewise, Christians give the apostles all the credit for the success of Christianity---after the fact---but the truth is, there were $$$big Roman bucks$$$ behind its ultimate success.

It takes a lot money for a religion to survive and grow--and you can be sure that plenty of money found itself provided to Islam in the earliest centuries of the religion...which was just a repeat of Constantine and Christianity. Islam had a new and updated message in the Koran, it found financial sponsorship to back it, and viola'...another theocracy was born...

Finally, where there are $$$big bucks$$$ to be found behind one reigning entity, then 'history can be written' the way the holder of the pocketbook wants it to be written...and this is surely the case if Muslims think that 7th century Medina was anything close to being "an ideal society."

~Beth

Id like tos ee your proof for any of that.

Thanks,

Abraham

This is an article by a brother named Abdul aziz, formerly know as David Myatt. He went through a lot of stages, from pagan to christian to nazi and white supremacist. 6 years ago he embraced Islam and is  Muslim alhumdulillah(praise be to Allah). Some more of his articles can be found here: http://alhaqq.jeeran.com

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In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful


Islamic Knowledge verses Western Ideas
A Personal View




There is a fundamental, and important, difference between the Western way of thinking and education - and thus  the 'understanding' and perspective this gives individuals - and the Islamic way.

The Western way, the Western perspective,  depends upon the notions, the ideas, of 'progress' and individual 'enlightenment' through an academic study based upon  separate subjects, such as Physics, biology, history, music and so on. The 'understanding ' that this Western perspective provides depends upon this academic study of subjects and the accumulation of information. When enough information about a subject is accumulated (and memorized) there is said to be a 'mastery' of that subject,  often formally acknowledged through some academic qualification produced by some Western institution.

The Islamic perspective is totally different. It rests upon the foundation that all true knowledge is numinous - that is, sacred: a path to dhikr, to awareness and remembrance of Allah.  The Islamic quest for  knowledge is a quest for an understanding of the Signs of Allah  - an understanding of Allah as the Creator of all being and all beings. Knowledge is a way to understanding the Unity of Existence, and to acquire knowledge one needs the tools of learning - reason, logic, the ability to judge and, equally important, a piety, an acknowledgment of how we, as individuals, were created by Allah, should be grateful to Him and strive to remember Him.

Furthermore, Islam totally opposes the Western idea of progress  in this world and the renunciation of the past, of tradition, that this almost always involves. For  Islam, the perfect, ideal society existed at Madina during the time of the Prophet Muhammad  just as the ideal human being existed in the figure of the Prophet himself.

All our  Islamic striving in this world is a desire to emulate these ideals, this perfection, which once actually existed.

In the West, the ideal society is always said to exist 'in the future' - and it always involves some person, or some group,  race or nation, or whatever, believing they are special, that they have some kind of 'Destiny' and have been somehow chosen to make this ideal future real.  Very often, this idea of Destiny involves Imperialism - that is, the exploitation of others through colonialism because the imperialists believe they have a 'right' to do this, either because it is their Destiny, or because they are chosen or 'better' than the people they conquer.

This Western idea of progress, of an ideal (but impractical) society with a Destiny to make it real, is perhaps one of greatest misfortunes the West has produced, for since its genesis in the culture of ancient Greece (witness Plato, and Alexander) it has caused immense suffering and destruction.

The traditional Islamic way of education strove to provide Muslims with the tools of learning - so that, once having these tools, an individual was capable of making reasoned judgements and of understanding the Signs of Allah.  The Western way of education is to present and accumulate facts (and in case of the so-called social sciences, abstract ideas and theories) and completely ignore not only the underlying Unity behind the diverse academic subjects, but also piety in the individual. Thus the Western way becomes a way away from Unity, away from God, away from an awareness and remembering of what is sacred, just as there is no attempt to teach individuals to reason, to judge, to cultivate that excellence of character which arises from upholding morality and being aware of God.




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Abdul Aziz

Abraham,



Understand that the reason for our explorations is to find the truth, we seek it, good or bad, we seek it and we accept. You are one man speaking to thousands on this forum that what each of us has found is a lie.

That is why I invite every person on this forum to the religion of Al-Islaam, in hope that maybe someone will be guided by God to it, and be able to live their lives in peace and submission to Him, free from any doubt or speculation.

Abraham et al.,

I find it strange that all religions attest to the infinite nature of God, and yet so many religious followers insist that there is only one "right" definition of God.

The problem is you are speaking without any proof. First you say that God is "infinite", although you have no knowledge of that. If you  mean that He is infinite in that His knowledge encompasses everything, or that He can create what He wills, then that is a different matter. Islam says, not simply its "religious followers" that God is one and Unique

"Say (O Muhammad ()): "He is Allah, (the) One.
Allah, the Self-sufficent Master,
"He begets not, nor was He begotten;
"And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him." [Surah Al-Ikhas]

This is also testified in other 'religious texts' such as what has been attributed to Jesus in the New Testament:

“One of the teachers of the law came and noticed them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’

‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” [ Mark 12:28-30 – NIV ]

So by saying that only the Creator is God, or only the Sustainer of all that exists is God, or only the Being which carries certain attributes is God, is what is testified in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Qur'an.

Whats ridiculous is syaing that if i worship a piece of poo or a stone, then i am "worshipping a part of God" or that it will somehow "bring me closer to God". Thats ridiculous.

It's like holding up a paper cup of ocean water and saying, "This and this alone is the ocean."  Or pointing a telescope at one small segment of the sky and saying "This and and this alone is the sky."  When you think about it that way, isn't it pretty ridiculous?

Holding up a paper cup of ocean water saying "This and this alone is the ocean" is rational. Holding up a paper cup of dirt and saying "this is god or part of god" is irrational and a complete lie. Worshipping God based upon knowledge that He is taught us is worshipping God, no matter how much "little knowledge" of Him our minds think that is. Worshipping Him based upon our own speculations and fabrications is complete nonsense.

First off, on the subject of Jesus being God or the Son of God, you have to realize that a fundamental part of the Christian doctrine is the concept of the trinity.  That is, that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all separate entities, and yet are the same being all at once.  So Jesus can be the son of God, and God at the same time.

And for anyone who thinks that's ridiculous, I just have to say this, "Higher selves."  Same concept, different application.

First you have to prove that "higher selves" actually exist. If thats not possible then there is no point of further discussion.

Anyways, onto this guy's tirade.  You do realize that the bible supposedly has all the exact same proofs behind it too, right?  Solid block of logic, no contradictions (I've researched a lot of the supposed ones, still have yet to find one), miracles were performed and witnessed by many a audience, blah blah.

Actually the Bible is known to have contradictions and that it wasnt "all God's word" . It is known to have verses which were written by men and not God. This is even testified to by the catholic church:http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-1811332,00.html

I'm sure other religions have the same kinda backing, although I'm sure other ones also have contradictions, but that's not the point.

The point is, how do you know your God is the right God and not someone elses?  You are basing your entire beliefs off of some dude who pulled a book out of his butt and some supposed miracles that you never saw for yourself?  What proof has this God given to you in your life that he exists, and how do you know that they are in fact from your God and not due to another being or coincidence?

The Qur'an is proof, and the history of the Prophet Muhammad sws which was well-documented is proof. The very fact that he could not read or write, and he recited a book which is unique, eloquent and without contradiction(read it yourself) is proof that it is from the All-Knowing Creator. And if you say that its from sort of 'astral being' that too is ridiculous, for first you would have to prove the astral is actually in existence.

Faith.  That's what it is.  You have taken your religion's supposed facts on faith, your God's existence on faith.  Christians have taken their God's existance on faith.

Islam is faith in proofs from God, Christianity is faith in a book and a concept that isnt even proven 'authentic'

American Encyclopedia:

The belief in the Oneness of God – as a theological movement – began at a very early stage in history, and in fact it preceded the belief in trinity by many decades. Christianity developed from Judaism, and Judaism firmly believes that there is one God.

The path that led from Jerusalem (the home of the first disciples of Christ) to Nicea (where it was decided in 325 CE that Christ was equal to God in essence and eternal nature) can hardly be described as a straight path.

The doctrine of trinity which was affirmed in the fourth century CE bears no resemblance to the original teachings of Christ concerning the nature of God. Au contraire, it is the opposite, a deviation from that teaching. Hence it developed in opposition to the belief in One God… (27/294).

The Miracles of the Prophet Muhammad


By Imâm an-Nawawî rahimahullâh
From 'Life of the Messenger'





The Messenger of Allâh possesses many manifest miracles and signs demonstrating [his veracity], reaching thousands and they are well known.

From amongst them was the Qur'ân, the manifest and clear miracle and brilliant proof, falsehood cannot approach it from before it or behind it. It is a revelation from One Who is All-Wise and Praiseworthy. It incapacitated the most eloquent of people in the most eloquent of times to produce a single chapter than would be comparable to it, even if the whole of creation were to gather for that purpose. Allâh, the Exalted says,

"Say: if the whole of mankind and the jinn gathered in order to produce the like of this Qur'ân, they could not produce the like of it, even if they assisted each other." [Al-Isrâ' (17):88]

It challenged them to this despite their large numbers, their eloquence and their severe enmity, and it challenges them to this day.

As for the other miracles, it is not possible to enumerate them all due to their huge number and renewing and increasing nature. I will mention some examples:

The splitting of the moon, water flowing from between his fingers, increasing the quantity of food and water, the glorification of the food, the palm tree yearning for him, stones greeting him, the talking of the poisoned leg [of roasted sheep], trees walking towards him, two trees that were far apart coming together and then parting again, the barren [and therefore dry] sheep giving milk, his returning the eye of Qatâdah bin an-Nu'mân to its place with his hand after it had slipped out, his splitting lightly into the eye of 'Alî when it had become inflamed and its being cured almost immediately, his wiping the leg of 'Abdullâh bin 'Atîq whereupon he was immediately cured.

His informing of the places of death of the polytheists on the Day of Badr saying, 'this is the place of such-and-such a person.' His informing of his killing Ubayy ibn Khalaf, that a group of his nation would traverse an ocean and Umm Harâm would be amongst them and this occurred. That all was drawn together for him of the ends of the earth and displayed to him would be opened for his nation, that the treasures of Chosroes would be spend by his nation in the Way of Allâh, the Mighty and Magnificent. That he feared for his nation that they would be tempted by the wealth and allurement of this world and that the treasures of the Persians and Romans would be ours and that Surâqah bin Mâlik would wear the trousers of Chosroes.

He informed us that Hasan bin 'Alî would reconcile between two large warring parties of Muslims, that Sa'd bin Abû Waqqâs would live such that nations would benefit by him and others would be harmed. That an-Najâshî had died on this particular day while he was in Ethiopia and that al-Aswad al-Ansî had been killed on this particular day while he was in Yemen.

That the Muslims would fight the Turks who were described as having small eyes, wide faces and small, chiselled noses and that Yemen, Syria and Irâq would be conquered by the Muslims.

He informed us that the Muslims would comprise three armies, an army in Syria, an army in Yemen and an army in Irâq. That they would conquer Egypt, a land whose [unit of land measurement] was the Qîrât, they they should deal with their people well for they have protection [being Copts] and ties of kinship [through Hajar]. That Awais al-Qarnî would come to you from the auxiliaries of Yemen, he would be affected with leprosy and it would be healed except for the space of a dirham, and he indeed arrived during the rule of 'Umar.

He informed us that a group of his nation would always be upon the truth and that mankind would become many in number and that the Ansâr would diminish in number and that the Ansâr would not be given their due [with regards distribution of wealth and leadership]. That mankind would keep on asking questions until they would say, "Allâh created the creation ..." [Referring to the hadîth, "the people will continue asking until they say, 'this is Allâh who created everything ... but who created Allâh?' " Reported by al-Bukhârî [no.7296] and Muslim [no.136]]

He informed us that Ruwayfî' bin Thâbit would live a long life, that 'Ammâr bin Yâsir would be killed by the transgressing group, that this nation shall divide into sects and that they would fight each other.

He informed us that a fire would emanate from the land of Hijâz and the likes of this. All of this occurred exactly as he, sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam, said it would.

He said to Thâbit bin Qays,

"You will live being praised ... and you will die as a martyr."

and he lived being praised and was martyred at al-Yamâmah. He said about 'Uthmân,

"He would afflicted by a severe trial." [The meaning of severe trial is his being imprisoned in his house and his being killed by transgressors.]

He said about a person amongst the Muslims who had just fought a severe fight that,

"He would be from amongst the denizens of the Fire."

and later he committed suicide. Wâbisah bin Ma'bad came to him in order to ask him about righteousness and sin upon which he asked,

"Have you come to ask about righteousness and sin?"

He said to 'Alî, az-Zubair and al-Miqdâd,

"Go to the garden of Khâkh for indeed there is Dha'înah* who has a book with her."

They found her there but she initially denied having the book and then took it our from within her braids.

He said to Abû Hurayrah, when Satan had stolen some dates, "indeed he shall return ... " and he did.

He said to his wives, "The most prolific of you in giving charity will be the quickest of you to join me," and it was so. [Zaynab bint Jahsh radiallâhu 'anhâ was the most prolific of them in giving charity and was the first to die. Refer to Muslim [no.2452].]

He said to 'Abdullâh bin Sallâm, "You will remain upon Islâm until you die."

He supplicated for Anas that his wealth and sons increase and that he should live a long life and it was so. He lived for more than one hundred years and not one of the Ansâr was richer than he and one hundred and twenty of his children had been buried before the arrival of al-Hajjâj [to Basrah]. This is detailed further in Sahîh al-Bukhârî [no.1982] and others.

He sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam supplicated that Islâm be strengthened through 'Umar bin al-Khattab or Abû Jahl, and Allâh strengthened it through 'Umar radiallâhu 'anhu. He supplicated against Surâqah bin Mâlik and the feet of his horse sank into the earth and he was thrown off, he called out asking for safe conduct and was granted it, then he asked the Prophet to make a supplication for him.

He supplicated that Allâh remove feeling the bitter cold and heat from 'Alî and so never did he feel cold or hot. He supplicated for Hudhayfah, the night that he sent him to spy on the Confederates, that he not feel the cold and he did not until he had returned. He supplicated for ibn 'Abbâs that Allâh grant him understanding of the religion and it was so. He supplicated against 'Utaybah bin Abû Lahab that Allâh cause a dog from amongst His dogs to overcome him and he was killed by a lion at az-Zarqâ'.

He sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam supplicated for the descent of rain when they asked him to at the time of drought, there was not a single cloud in the sky, then when he had supplicated, the clouds gathered like mountains and it rained until the next Friday. It rained so much they they had to come back and ask him to supplicated and stop the rain, so he supplicated and the rain stopped and they out into the glaring sun.

He supplicated for Abû Talhah and his wife, Umm Sulaym, that he bless them in the night they had spent together and she became pregnant and gave birth to 'Adullâh. He had nine children and all of them were scholars.

He sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam supplicated for the mother of Abû Hurayrah radiallâhu 'anhu that she be guided and Abû Hurayrah left to find her performing the ritual bath because she had accepted Islâm. He supplicated for Umm Qays bint Muhsin, the sister of 'Ukkasha, that she live a long life and we do not know of another woman who lived as long as she did. This was reported by an-Nasâ'î in the chapter concerning washing the deceased.

On the Day of Hunain he threw a handful of dirt at the disbelievers and said, "May the faces be disfigured," and Allâh, the Exalted, vanquished them, filling their eyes with dirt. He once went out to one hundred of the Quraysh who were waiting to do something horrible to him and he put dirt on their head and went on his way without their seeing him.

* [This is the woman with whom Hasîb al-Balta'ah radiallâhu 'anhu sent a letter to the people of Mecca in order to inform them of the plans of the Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam to fight them. It was concerning this that the first verses of Sûrah Mumtahinah were revealed. The garden of Khâkh is a place falling between Mecca and Madînah. Refer to Bukhârî [no.3983] and Muslim [no.2494] and Tafsîr ibn Kathîr [4/344].]





Further from Bukhari


Splitting of the Moon
"The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder" [Qur'an 54:1]

Volume 6, Book 60, Number 388:

Narrated Abdullah:

The moon was cleft asunder while we were in the company of the Prophet, and it became two parts. The Prophet said, Witness, witness (this miracle)."

Food Multiplication
Volume 4, Book 56, Number 780:

Narrated Jabir:

My father had died in debt. So I came to the Prophet and said, "My father (died) leaving unpaid debts, and I have nothing except the yield of his date palms; and their yield for many years will not cover his debts. So please come with me, so that the creditors may not misbehave with me." The Prophet went round one of the heaps of dates and invoked (Allah), and then did the same with another heap and sat on it and said, "Measure (for them)." He paid them their rights and what remained was as much as had been paid to them.

Water Multiplication
Volume 4, Book 56, Number 779:

Narrated 'Abdullah:

We used to consider miracles as Allah's Blessings, but you people consider them to be a warning. Once we were with Allah's Apostle on a journey, and we ran short of water. He said, "Bring the water remaining with you." The people brought a utensil containing a little water. He placed his hand in it and said, "Come to the blessed water, and the Blessing is from Allah." I saw the water flowing from among the fingers of Allah's Apostle , and no doubt, we heard the meal glorifying Allah, when it was being eaten (by him).

Volume 4, Book 56, Number 777:

Narrated Al-Bara:

We were one-thousand-and-four-hundred persons on the day of Al-Hudaibiya (Treaty), and (at) Al-Hudaibiya (there) was a well. We drew out its water not leaving even a single drop. The Prophet sat at the edge of the well and asked for some water with which he rinsed his mouth and then he threw it out into the well. We stayed for a short while and then drew water from the well and quenched our thirst, and even our riding animals drank water to their satisfaction.

Volume 1, Book 7, Number 340:

Narrated 'Imran:

Once we were traveling with the Prophet and we carried on traveling till the last part of the night and then we (halted at a place) and slept (deeply). There is nothing sweeter than sleep for a traveler in the last part of the night. So it was only the heat of the sun that made us to wake up and the first to wake up was so and so, then so and so and then so and so (the narrator 'Auf said that Abu Raja' had told him their names but he had forgotten them) and the fourth person to wake up was 'Umar bin Al-Khattab. And whenever the Prophet used to sleep, nobody would wake him up till he himself used to get up as we did not know what was happening (being revealed) to him in his sleep. So, 'Umar got up and saw the condition of the people, and he was a strict man, so he said, "Allahu Akbar" and raised his voice with Takbir, and kept on saying it loudly till the Prophet got up because of it. When he got up, the people informed him about what had happened to them. He said, "There is no harm (or it will not be harmful). Depart!" So they departed from that place, and after covering some distance the Prophet stopped and asked for some water to perform the ablution. So he performed the ablution and the call for the prayer was pronounced and he led the people in prayer. After he finished from the prayer, he saw a man sitting aloof who had not prayed with the people. He asked, "O so and so! What has prevented you from praying with us?" He replied, "I am junub and there is no water. " The Prophet said, "Perform tayammum with (clean) earth and that is sufficient for you."

Then the Prophet proceeded on and the people complained to him of thirst. Thereupon he got down and called a person (the narrator 'Auf added that Abu Raja' had named him but he had forgotten) and 'Ali, and ordered them to go and bring water. So they went in search of water and met a woman who was sitting on her camel between two bags of water. They asked, "Where can we find water?" She replied, "I was there (at the place of water) this hour yesterday and my people are behind me." They requested her to accompany them. She asked, "Where?" They said, "To Allah's Apostle ." She said, "Do you mean the man who is called the Sabi', (with a new religion)?" They replied, "Yes, the same person. So come along." They brought her to the Prophet and narrated the whole story. He said, "Help her to dismount." The Prophet asked for a pot, then he opened the mouths of the bags and poured some water into the pot. Then he closed the big openings of the bags and opened the small ones and the people were called upon to drink and water their animals. So they all watered their animals and they (too) all quenched their thirst and also gave water to others and last of all the Prophet gave a pot full of water to the person who was junub and told him to pour it over his body. The woman was standing and watching all that which they were doing with her water. By Allah, when her water bags were returned the looked like as if they were more full (of water) than they had been before (Miracle of Allah's Apostle) Then the Prophet ordered us to collect something for her; so dates, flour and sawiq were collected which amounted to a good meal that was put in a piece of cloth. She was helped to ride on her camel and that cloth full of food-stuff was also placed in front of her and then the Prophet said to her, "We have not taken your water but Allah has given water to us." She returned home late. Her relatives asked her: "O so and so what has delayed you?" She said, "A strange thing! Two men met me and took me to the man who is called the Sabi' and he did such and such a thing. By Allah, he is either the greatest magician between this and this (gesturing with her index and middle fingers raising them towards the sky indicating the heaven and the earth) or he is Allah's true Apostle."

Afterwards the Muslims used to attack the pagans around her abode but never touched her village. One day she said to her people, "I think that these people leave you purposely. Have you got any inclination to Islam?" They obeyed her and all of them embraced Islam.

Abu 'Abdultah said: The word saba'a means "The one who has deserted his old religion and embraced a new religion." Abul 'Ailya said, "The Sabis are a sect of people of the Scripture who recite the Book of Psalms."

Supplication for Rain
Volume 8, Book 73, Number 115:

Narrated Anas:

A man came to the Prophet on a Friday while he (the Prophet) was delivering a sermon at Medina, and said, "There is lack of rain, so please invoke your Lord to bless us with the rain." The Prophet looked at the sky when no cloud could be detected. Then he invoked Allah for rain. Clouds started gathering together and it rained till the Medina valleys started flowing with water. It continued raining till the next Friday. Then that man (or some other man) stood up while the Prophet was delivering the Friday sermon, and said, "We are drowned; Please invoke your Lord to withhold it (rain) from us" The Prophet smiled and said twice or thrice, "O Allah! Please let it rain round about us and not upon us." The clouds started dispersing over Medina to the right and to the left, and it rained round about Medina and not upon Medina. Allah showed them (the people) the miracle of His Prophet and His response to his invocation.

Lights to guide Companions
Volume 1, Book 8, Number 454:

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

Two of the companions of the Prophet departed from him on a dark night and were led by two lights like lamps (going in front of them from Allah as a miracle) lighting the way in front of them, and when they parted, each of them was accompanied by one of these lights till he reached their (respective) houses.

Crying of the stem of the Date-palm Tree
Volume 4, Book 56, Number 783:

Narrated Ibn Umar:

The Prophet used to deliver his sermons while standing beside a trunk of a datepalm. When he had the pulpit made, he used it instead. The trunk started crying and the Prophet went to it, rubbing his hand over it (to stop its crying).

Glorification of Allah by the Prophet's meals
Volume 4, Book 56, Number 779:

Narrated 'Abdullah:

We used to consider miracles as Allah's Blessings, but you people consider them to be a warning. Once we were with Allah's Apostle on a journey, and we ran short of water. He said, "Bring the water remaining with you." The people brought a utensil containing a little water. He placed his hand in it and said, "Come to the blessed water, and the Blessing is from Allah." I saw the water flowing from among the fingers of Allah's Apostle, and no doubt, we heard the meal glorifying Allah, when it was being eaten (by him).

The expulsion of a liar's corpse by the Earth
Volume 4, Book 56, Number 814:

Narrated Anas:

There was a Christian who embraced Islam and read Surat-al-Baqara and Al-Imran, and he used to write (the revelations) for the Prophet. Later on he returned to Christianity again and he used to say: "Muhammad knows nothing but what I have written for him." Then Allah caused him to die, and the people buried him, but in the morning they saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They said, "This is the act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our companion and took his body out of it because he had run away from them." They again dug the grave deeply for him, but in the morning they again saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They said, "This is an act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our companion and threw his body outside it, for he had run away from them." They dug the grave for him as deep as they could, but in the morning they again saw that the earth had thrown his body out. So they believed that what had befallen him was not done by human beings and had to leave him thrown (on the ground).

The Speech of the Wolf
Volume 3, Book 39, Number 517:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, "While a man was riding a cow, it turned towards him and said, 'I have not been created for this purpose (i.e. carrying), I have been created for sloughing.l" The Prophet added, "I, Abu Bakr and 'Umar believe in the story." The Prophet went on, "A wolf caught a sheep, and when the shepherd chased it, the wolf said, 'Who will be its guard on the day of wild beasts, when there will be no shepherd for it except me?' "After narrating it, the Prophet said, "I, Abu Bakr and 'Umar too believe it." Abu Salama (a sub-narrator) said, "Abu Bakr and 'Umar were not present then."

It has been written that a wolf also spoke to one of the companions of the Prophet near Medina as narrated in Fath-al-Bari:Narrated Unais bin 'Amr: Ahban bin Aus said, "I was amongst my sheep. Suddenly a wolf caught a sheep and I shouted at it. The wolf sat on its tail and addressed me, saying, 'Who will look after it (i.e. the sheep) when you will be busy and not able to look after it? Do you forbid me the provision which Allah has provided me?' " Ahban added, "I clapped my hands and said, 'By Allah, I have never seen anything more curious and wonderful than this!' On that the wolf said, 'There is something (more curious) and wonderful than this; that is, Allah's Apostle in those palm trees, inviting people to Allah (i.e. Islam).' "Unais bin 'Amr further said, "Then Ahban went to Allah's Apostle and informed him what happened and embraced Islam.)" palm trees or other trees and share the fruits with me."

The Prophet's Night Journey to Jerusalem (Arabic: Israa) and Ascent to the Heavens (Arabic: Miraj)
Volume 5, Book 58, Number 228:

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:

Regarding the Statement of Allah"

"And We granted the vision (Ascension to the heavens) which We made you see (as an actual eye witness) was only made as a trial for the people." (17.60)

Ibn Abbas added: The sights which Allah's Apostle was shown on the Night Journey when he was taken to Bait-ul Maqdis (i.e. Jerusalem) were actual sights, (not dreams). And the Cursed Tree (mentioned) in the Quran is the tree of Zaqqum (itself) .

Volume 4, Book 54, Number 462:

Narrated Ibn Abbas:

The Prophet said, "On the night of my Ascent to the Heaven, I saw Moses who was a tall brown curly-haired man as if he was one of the men of Shan'awa tribe, and I saw Jesus, a man of medium height and moderate complexion inclined to the red and white colors and of lank hair. I also saw Malik, the gate-keeper of the (Hell) Fire and Ad-Dajjal amongst the signs which Allah showed me." (The Prophet then recited the Holy Verse): "So be not you in doubt of meeting him' when you met Moses during the night of Mi'raj over the heavens" (32.23)

Narrated Anas and Abu Bakra: "The Prophet said, "The angels will guard Medina from Ad-Dajjal (who will not be able to enter the city of Medina)."

Volume 5, Book 58, Number 227:

Narrated Abbas bin Malik:

Malik bin Sasaa said that Allah's Apostle described to them his Night Journey saying, "While I was lying in Al-Hatim or Al-Hijr, suddenly someone came to me and cut my body open from here to here." I asked Al-Jarud who was by my side, "What does he mean?" He said, "It means from his throat to his pubic area," or said, "From the top of the chest." The Prophet further said, "He then took out my heart. Then a gold tray of Belief was brought to me and my heart was washed and was filled (with Belief) and then returned to its original place. Then a white animal which was smaller than a mule and bigger than a donkey was brought to me." (On this Al-Jarud asked, "Was it the Buraq, O Abu Hamza?" I (i.e. Anas) replied in the affirmative). The Prophet said, "The animal's step (was so wide that it) reached the farthest point within the reach of the animal's sight. I was carried on it, and Gabriel set out with me till we reached the nearest heaven.

When he asked for the gate to be opened, it was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel answered, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has Muhammad been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!' The gate was opened, and when I went over the first heaven, I saw Adam there. Gabriel said (to me). 'This is your father, Adam; pay him your greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me till we reached the second heaven. Gabriel asked for the gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel answered, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel answered in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!' The gate was opened.

When I went over the second heaven, there I saw Yahya (i.e. John) and 'Isa (i.e. Jesus) who were cousins of each other. Gabriel said (to me), 'These are John and Jesus; pay them your greetings.' So I greeted them and both of them returned my greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the third heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed, what an excellent visit his is!' The gate was opened, and when I went over the third heaven there I saw Joseph. Gabriel said (to me), 'This is Joseph; pay him your greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the fourth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed, what an excel lent visit his is!'

The gate was opened, and when I went over the fourth heaven, there I saw Idris. Gabriel said (to me), 'This is Idris; pay him your greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the fifth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked. 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said He is welcomed, what an excellent visit his is! So when I went over the fifth heaven, there I saw Harun (i.e. Aaron), Gabriel said, (to me). This is Aaron; pay him your greetings.' I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the sixth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked. 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. It was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!'

When I went (over the sixth heaven), there I saw Moses. Gabriel said (to me),' This is Moses; pay him your greeting. So I greeted him and he returned the greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.' When I left him (i.e. Moses) he wept. Someone asked him, 'What makes you weep?' Moses said, 'I weep because after me there has been sent (as Prophet) a young man whose followers will enter Paradise in greater numbers than my followers.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the seventh heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked,' Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!'

So when I went (over the seventh heaven), there I saw Abraham. Gabriel said (to me), 'This is your father; pay your greetings to him.' So I greeted him and he returned the greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.' Then I was made to ascend to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha (i.e. the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary) Behold! Its fruits were like the jars of Hajr (i.e. a place near Medina) and its leaves were as big as the ears of elephants. Gabriel said, 'This is the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary) . Behold ! There ran four rivers, two were hidden and two were visible, I asked, 'What are these two kinds of rivers, O Gabriel?' He replied,' As for the hidden rivers, they are two rivers in Paradise and the visible rivers are the Nile and the Euphrates.'

Then Al-Bait-ul-Ma'mur (i.e. the Sacred House) was shown to me and a container full of wine and another full of milk and a third full of honey were brought to me. I took the milk. Gabriel remarked, 'This is the Islamic religion which you and your followers are following.' Then the prayers were enjoined on me: They were fifty prayers a day. When I returned, I passed by Moses who asked (me), 'What have you been ordered to do?' I replied, 'I have been ordered to offer fifty prayers a day.' Moses said, 'Your followers cannot bear fifty prayers a day, and by Allah, I have tested people before you, and I have tried my level best with Bani Israel (in vain). Go back to your Lord and ask for reduction to lessen your followers' burden.' So I went back, and Allah reduced ten prayers for me. Then again I came to Moses, but he repeated the same as he had said before. Then again I went back to Allah and He reduced ten more prayers. When I came back to Moses he said the same, I went back to Allah and He ordered me to observe ten prayers a day. When I came back to Moses, he repeated the same advice, so I went back to Allah and was ordered to observe five prayers a day.

When I came back to Moses, he said, 'What have you been ordered?' I replied, 'I have been ordered to observe five prayers a day.' He said, 'Your followers cannot bear five prayers a day, and no doubt, I have got an experience of the people before you, and I have tried my level best with Bani Israel, so go back to your Lord and ask for reduction to lessen your follower's burden.' I said, 'I have requested so much of my Lord that I feel ashamed, but I am satisfied now and surrender to Allah's Order.' When I left, I heard a voice saying, 'I have passed My Order and have lessened the burden of My Worshippers."

Abraham Im just curious, why do you believe what you do? Because of what others have told you to believe? Intelligent people use their own judgement and discernment of their own experiences; they dont just parrot things they've heard. Polly want a cracker?

I believe what I believe because of the clear proofs that have come from the Creator unto the Prophet Muhammad sws, not from the whims or fabrications of a human being.