Opening

We seek refuge in God against Satan

In the name of God, Most Beneficient, Most Merciful

Bismillah Rahmani Rahim



The first article we’ll start with is regarding the authenticity of Islam which justifies the prophethood of the prophet Muhammad (p.u.h). Then afterwards a more detailed presentation on Islam and Muslims will be discussed in a second article.

Note for interested non Muslims: Any religion could appear strange to someone who does not have the full understanding of it. So our aim is to share many aspects of Islam that are often unknown to the public outside the Muslim community or sometimes even to the average Muslim. With this contribution we hope to break the barriers of misundestandings and move many closer to this faith. And for those who do not know this already, Muslims will always say Allah instead of God, because of the Divinity that characterizes this name.

List

First article ~

http://thepeacefulway.blogspot.com/

Second article ~

Part 2: Islam and Muslims

Part 3: The last chapter

The authentic message of God

We seek refuge in God against Satan






Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

First of all let’s clarify that Islam does not reject the revelation of Christianity, Judaism, or any previous revelation brought by a prophet of God (like Adam, Noah, Abraham…). We know through the Quran that misguidance and confusion always occurs somewhere down the line after departures of an appointed messenger. Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all monotheist faiths that believe in the same God and the word Allah is the Arabic translation of God that emphasize on the Oneness of Almighty God. If Islam is much unknown by the West, it has to do with certain circunstances of history, although the revelation also took place in a very far away land. Christianity has easily growed in eastern and western of Europe because it was just another revelation to the Hebrews confirming Judaism. Jesus (peace be upon him) brought forth a Divine message to clean up falsehood that people had added up after the departure of the prophet Moses (peace be upon him). Several controversies also came up when the Jewish temple built by the messenger Solomon (peace be upon him) was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. People have considered that certain scriptures may have disappeared during that time of destruction.
Now as far as the current version of Christianity, we need to know that the individuals who recorded did not meet with Jesus because the Gospels were collected into booklets several decades after Jesus. So those who collected the Gospels were more like historians/Christians disciples who attempted to retrace the history. And this is all fact that can be verified. In fact the Gospel of Barnabas is a very interesting text that can help shred light on this matter. This old Hebrew script written prior to the four Gospels was found hidden at Rome (Italy) in the library of the Pope in the 14th century. It’s a Gospel from the Apostle Barnabas who knew Jesus (p.u.h) and was around him. This volume was in circulation in the Churches of Alexandria up until 325 A.C and was recognized as a Canonical Gospel. Later on an edict was issued that anyone in possession of this Gospel or one of a similar nature will be put to death. In fact there are many Hebrew scripts that were destroyed by the Romans because of differences with the Pauline Church. The Pauline Church was led by a self claim apostle by the name of St Paul. He never met Jesus, but because of his influencial theory within the council of nicea, he is accountable for most of the New Testament. The idea of trinity in the Catholic Church was originated by the Pauline Church. These are all historical events that can be verified. If the Gospel of Barnabas survives until now it's because in 325 A.C the pope had made a copy of it and kept it secretly in his private library. The scripture is available today to the public in English translation by the Grace of God; you can occasionally find it on some libraries (especially Islamic centers), you can also view it on online (barnabas.net)

Now it's interesting to note that the concept of Trinity that the word trinity itself is not mentioned once in the whole Bible. Certain Christians have rejected this idea of trinity, while the majority accepts it without understanding it. And by the way, there is no passage in the Bible reporting that Jesus (p.u.h) refers to himself as God or son of God (subhanallah). Note that Adam (p.u.h.) doesn’t have any parents and that didn’t make him son of God (Subhanallah); the same is also true with Eve (p.u.h) who like Jesus (p.u.h) was created from a single person. And today there are countless different versions of the Bible printed into new booklets with the claim to be holier or more complete than the previous writings; what's alarming here is that it seems that these writers publish reformed scriptures like Divine revelation was at their hands. We will let our readers imagine how many versions of the Bible exist presently. You could also find out more about the contradictions between the four Gospels through online searches; and to be fair try to get a priest or reverend opinion regarding these contraversies. The true fact is some scientists and atheists have used these mistakes to reject the validity of religion. Anyone could see at least that many people thave taken religion very slightly because of this matter.

For interested folks, we'll suggest to do more investigation on Christianity by looking at the Roman history and its early conflict with Christianity; then do some background checks on the Pauline Church and the divisions within Christianity that have led to all these denomination of Christian beliefs. If you take consideration of all those factors you’ll see that the issue within Christianity is similar to the past situation of the Jews (i.e. issues raised concerning loss of Jewish scriptures and reform of religious text by men without Divine revelation). The confusion and misguidance that existed later on after Moses (peace be upon him) have appeared once again after Jesus (peace be upon him). So if this same scenario (lost of guidance) took place once again after Jesus (p.u.h), then why reject this renewed message of Muhammad (p.u.h) considering that he has confirmed what is in the past scriptures in a complete and accurate manner?

Dear respected readers, the Quran is indeed what proves the prophethood of Muhammad, and after examining the text Inch Allah, you will see clear coherence in it, starting from the first man and prophet Adam to the last messenger Mohammad (peace be upon them)...
Now let's quickly look at some of the miracles in the Quran. A non Muslim may be surprised to hear this but they are in fact numbers of scientific innovations that are mentioned in this holy book as signs for mankind; the Quran also contains predictions of historical events that took place after the revelation and these signs are still occurring up until now. For this matter I will just give you the two following links that you can refer to regarding these prophecies. Note that scientists who came across the Quran have never reported any incoherence in it; in fact they were amazed by the scientific discoveries that it revealed.

http://www.harunyahya.com/miracles_of_the_quran_p1_03.php

http://haq505.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/03/predictions-in-the-noble-quran.htm

However the central question is why Islam is the final revelation? One major reason which justifies Islam as the final revelation is the system inside of it. By reading the Quran you’ll know that the scripture does not preach only, but it also emphases on social life; for instance you’ll find in it different topics on how to conduct business; how laws enforcements should be done with fairness; it also talks about systems of administration and many others aspects of life. The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself has given the examples on how to implement these practices in real life; many of his legacies are recorded on “Hadith” books by his companions (named Sahabas, peace upon them). It's true, society always changes, but the last messenger has left a heritage that will not be exhausted before the End of the time; and he said himself that if prophethood was a building then he would be the final stone of it, making the message of God complete for the benefit of all mankind. His legacy is therefore the foundation to build upon.

Before I end I just want to say that 9/11 was a big turning point in history. Those attacks were very evil and far from the concept of Islam, but because God is the most merciful and His ability is without limit, He can turn tragedy to something positive. Today many people are curious about Islam. And to their big surprise they find out that this religion is actually very peaceful and totally the opposite of what we could think of it by looking at the media. Through the study of Islam, many people including priests have actually found the answers they were looking in the Bible or Torah. In the U.S alone 20,000 people convert to Islam every year since 9/11. (NB: check statistics from CNN). These conversion are also very significant in Europe; especially U.K, Germany and France...

So I seriously hope with God’s will that you’ll learn more about Islam. This present life is however very short while the other life is eternal. So determination is the key you want to use in demonstrating that you are willing to get closer to God. We do not know how much time we have ahead of us, so may God guide all of us to the right path until the End A.S.A.P. Amin!

Click on the following link for videos on new converts
http://www.turntoislam.com/

Wassalam!

Second article ~ Part one: Islam and Muslims

We seek refuge in Allah against satan, the cursed creature



Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim





The following presentation will bring to light the common misconceptions often resulting from the unfamiliarity of Islam in the western hemisphere. These misunderstandings are the longtime barriers that keep many people from looking into Islam directly from the source. To address these issues we'll touch base on what Islam advocates as a doctrine classified among the three revelations that emerged within the family of Abraham (Judaism and Christianity are the two previous revelations).

I. Clarifying the misconceptions
Although the true teachings of Islam are now more accessible to western countries than ever before, studies show that the upright information on Islam still remained unknown to the majority of people living in the west. Part of this problematic is of course due to the skepticism generated by the controversial groups who operate under religious claim. These organizations are in fact personal interest groups who promote ideologies that are not in line with the values and teachings of Islam. This is factual evidence can be easily verified by referring to the source which clearly defines what Islam stands for (NB: Please check Quranic references at the end of section I. for further details on this matter).
That being said, when looking for relevant information on Islam, we should be also aware of the fact that the news coverage mainly deals with the socio political issues not religion. Hence to have an understanding of the religious aspect we need access to more info beyond the typical media coverage. That's why the truth in the religious texts should be considered in an effort to separate facts from presumptions. This is indeed the standpoint from which the big picture should be looked at in order to keep the news issues in the context they belong. It must be also realized that the Muslim community is represented by a large and diverse population estimated 1.57 billion adherents (rf: Wikipedia, 2009 data). So Islam is not just followed in the Arab world nor is it an affair of culture or race. This is important to know, especially when only 18 to 20 percent of Muslims live the Middle East and other Arabs countries. The majority of the Muslim demographic is actually found in different parts of Asia and in Sub-Saharan Africa. And today, Indonesia (the world's fourth most populous country) represents the largest Muslim community with approximately 86.1% Muslims (about 200 million Muslims); its remaining population is composed of 8% Christians and 5.2% other beliefs.
So to recap, we'll say that the introduction to any particular religion should at least require having access to truthful sources and/or interacting with a student of faith who knows well the religion in question. Doing so will ensure the most accurate information and prevent quick judgments based on the irresponsible actions of some so called "religious followers".

Notes: To seize the message of Islam from an objective point of view, we highly recommend the reader to look further into the Quran and other reliable references on Islam. A free copy of the Quran is available through the following websites.

http://www.allahsquran.com/free/

http://www.convertstoislam.org/resources/Free-Quran.htm

http://www.restoration-experts.com/ORC/ORH/FQ/fq.html

Notes for Muslims readers: The contain of our presentation is not just directed to those outside the Muslim community; this is also a reminder to Muslims that part of our responsibility is to be actively engaged in conveying the absolute truth about Islam, particularly in countries where the message is unknown by the majority of people.
May Allah give us knowledge of Islam and the opportunity to share it with others “Inch Allah”, AMIN..!

II. / Q: What Islam advocates?

A: The message of continuity in all revelations of God (Allah is the Arabic translation emphasizing on the Oneness of God)

The theology of Islam stands on the fundamental belief that God sent down guidance to mankind through prophets starting from Adam to Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and finally Mohammed (May peace be upon them). These were all messengers at the service of God who presented the same message of continuity to mankind. The holy Quran states explicitly that the messengers fully conducted their duty which consists of providing humans beings with valuable knowledge in need of for spiritual gain and eternal salvation. These prophets were sent through time and space, under different circumstances that justify the particularities of their mission. These circumstances however do not affect the fundamental message of God, which remains the same regardless of time and place.
Now a look at today's countless conceptions of religion proves clearly that there is a serious lack of consistency in the way religious teachings have been carried over through generations and family descendants. In fact references from the Quran and previous scriptures show that the authentic message from God is particularly neglected in the period following the departure of an appointed messenger. Many events narrated in the Quran and the hadith books (i.e legacy of the messenger Muhammad, pbuh) indicate that whenever a messenger establishes guidance as prescribed by God, time will come when many people will again wander away from that guidance. It's through this process that society has actually inherited different versions of religious beliefs and interpretations brought up through history. This is also one of the factors that ultimately contributed into much religious carelessness and hypocrisy, even among educators in the clergy who are sometimes far from following the guidelines they advocate.
However there is no doubt that God has sent several messengers to preserve true monotheism on earth and save many from being misled. These messengers were the confirmation that eternal salvation is the highest achievement of the human being. Nevertheless it shouldn't be overlooked that the path to this achievement is often at a closer reach of those with sincere intention, who ask the Creator of the heavens and the earth to guide them to righteousness (i.e. true religion as defined by Almighty God). As we all know not everyone is interested in religious aspiration; history has proven that even when God shows clear manifestations through the attributes of His prophets, certain individuals still reject His message. Such was the case at the time of Noah, Abraham, Moses and many others prophets (p.b.u.them). So this should bring us to understand that seeking spiritual guidance should not be just a mere wish, but rather a real desire which should motivate the one in search of true success.

Summary
In sum, let's retain that Islam is not a new religion, instead it is the reaffirmation of the religious truth given to all messengers (p.b.u them). This religious truth is a blessing of the Most High for the benefit of mankind in this world and the hereafter. Thus the analysis of monotheism throughout the prophetic descendants of Adam (pbuh) should lead inevitably to the mission of continuity pursued by all messengers who made tremendous sacrifices to spread the Word of God. Twenty five amongst these holy men are mentioned in the Quran, yet the Quran tells us that there were many others as well entrusted with the Devine message. As stated in the hadith books the actual number was 124000 prophets and 313 messengers.
NB: The prophets by definition are guardians in charge of safeguarding the revelations given to previous messengers. The messengers on the other hand consist of a certain number of prophets who received scriptures and laws through the Angel Gabriel (pbuh).
Now the main question to ask is what was really the turning point in history that brought to an end the coming of these messengers/prophets? This question begs for an answer; to find that answer we invite the reader to take a closer look at the particularities of the last doctrine revealed within the Abrahamic family.

Final words:
All of us human beings follow two paths; one that is given to us at birth by our family or environment, and one that we choose to follow as we reach full maturity. Now when the manifest truth is exposed at death, all of us will want our actions to fit right in place with the commands of Almighty God. Hence, before that defining moment arrives, seeking to be in peace with God should a priority for anyone who has faith in Him. This comes down to a profound statement made by a Muslim scholar who said, '' son of Adam (pbuh), you're born crying while those around you were rejoicing [your birth], but at the end make sure you're the one rejoicing [the hereafter] while others are crying [for your departure]''

To be continued...

Second article ~ Part two: Islam and Muslims

We seek refuge in Allah against satan, the cursed creature


Bismilahi Rahmani Rahim

Note for interested non Muslims: If we were discussing with a materialist about God, it might not be an easy task to convince him or her about the existence of a super natural power since he will only limit his understanding to the things he can relate to based on the laws of the nature in this life. But anyone with a clear mind, who is seriously educated about Islam, would see precision in it (that includes the materialists)


Let's profit to this occasion to remind our readers once again that part of what we want to do is reaching out interested non Muslims and let them know that Islam is not the enemy. We are not trying to rush conversion on anyone, because true guidance comes only from Allah; but we just want to tell them what Islam is about. If you do some online searches right now, you’ll see that many people are curious about Islam. Many interested folks can clearly see that this faith is unique and has its own particularities. But it seems like the majority of non Muslims still do not know much about our Din (religion) except may be some assumptions based on rumors and misconceptions. Since the media unfortunately falls in the same category, it possibly becomes hard sometimes for them to recognize right from wrong. Also personal conflicts in some Muslims countries, which are traditional social issues that some individuals have brought into the ideologies of Islam, are causing more confusion to the outsiders. These controversies are only due to ignorance among few Muslims groups who do have a partial view of Islam. It’s certain that if anyone in the Muslim community does not act right, he or she is responsible for his/her own actions. We cannot blame a religion just because certain people do not follow its regulations. And in fact by the end of this article it will be manifest that the attributes of Islam can be only translated by the following statement... The religious code presented in the best way possible to govern society and guide people toward justice and righteousness; furthermore it's pure and will stay pure.



Now it is well known from the hadiths of the prophet Muhammad {puh} that he (the prophet) used to sympathize with non Muslims for the sake of justice, tolerance and peace. Whoever is familiar with early Muslim history knows that during the prophet’s life time and the first generations after, there were Jewish temples and churches built in Arabia and the people who follow these doctrines lived in peace within the Muslims territories for for a long time. This is why we have to learn more about the Din and contribute in delivering an accurate and positive message of Islam. It's true that there will be always anti religious groups who will ignore our call for peace, but such individuals are found everywhere. Other religions have also faced typical problems; for instance the Catholic Church in Europe dealt with waves of anti-religious and blasphemous intellectuals in the 17th and 18th centuries. A more severe issue was the Jewish case during the Nazi regime. So there is really no reason to let the obstacles slow us down, or deviate us from the path of Allah. Now we'll start the main course of the topic.



Being part of Muhammad’s community {puh} is really a privilege and in order to have a neat understanding of this we will need to go back to the beginning of creation...
When Adam (peace upon him) was created and placed in the heavens with a highly honorable position above the rank of Angels, Allah had also given him a wide range of knowledge under two different forms. The first one is spirituality which is related to the closeness between Allah and His creatures, and the second one the science of this world and everything that related to that. After Adam {puh} was sent down on earth, he passed over these two forms of to his descendants. Hence what should be understood here is that spirituality is mandatory because without it we do not know God, and there’ll be no way to achieve salvation. But also natural science a blessing oft God that we all need to survive and improve the living conditions; and indeed it is by having a peaceful and health life that we can serve the Lord better. So if we use wisdom (i.e. complying with teachings of the prophet, peace upon him), the stronger these two tools are, Inch Allah (God willing) the greater opportunities we’ll have to develop a solid Iman (faith). Now it happens that spirituality is a sacred practice that lays on a dimension hidden from the natural eyes; so it is not accessible as the second knowledge, which is mostly based on experience and discoveries from the laws of nature. This means that if spiritual belief is neglected or not taught in a consistent manner, then obviously we will more likely focus on the second aspect because it is only what our sight is exposed to. In the previous section, we talked about how guidance was often lost by mankind after departure of an appointed prophet of Allah.
Now since humans are far from perfection and often victims of their own desires, it is logic that if they do not use the wisdom received from the prophets of Allah, spirituality will not be valuable any more; then they won’t fear their Lord as they should. Consequently, they’ll end up following shameful acts and illicit pleasures. From there, things get even worse, because the generations that come centuries after sometimes they do not have a clue about the religion received. Many even reject the existence of God (Subhanallah).


Many individuals would not hesitate to think that development and technology leading to an economical stability is only what matters. What they do not know is that religion actually boosts your ability of thinking at a higher speed toward perfectionism with the benefit of a good moral character. Thus, if not taken slightly, it will be always a plus, in all aspects of life. And while science is a gift from Allah, it was supposed to benefit us in a way that we can succeed in this life and the hereafter. No doubt that science should contribute to improve social economy, technology and anything that can help settle a stable lifestyle. But with that in place, poverty should be removed, security thoroughly restores, and more religious places built (Mosques, Islamic centers…) However, if we do not believe in Allah and follow His recommendations, no matter how good initiatives we may have, they will be never totally successful. We may accomplish many positive projects, but complete satisfaction will be never attained without faith. The richest people in the planet cannot find total happiness without Allah's guidance. They may have all the luxury they want or be able to feed half of the population on earth, but they will always encounter difficulties. Either it will be psychological/physical health problems due to an insane lifestyle or it will be something else. Weak and selfish creatures that are controlled by their desires and passions for the fleeting life and cannot reach righteousness by themselves; they’ll always find trouble one way or the other. So we need Allah to escape from evil temptations and satan; and this required spiritual purification. That purification process is accomplished by holding on both knowledge wisely, as they were brought forth by the holy prophets of Allah. So faith is crucial for the eternal success, while worldly science may be used to strengthen faith in God.


Now we should bear in mind that the early expansion of Islam from all Arabia to India, Asia, West Africa and Europe was only made possible due to the examplary values and teachings promoted in Islam. If later on the Muslims, in particular the ruling aristocracy has failed to maintain a big Islamic impact in Europe, it was only due to their excessive interest for worldly gains, overlooking that if Islam promotes the establishment of an ideal lifestyle, it is also mandatory to comply with its religious principles in order to receive the continuous blessing from Allah. This blessing or "Baraka" is the transmission for a complete and lasting achievement in the two worlds (present life and hereafter). But the perfection of Islam, which is well preserved, retracing many events of humans' history since Adam (puh) , can explain why the path of Allah cannot be lost by the entire Muslims community as it was the case of the generations before. Moreover, the rapid spread of different means of communication has continued to spread the message into different parts of the world; the cultural diversity within Islam is a clear sign of it. So all these indications among others can help realize that this religion is the last one to remain. Therefore, we may agree that numbers of uneducated Muslims may sleep up every now and then, and fail on their duty, but the whole group as a wholewill never go astray due to the accurate message of Islam through hadiths and Quran. These texts of high values and importances are substitutes of permanent messengers from Allah. Thus, even the "sleepy heads" of the Ouma (community) can eventually rediscover themselves through the Din (religion) and reach the status of true believer. Any future hope of salvation for non Muslims is to be found within this same spirit of Islam.


An attempt to define Islam in relationship with the previous doctrines of Allah can be arranged as the following; earlier scriptures were like elementary schools well elaborated for the people of the first revelations after Adam {puh}. A more recent faith as Judaism was like the grade of middle school, which was the right pedagogy for the Hebrews of Moses’ time. Christianity was a reform of Judaism that Jesus {puh} had cleaned from all falsehood and lies. This model was similar to the high school stage that could educate the Israelites of that period. Finally Islam is the higher education, which is the right training for all generations to come. But we don't undermine or reject any of the previous revelations from Allah, because they are all parts of our beliefs as Muslims. Nevertheless, we won't take for consideration the actual Torah or the Bible since the original message (true guidance of Allah) received by the very first disciples of these prophets was neglected and lost afterward. In Christianity, the Roman Empire has a part of responsibility for this loss by trying to destroy all gospels that contradicted the teachings of Pauline Church. As far as Judaism, the destruction of the giant temple of Solomon (siege of all existing scripts) by the Babylonians have undoubtedly raised many concerns; but the altering of the message without a Divine authority from a messenger was the biggest mistake that has completely compromised the credibility within the texts. That's why the original teachings brought by Jesus and Moses (peace upon them) never came to light in those revised booklets. The only true sources we have presently are the Quran and hadiths. The Quran alone is a pathfinder which connects us with all messengers of Allah. That being said, we are not trying judge people from different faiths; fair judgment belongs to Allah alone. However if anyone wants to found out more about this matter, I recommend to look for the kept hidden Gospel of Barnabas that we talked about in the previous article (i.e authenticity of Islam). The biblical content of the Gospel contradicts in many ways the old and new testaments; it also portrays interesting similarities with Islam. And we like to remind our readers that this volume is available now to the public by the grace of Allah. The Dead Sea Scrolls are other interesting manuscripts to look for as well. These scrolls dating about a hundred years before Jesus (p.u.h.) are the oldest Hebrew texts currently available.

The holy Quran properly speaking is not a book of science, but a book of signs, to guide people toward the truth. Technology for instance is limited because it outdates and needs to be updated frequently to stay current. Therefore the Quran cannot be compared to this; the script of Allah is beyond that level. The numerous predictions recorded in it, have the only purpose of warning for humanity to wake up and see the reality. This is why it will happen quite often that we find in its verses certain innovations of technology as a sign for mankind...



In short, the revealed text of Quran recalls us on our duties toward the Lord, by presenting undeniable proofs, reinforced with signs like passed and upcoming events; then the hadiths of the prophet {puh} show how to use the engineering skills we possess in a way that will be profitable for now and tomorrow (hereafter). All these factors make very apparent the true about Islam.We're at the end of the second passage. You can take a look at the final chapter or if you have any concerns regarding this topic please feel free to send us your comments and suggestions. Wassalam!!!



Note: the following is a link that gives access to a vast database on hadiths of the prophet, reported by Imam Buhari, Imam Muslim and some others famous and recognized scholars. It also gives you access to the Quran in Arabic and English translation.

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/scienceofhadith/atit.html

For the Gospel of Barnabas click on the following link

http://barnabas.net/

(Barké Borom Touba)

Second article ~ Part three: The last chapter

We seek refuge in Allah against satan, the cursed creature

Bismilahi Rahmani Rahim

Reminder for Muslims: We are supposed to show gratitude to the Lord all the time for this religion of Islam; and we should actually feel sorry for those who cannot distinct the irreversible truth. If any of us happen to be members of a non Muslim family, he/she should pray for them to embrace Islam Inch Allah. That’s what the companions of Muhammad (peace upon them) used to do for their relatives and extended family. The prophet himself never wishes the curse of Allah even on his enemies; regardless of all the hardship the pagans Arabs put him into with his companions. The reason for this was to give them a chance for repentance, because no one would wish anyone to have trouble with the almighty creator; it is just too much sorrow to handle for any creature. Unfortunately this is an inevitable ending. May Allah save us from the severe penalty, Amin..!

If Muslims were united and submit them truly to this faith for the sake of Allah, soon they’ll be a top reference for the world and more people will convert to Islam. But they have to fulfill the requirements set by Allah (like the companions of the prophet did, in terms of integrity) to see more blessing coming on their way. Unless, they decide to make this commitment, certain powers will remain to the hands of non believers; Allah give the non Muslims this favor out of His grace, because their happiness is only limited to this world. If we look in the past we see that the fruits of works done by the Sabaha(s) (companions of the beloved prophet, peace be upon them) have proven the early superiority of the Muslim world over the West for more than 600 years. And as much as we hate showing any pride, this remains a fact perfectly well-known, written on the pages of history and encyclopedias. At one point some people have said that Islam was spread by military force to make possible its extension across the world. But we know that Muslims conquests were done against tyrant rulers who persecuted and oppressed populations that were reduced to subjects and inferior races. There are two forms of Jihad when it comes to war. The first one is the self defense that we talked about in the first section and the second one is the help of the needy if possible. It is upon these conditions that force was often used to free the populations, promote justice and preach the religion. In some places like Africa or China, Islam was accepted very passively, by the work of missionaries and along trade routes. Despotic dictators have mainly faced Muslims' army, and most provinces that already had systems of administration did not confront with Muslims. There is the exception of Spain, but that conquest took place much later, when internal problems and divisions were intense between Muslims governments. The fact that the later leaders were somehow a little more into wealth and fame rather than religion, have raised several internal conflicts within their different provinces. That’s how they eventually end up loosing their supremacy and financial status (a will of Allah). When the Muslims forces were pushed back out of Toledo (Spain) by the Crusaders in 1085, they left behind a lot of works, which constitute the medieval science (medicine, math and physics, astronomy etc...). All those legacies went in favor of Europeans and fortified their situation. But until the end of the 15th century, the scale of power had remained favorable to the Muslim world under their Ottoman regime. This advantage had also to do with the introduction of fire arms that was discovered and mastered very early in Ottoman lands. However by the 16th century, when the medieval works were further developed in Europe to make possible the beginning of industrialization the balance started to shift westward. Allah states in the Quran that He does not change people condition unless they change themselves. This statement makes us understand clearly that this earthy life is a gift of our Lord but we shouldn't place it above religion. Thus the right equilibrium has to be always respected in order for the Muslims believers to prevail constantly. Yet, it is better to loose some authority than faith, and Allah knows everything better. There is no doubt that whoever strives hard to keep up with the commands of the Lord, and leaves this world in a stage of believer then Inch Allah, he or she will receive the infallible reward. And we like to insist on the fact that if tomorrow, Muslims are joint to guide the world toward this incredible Din (defined as peace of mind) and according to the Suna (teachings of prophet), then many people would follow them to Islam. For now, what we should do is to establish justice and integrity at a personal level and within our entourage; so at least we’ll be blessed with hapiness, along with full control of our life. And the hereafter will be an ever lasting delight.
Fellow Muslims, I (author) strongly believe that we can all realize extraordinary things in this present life and the next one, Inch Allah. Life is full of surprise, we can never predict what's going to happen. But be mindful that there are great projects we can all achieve. And I guaranty you Inch Allah, if we put more spirituality (Islam) to our life, we’ll be victorious. I know some people have a very busy life with lots of responsibilities, and others struggle sometimes to meet their daily needs; it is evident that everything in life will not be shinny (we are not in paradise yet). But we could be released from most of the ambushes we come across by putting more efforts into our religious beliefs.
Now in this modern life a high career is viewed by many as the absolute solution for success, and the individual who pursues this typical career is generally the one qualified for selective and renowned job tittles. So likewise the financial opportunities would more likely knock at his or her door first. But we say money does not buy happiness! The reality is economic profit alone will not solve all your problems. However, the advantage we have as Muslims believers is recognizing that any vocation is also a blessing from Allah, therefore we should be thankful to Allah for it through our actions. Since Islam is very active in society, we cannot put a barrier of separation between religion and other occupations. Let's remember that all positive knowledge are belongings of Allah. Consequently, they have to be managed as recommended by the prophets of Allah; and our last messenger Muhammad {puh} has confirmed this in his Suna (hadiths texts and the Quran). If we have this kind of oriented mind, then Allah will open further our heart (spiritual element), facilitate any studies we’re interested in, and Inch Allah happiness will come along. There are people that are naturally blessed with a great level of intelligence, but most of us are average; we are not super genius. The best way to improve is to submit ourselves to Allah, realizing that we’re nothing without Him and any beneficial knowledge comes from Him. If sincerely you have this conviction, Inch Allah you’ll start feeling the lift. And next, you’ll find out that learning new things will not be a burden at all. But you have to balance it with the practice of Islam for good results and total enjoyment. Talented people are not exempted from this submission of Allah; the combination of the two sciences (religious and social sciences) is necessary or success could be limited and/or temporary. With a suitable Islamic lifestyle, everything should shift to the positive. Islam teaches us great manner in our relationship with everyone, whether Muslims or non Muslims; total honesty and sincerity in all situations; good level of education, nothing is left off. This Din can make you in such a way that people around you will be impressed and show interest in your religion. Another important reason why Islam is concerned about education is also to avoid the excessive seduction for worldly prestige and materials that could lead blindly to religious negligence or abandon. Education, with the adequate Islamic approach can save us also from feeling any complex of inferiority or being tempted to copy on others knowing in our heart that it’s totally wrong. Therefore the responsible Muslim wants to escape from ignorance and set himself or herself high religiously and intellectually. This is more necessary than ever these days with the fast and growing evolution we are confronted to. So let’s be more ambitious with the ultimate intention to prosper in the hereafter. Muslims poets say that, learning at the young age is similar to writing on a piece of rock, in contrast to that learning at a very old age is like trying to write on water. That's why we should take our best shot right now. It’s definitely more convenient to learn during youth; and if we don’t do it at that moment, then we can still learn something later, but hardly at the very old age. So without offense to anyone, I hope that these words are not to be forgotten like spoken words that enter in one of the ears then leave from the other one. Since this is a written passage, we wanted it to be like those inscriptions on the rock or something that would last longer. For the interest of all us, I personally recommend that this text should be preserved and we should also try to reflect on it Inch Allah. May Allah make this article helpful to anyone who gets a chance to read it. Amin!

In summary, we'll state that Islam plays an essential role for Muslims. We should always start by accentuating on this religious practice. Once we have an Islamic base, confidence will built up and help stabilize our life. Then this same process will gradually shift our interest for more need of spirituality and intellectual knowledge. These are keys to look for a stronger faith and happier life. The best way to make this happen is to invest our free time in learning. If our daily schedule is supercharged, we could create more time by sacrificing some "idle activities", to avoid using the expression “unnecessary activities”. We know how satan uses worldly pleasures to put people deep into the excess of amusement and relaxation, then afterwards that he still finds ways to make them indifferent when it comes to things are beneficial. So let’s not always postpone these important matters that relate to Islam.
Spiritual blindness is certainly a contagious disease that has sunk many folks into deep darkness; and this symptom has the potential to reduce systematically our clear perception as Muslims. The only remedy against this threat is Islam, which can develop for us a system of immunity. Thus to avoid falling behind it is a must that we stay connected with the ideal Islamic atmosphere. May Allah protect us from a dramatic failure and grant us unshakable Iman, Amin!

Final word: There are certain things in Islam that words alone cannot express. Imagine if I would describe you a menu, then next you get a chance to enjoy the meal; from that point you'll notice that my little presentation cannot be an equal match or a replacement for the actual dish. The same is also true in Islam; certain blessings can be understood only through the experience. May Allah help us have a better comprehension of Islam and act upon it. Amin! May Allah bestow on us useful education and save us from learning that ends up to nothing other than destruction. Finally may He make Janna (paradise) our last resort without a heavy journey on the Day of Judgment. Amin..!



We apologize for any misunderstanding or confusion we may have caused by inadvertence. We urge you to inform us if you have any questions or need more information. Finally, we’re at the end.



Wassalam...!

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For more topics on the birth and propagation of Islam click the link below:

http://www.toubausa.com/nyc/Home/tabid/36/ItemID/16/View/Details/Default.aspx

References on Islamic history:
http://www.cyberistan.org/islamic/andalusia.html

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/med/nasr.html

http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/pabacker/history/islam.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_in_Iran

For those interested in conversion, feel free to contact us for advices.

The following link may be also helpful

http://www.newmuslimsassociation.com/index.html

(Barké Borom Touba)