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Any
good is from Allah & the mistakes were from myself. May
Allah guide all of us to His Truth, ameen. Salam alaykum - Yusuf
Estes Muslim Institutional Chaplain
Salam
alaykum:
I have good news and bad news.
Good News -
Another new shahadah! Al Hamdulilah. The good news is that I just
received another new shahadah that said he learned Islam from our
website, understood the message and then contacted the local Masjid,
made shahadah and is now trying to share Islam with his very
Christian family members. Al Hamdulilah.
Bad
News? Born Muslims are straying away from Islam and their
responsibilities.
More Bad News? Islam under heavy attack
from Shayton himself. Now, more than ever before the Muslims must
and can be prepared to answer the harsh attacks against them and
everything for which Islam stands. Every aspect of Islam is falling
under attack; Allah, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, the Quran
and all that Islam means is being presented by enemies of Islam in
twisted and corrupted views on every front. Muslim children are
turning away from Islam. Ignorant Muslims in starving countries are
being persuaded to abandon their faith for other teachings. Others
are openly attacking and even killing Muslims due to their lack of
knowledge.
More good news: There is a clear and effective
solution for this problem. Actually this is a great opportunity for
us to present Islam in the correct way to these people. One that
works, inshallah, and it is all based on the very simple and
beautiful teachings of the Quran and the Sunnah, inshallah. We can
all do something to make a difference. We MUST all work together to
present Islam in the proper menhaj (methodology or way) of Islam and
implement it in our daily lives, before it is too
late.
Successful dawah (call to Islam) experience has shown
us hundreds of cases of new Muslims who, like myself, were once
enemies to Islam and then realized the beauty and truth and then
became Muslims ourselves. Not just Muslims, but actually committed
servants to Allah, ready to endure any sacrifice in order to bring
correct understanding, love, truth and justice in submission to the
Will of Allah. In other words, "callers to Islam."
I would
like to offer to share the technique that we have used over and over
again to help so many thousands of people come to correct
understanding of Islam, inshallah. Keep in mind of course, that the
guidance is only from Allah and all we are doing is presenting the
message to the people with our best efforts.
It does not
really matter what question a person asks about Islam. It could be
about anything. The idea is that they are asking. That is what is
important and it means that we have a chance to get this message of
worship to Allah, Alone without any partners. That is what it is all
about.
Please read this real example of how I presented Islam
to someone trying to attack it, according to the basics of Islam and
then share it with others as much as you can; through the Internet,
chatrooms, discussion boards, emails and websites. Print it out,
share it with Muslims everywhere as one example of dealing with the
many harsh attacks against Islam.
(I ask Allah to accept from
you and from and from all those who are sacrificing so much for the
cause of truth, justice and freedom, for the sake of Almighty Allah,
ameen.)
__
Question #03-07-31 00:06 AM re: Shiite's in Iraq protesting the appointment of a woman
judge.
"How do you explain the
horrible way Shiites in Iraq are opposing the appointment of a woman
judge, to someone considering Islam?" __
Bismillah Rahman Raheem Answer
#03-07-31 1:50 AM
Thank you for your question. Before we
begin to provide answers, here are some important points to keep in
mind:
1. As Muslims we cannot lie about anything, especially
about our religion.
2. We have original recorded sources of
our religion (This is a very unique part of Islam, not available in
any other ancient religions):
A) The Quran
B)
Teachings of Muhammad.
3. We must qualify what it is that
someone is saying against what they are implying. Sometimes the
"questions" contain misinformation.
4. If you find the answer
to your question makes you say, "I didn't know that" or "This is
good" are you ready to worship your God and your Lord without and
partners?
This what Islam is really all about. The most
important subject is the worship of Almighty God, without any
partners or associates or "gods" besides Almighty God.
As
regards providing a rather simple and straightforward answer in
these and similar matters when making dawah or just sharing the
basics of Islam, we do recommend the following
steps:
Remember that the people asking such questions usually
are not really trying to attack Islam nor are they intentionally
trying to provoke ire or anger on your part. They have been
programmed by the media and enemies of Islam to have preconceived
notions of hatred and animosity against Islam. So, do not take
offense at the coarse and crude approach that they might take in
offering their concerns.
Keep in mind that most of the people
that come to Islam these days, like myself, were once those who
attacked Islam while they were still in a state of ignorance, just
as were the early companions of Muhammad, peace be upon him. So,
stay loose and keep your cool. Be patient with them.
1. Thank
then for their interest in your religion and for taking their time
to educate themselves by asking a Muslim rather than going to the
non-Muslims. Tell them that this does show a decided note of
sincerity on their part (and it does, by the way).
2. Explain
to them that we as Muslims are commanded to tell the truth in all
situations and we are not permitted to lie either about our religion
or about others. Truth is an essential part of Islam and whether
they know it or not, you must keep in mind that you cannot lie. If
you don't know the exact answer or you are not sure how to prove it,
you are not allowed to guess.
3. A very important subject in
Islam is the fact that we do have so much factual proof for all
matters. Consider the Quran and the hadeeth are all preserved and
attested to by the most righteous and upright people who have ever
walked on this earth. Time and again it has been proven that the
Quran and hadeeths have weathered the allegations and insinuations
of the very worst of those who disbelieve in Allah and the Message
of Islam.
4. Remind the person that there are certain
prejudices and biases against Islam in the media, politics and
within certain religious groups. Also you should mention the fact
that there really are some people doing things in the name of Islam,
and they are not really acting as Muslims. This is important for all
of us to keep in mind.
5. Go over the fact with them that
some of the questions that are being asked are simply not questions,
they are statements with question marks after them instead of
periods or exclamation points. One example I give is the one where
someone asks you; "Is your mother out of jail yet?" While you know
that your mother is not in jail, nor has she ever been in jail, you
are faced with a problem of dealing with a question that is phrased
in such a way as to make listeners believe that your mother is or
has been in jail at some time.
6. Another thing that I always
like to point out to people when they come to me with an attitude of
attacking Islam, is that if while we are going over the answers to
their questions, they might just find that the answers are something
that they actually like and they might see things in a different
light. I like to ask them if this occurs; "Are you willing to
reconsider your position and considering worshipping your Lord
Alone, without any partners?" This is a very important part of
giving the answer.
7. Present the real basics first. Break
down the words: A) "Allah" means: (The Only One to Worship; never
plural; never male, nor female; used by Jews & Christians for
centuries) B) "Islam" actually mean: (Surrender, submission,
obey, sincerity and peace - To Allah) C) "Muslim" mean: (a person
who does "Islam" i.e., he or she surrenders, submits, obeys, in
sincerity and peace to Allah) D) "Quran" mean: (Recitation or
Speech of Allah to His creation of Mankind, preserved in over
9,000,000 Muslims hearts) E) "Muhammad" peace be upon him, only
came to redeliver the same message of all the previous
messengers: * Worship Almighty God, Alone and without making any
partners with Him at any time in worship. * He believed in
Almighty God as the One and Only God, Creator and Sustainer of the
whole universe. * He believed in the original Old Testament; New
Testament; Psalms of David; and Final Testament (Quran). * He
believed in all the prophets of Almighty God: Noah; Abraham; Moses;
David; Solomon; Jesus the Christ. * He believed in Jesus, peace
be upon him, as the Messiah (Christ in Koine Greek). * He
believed the Antichrist would come in the Last Days and mislead
many. * He believed that Jesus is with Almighty God and will
return in the Last Days and lead true believers to victory over
Satan. * He taught that no one would be saved by their deeds, but
that "Salvation is only through the Grace of Almighty God." F)
"Jihad" means: "Struggle against oppression; Fight against
wrongdoing; War against terrorism."
(for more on this, visit
our website at: www.IslamTomorrow.com/word/ )
Present your
answers only after establishing the above 7 steps. This is all very
important. And then finally: Offer to answer the question, after
you straighten out the mistakes in it and present the correct way
the question should be and do so: A. Briefly B.
Concisely C. Nicely
That's all there is to it.
Now
let us answer the question used in the above example,
inshallah.
Example:
The question above about: "How do
you reply to the fact that Shiites in Iraq are opposing the
appointment of a woman judge?"
Thank you for asking about my
religion.
True Muslims cannot lie; neither about Islam or
anything else for that matter.
We do have 1,400 years of
complied evidence in written and memorized form all over the earth
to verify whatever we might offer about Islam, the Quran, Muhammad,
peace be upon him, and his teachings.
Sometimes we hear
questions that are twisted in such a way as to give a wrong meaning
and we must set them straight before trying to give an answer.
While you are listening to the answers to your questions, if
you discover that you like what you are hearing and you think that
it is something good, are you then prepared to consider worshipping
your Lord, Alone without any partners?"
Now begin the
"words": Allah; Islam; Muslims; Quran; Muhammad, peace be upon him;
Jihad (refer to: www.islamtomorrow.com/word
)
Let's begin with what these words actually mean so
that we can be sure of proper understandings, shall we?
The
most important word to Muslims, is not Islam -- it is "Allah."
"Allah" comes from the root "elah" meaning something or anything to
worship. "Aleeha" is the plural but when you add the "AL" in front
of "elah" it changes and becomes very unique. It means: (The Only
One to Worship; never plural; never male, nor female; used by Jews
& Christians for centuries, long before Muhammad, peace be upon
him, was ever born).
Now after the belief in Allah, comes the
word "Islam." "Islam" actually means: (Surrender, submission, obey,
sincerity and peace - To Allah).
Next, we can easily find
our next word, "Muslim." The word "Muslim" means: (a person who does
"Islam" i.e., he or she surrenders, submits, obeys, in sincerity and
peace to Allah).
Let us turn to the center focus of each and
every Muslim in the way they understand how to be Muslims in the
submission of Islam to Allah. That is based on two sources, The
"Quran" and the "Sunnah" or life of Muhammad, peace be upon
him.
"Quran" means "that which is recited." Quran can be
thought of as reading more so than a book. To the Muslim, it is the
actual Recitation or Speech of Allah to His creation of
Mankind.
Linguistic Miracle The Quran is more than a book
of religion. It is at once a miracle of poetry and linguistic and
literary prose, yet it is not a book of poetry nor prose.
Miracle of Prophecies and Predictions It is a miracle of
prophesies and predictions, many that have already come true and
still others coming to light on a regular basis.
Scientific
Miracles The miracles of science in the Quran can hardly be
overlooked, in as much as many of the scientific marvels that we
hold high in technology today can trace their very roots back 1,400
years ago to this amazing "recitation." Embryology, oceanography,
astronomy, mathematics (zero came from Muslims in India), algebra,
meteorology, hydrology and many more sciences draw on references
from the Quran.
Foundation for Much Technology Today The
scientific disciplines of Europe are preempted by the discoveries of
Muslim scholars 500 to 800 years earlier in Muslim Spain, Iraq and
Egypt. For instance Cairo University in Egypt had a globe with a
crude outline of the Americas, five hundred years before Christopher
Columbus ever sailed to the Caribbean.
Miracle of
Preservation Another miracle of the Quran is the preservation of
itself in the hearts of Muslims everywhere. Exactly word for word in
the Arabic language, the Quran was memorized by Muhammad, peace be
upon him, from the angel Gabriel who taught it to him over a 23 year
period. It came piece by piece and was not known to Muhammad, peace
be upon him, what it would be like until it was finished. Muhammad,
peace be upon him, taught it then to his companions who memorized it
entirely and then they taught it to the next generations who did
exactly the same thing. The Quran has always been preserved by the
art of memorization. All Muslims have memorized at least some
portion of the Quran in the original Arabic language. First
hundreds, then thousands and then hundreds of thousands and even
millions and millions of Muslims have completely memorized and
preserved it in their minds and hearts over the last fourteen
centuries. The Quran is preserved even today in exactly the same
way, in the hearts and minds of over 9,000,000
Muslims.
Challenges in Quran Allah asks that if any have a
doubt in it being from Him, wouldn't it have many contradictions in
it? And if you are still in doubt about it (Quran) bring a book like
it; or 10 chapters like it; or even one chapter like it. And to this
date after 1,400 years, none have been able to do so. Many have lied
and tried to deceive the public with their words and books but none
have ever been able to bring something like it.
"Muhammad"
peace be upon him, only came to redeliver the same message of all
the previous messengers: * Worship Almighty God, Alone and
without making any partners with Him at any time in worship. * He
believed in Almighty God as the One and Only God, Creator and
Sustainer of the whole universe. * He believed in the original
Old Testament; New Testament; Psalms of David; and Final Testament
(Quran). * He believed in all the prophets of Almighty God: Noah;
Abraham; Moses; David; Solomon; Jesus the Christ. * He believed
in Jesus, peace be upon him, as the Messiah (Christ in Koine
Greek). * He believed the Antichrist would come in the Last Days
and mislead many. * He believed that Jesus is with Almighty God
and will return in the Last Days and lead true believers to victory
over Satan. * He taught that no one would be saved by their
deeds, but that "Salvation is only through the Grace of Almighty
God."
By the way, I would like to clear up any misconception
that you might have with regard to the position that Islam holds on
"terrorism" and fight in the way of Allah or what is called in
Arabic, "jihad." "Jihad" means: "A difficult struggle against wrong
doing, evil and oppression; it is the fight whether internal or
external against all evils and in particular it was declared over
1,400 years ago as the War against terrorism."
And finally
the answer to your question:
Finally, we should keep in mind
that Shiites of Iraq or Iran do not have the authority to alter or
change Islamic law. Shiites do not represent the main body of
Muslims in the world. In fact, even Arabs do not represent the main
body of Muslims in the world today. We have the most concentration
of Muslims in Indonesia and then India and Pakistan; China has over
150 million Muslims; former Soviet Union has many millions; Turkey;
Northern Africa; Malaysia; Bangladesh and even Europe and the
Balkans. Yet, any and all true Muslims still believe in the very
same book, the Quran, and they believe in the teachings of Muhammad,
peace be upon him.
As such all Muslims whether they claim to
be Shiites, or Sunnis, or Sufis, or any other order, all of them are
still obliged to honor the role of the woman in Islam and in society
according to very clear and open teachings preserved for over 1,400
years.
The treatment of the women in Islam has been a very
hot topic for the people of the western mentality, simply because it
is very different from their standards. This must be immediately
acknowledged. However, women in Islam have already been honored and
exalted in many wonderful ways by Islam over 1,400 years ago. The
don't have to prove themselves to be equal to men. In Islamic law,
they already are guaranteed equity, respect, dignity, honor and fair
treatment in all dealings regardless of their family status, race,
color, physical appearance, or financial conditions. They have the
right to own property by themselves or in joint ownership with
others (not a popular concept in the west even in the early part of
the last century); they have had the right to vote since the
inception of Islam, 1,400 years ago (check out women's suffrage for
the right to vote 80 years ago in USA); they have had the right to
accept or reject marriage proposals and even to divorce (compare to
Catholic church, Protestant, etc.); women in Islam do not have to
expose their beauty to the world in order to achieve recognition or
status amongst others in society.
Islam is not against women
working in the work place nor does it stop them from using their
minds. Muslim countries have had many women in the very highest of
positions: Pakistan; Turkey; Bangladesh; Indonesia, all in the past
decade.
Islam does recognize that women are sometimes more
emotional that other times and certainly gives them excuse for any
misjudgment during their monthly cycles. It is established beyond
doubt that women do have times when they are less stressed and less
emotional than at others.
So, if a country desires to have
men in the position of judge rather than worry about some
possibility of unjust proceedings or wrongdoing due to emotional
decisions, certainly that country should have the right to decide
for themselves what they prefer, just as we do here in the
USA.
Now recommend to them to read the Quran for themselves
and see what the treatment of women really is. (
mailto:FreeQuran@aol.com ) Tell them to keep in mind that when
the Quran came 1,400 years ago, women were treated as property or
livestock and were often bought, sold or traded for other things.
Their property was consumed by their husbands and until even the
last century the West did not allow women in some states to own
real-estate in their own names. Women were given the right to vote
as soon as Islam came. Women in the USA had to fight for it less
than one hundred years ago. A woman in the state of Texas during the
1950s could not take out a life insurance policy without the
acknowledgment and permission of her husband.
Islam made
restrictions and limitations on how men could treat their wives, or
marry them or even divorce them. Prior to Islam there were no such
provisions on a large scale basis. Quran forbid men to deal unjustly
with orphan girls as had been the practice in the "Days of
Ignorance" (before Islam). Quran limited men in number of wives and
Muslim men had to go out and divorce some of them and then provide
for them as well. Treatment of women is guaranteed both in the Quran
and in the teachings of Muhammad, peace be upon him (called
hadeeth).
Any good is from Allah & the mistakes were from
myself. May Allah guide all of us to His Truth, ameen. Salam
alaykum - Yusuf Estes Muslim Institutional Chaplain
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