Go Crazy Is Not A Muslim-Style

Don't go flash me with sarcastic look 

"Anger works in mysterious ways, it can keep you awake all night whispering ugly words to you. It can rumble away in your stomach, sapping the energy from you, leaving you distracted and irritable. It almost always becomes irrational as it builds up inside you."-Ten things I hate about me

Yes, alright I know, It is undeniable, anger won't change anything but still me upset and feel like my heart plummet on the floor, every time I happened to read or heard people say something bad about Prophet Muhammad SAW :( . It's like a silence volcano within myself, which no one can see it, but waiting the right time to spill off the extremely hot lava! So I chose to voice it up here in my blog to put things straight even a bit. But don't worry, I think I don't reach a level where I need to go for "Anger management" thing, its still under my nerve control, inshaallah. 


So,there is some groups out there, whatever they named it, they loved to write on something that they think they have knowledge on it, they bundled up information from the web, add some mean words here and there to spice things up and roll it up through the net, they don't care whether it is true or not as long as they can make prophet Muhammad sounds so  retarded and ugly, especially due to his multiple marriage and his marriage with 'Aisyah when she's only 10 years old and something like he spreads Islam by swords? Come on, don't attempt to jump to the conclusion when you don't even make a just research on him from a guanine source of information. Ok, lets for a while put aside all the philosophy studies with so many sophisticated terms, let just put thing in a very straight forward and simple way. 

First off, what do you think his purpose to spread Islam? To declared himself as the messenger of Allah who receives through an angel, revelation from the Creator of universe? Is it the power that he wanted the most? Or the wealthy, he expected to gain respect from people so that he can easily manipulated them to give him whatever he asked? Or a woman to fulfill his lusts? 

Power, wealth and women, aren't they the major reasons of people fighting each others? If let say yes, he wanted to have them all, but then why he took so long and why he put himself into hardship, when he resisted the offer from Quraisy at the very beginning at the moment they tried to bribe him in exchange to shut his mouth down from preaching Islam and they willing to give him the power, wealth and women. But why unbelievably, his answer is this, 

“If they put the sun on my right hand and the moon on my left hand, I would still not give up my mission.” 

What makes him so cold about those temptation offers, which people would die to gain them? Logically simple, because he is not on his own mission, he's on Allah's mission, he chose to continue the mission with a very simple moderate life and being a very good example of noble manners. So now, what was his message to people? 

That our God is One, worship Him alone and no other being besides Him. 

Do you think this message sounds like he wants people to give him anything? Or did his message sounds selfish anyways? NO! His people angry and disliked him at the beginning of his preach even they called him as Al-Amin (The trustworthy) before his prophet-hood for his word was respected, his judgement final, because he would never be unjust. He raised from the noblest families and was well-known to his people as a man that  never lied, never worshiped to an idol and never did anything that would disgrace his character.

Yet after 40 years of his age, they called him a liar, a crazy man and a magician. They character assassinated him, but could not prove his message wrong. They have no reply, no answer and no explanation to the words coming out of his mouth. Even the finest and proudest literary geniuses they were, they had never heard a speech more supreme, sublime, intellectual and thought provoking than the Quran and it was being recited by one who could neither read or write.

It was obvious, that the Prophet has no personal political or worldly ambition whatsoever. He was by nature a contemplative. Before being chosen as Prophet, he did not like to frequent social gatherings and activities. He used to lead a caravan from Mecca to Syria passing through the majestic silence of the desert whose very “infinity” induced men towards contemplation. He often spent long periods in the cave of Hira`, in the mountains surrounding Mecca, in solitude and meditation. 


He was  by nature neither a man of  the world nor one who was naturally inclined to seek political power among the Quraysh or social eminence in the Meccan society, although he came from the noblest family. It was in fact very painful and difficult for him to accept the burden of prophecy that implied the founding of not only a new religion but also a new social and political order. All the traditional sources testify to the great hardship the Prophet underwent by being chosen to participate in the active life in its most acute form.The Prophet believed that if his religion is to be an integral part of life, he must try to establish peace in the most profound sense, namely to establish equilibrium between all the existing forces that surrounded him and to overcome all the forces that tended to destroy this equilibrium.

Thus the wars undergone by the Prophet were never aiming to oblige anyone to embrace Islam. The Quran stated the rule of: 

“There is no compulsion in religion” [2:256], 

and emphasized the fact that a person’s belief in Islam or his rejection to believe is a matter that depends upon man’s free will and his sincere conviction. This is stated in hundred of verses like: 

“Let him who will, believe, and let him who will, reject it” [18:129].

The Quran precised the way to be used to invite people to Islam, and it was not war. The Quran says to the Prophet: 

“Invite to the way of your God with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious” [16:125].

So why wars? The Prophet went on to war only when he was obliged to do so against those who were threatening the existence of the newly born community in Medina. He tried to have peace with everybody, with the Meccans, the Arab tribes, the Jews, etc… and when these people were not honoring their pacts concluded with the Muslims, the Prophet went on to war. He did so to protect his community and to allow the people to worship God freely, without oppression or fear.

Multiple marriages, for him, were not so much enjoyments as responsibility and means of integration of the newly founded society. Besides, in Islam, the whole problem of sexuality appears in a different light as it is sacred and is integrated to the equilibrium of life Islam seeks for the human being. The marriages of the Prophet symbolize his patriarchal nature and his function, not as a saint who withdraws from the world, but as one who sanctifies the very life of the world by living it and accepting it with the aim of integrating it into a higher order of reality. 


Let’s peek on how people 1,400 years ago viewed the union between Prophet Mohammed with Aisha and his other wives. Nobody said anything about it. That in, itself, is very significant. The people of Mecca tried their best to disgrace the reputation of the Prophet, calling him a “liar”, accusing him of being possessed, and never letting an opportunity escape when they could ridicule him. Yet, not a single Arab ever said anything about the Prophet’s marriage. No one felt that it was unordinary or strange. So why after 1,400 years, we  really put this thing on the highest concern? Can you feel me? 

The Prophet represents the spirituality of Islam, which is not the rejection of the world but the transcending of it through its integration into a center. So people, don't confused yourself with a bunch of information on the media and simply judge about our Prophet Muhammad SAW, Quran itself could tell you who he really is, Surat at-Tawbah, Ayah 128, highlights the sublimity of the Prophet’s genealogy and status.  Allah said:

{لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ}. This ayah means:  [A messenger from among you came who grieves for what is hard on you, who wants very much that which benefits you (the guidance…).  He is very kind and merciful to the believers.]

There is zillion things in my mind, but believe me, none of it is to force you people on my my believe and religion, Islam. Islam is a rational and simple religion, you need to clear off your mind of sarcasm and go to the genuine source, our holy book, Quran and find it yourself about Islam and it's taught. May Allah guides us all, peace out!
 

P/s: I reckon thst, this is the longest post in my blog and I can't go any further, oh am I just underestimated myself? ~_~


Some infos originally from: article Misconceptions about the Prophet Muhammad By Rachida El Diwani and the Quran quotation is of course taken originally from Quran.

Why should I believe in God?

Assalamualaykum...good day everyone!

Why should I believe in God? Does God really exists? 

First off, don't go crazy when someone throw those questions straight on your face because they maybe really want to find the truth and if you have this kind of questions in your mind whether you are Muslim or non-muslim, don't go to Shaikh Google, yes I know, he is always available, very easy to access but please don't. Shut down your laptop, open the source that will give you absolute answer from the God's words which is the Quran (With translation if you don't understand arabic), it may just cost you less than 50bucks, you can cut your weekly movie spends or your monthly shopping mania or the most easy way is just to go to the nearest Masjid and find the holy Book there for FREE! So here is some points to be pondered on from brother Abdul Rahman Murphy and Nouman Ali Khan. I tell you, it worth listening!

Trampoline of Muslims and Pagan symbols

Google Image: Pagan symbols

Aliyah: Hey Amal, did you know this is the symbol of illuminaty?  

Amal: What? Are you referring to my necklace? It's just a triangle shape and with an A for my name, what a big deal? 

Aliyah: Look Amal, if you love Allah and the Prophet, we must avoid this kind of pagan symbol, did you remember "The Arrival" series, we watched together on fb last time? It's such an eye opening documentary! You know it, and why don't you pick like maybe a moon shape as your necklace, with an  A in the middle and a diamond around it, that would be awesome. 

Amal: Oh yeah, I am so familiar with awesomeness Aliyah and what a brilliant idea! Now, you should go and tell my mom that she'd bought the wrong necklace for her only beautiful child and even it may cause thousand bucks, she should buy me the new one! 

Aliyah: You are such a great script writer ever! Ok don't take my words. I don't have guts to throw that to your mom. 

Amal: and you are such a gorgeous paranoia I ever met on earth! I better get off before you start your pep talk on how-illuminaty-has-control-the-world theory again.

Aliyah: You give me one more mental chauvinistic comment and I'm gonna spread your gossip with Adam to the class.

Amal:  Oh! I'm so scare now! Boooo! and what with that iPhone 4G related with Israel and their motto Gold, Glory, God and Girl thing? Perhaps I can accept that Justin and Lady Gaga with the movement, but iPhone? Are you serious? I'm going mental with such fact and oh! Upin and Ipin, that cute little twin cartoon is the Jewish agenda because  of their first alphabet, 'I' is for Israel and 'U' is for USA? are you serious Aliyah?

Aliyah: Well. it's not what I'm saying it's 'the arrival' or maybe other investigation agency. 

Amal: Oh so pathetic! Yes I have to admit that Illuminaty is not an alien term for Muslim anymore, I reckon that 1 of 10 Muslims know or at least used to hear about it.  At the beginning, I feel positive when we started to aware of the pagan movement and that all began to sensitive with the pagan elements . But then, I noticed in this regard. People began to paranoid like you did just now Aliyah.  It may give a bad impact or fitnah to the da'wah movement. So, lets sit down for a while and reflect.

Aliyah: What? Don't tell me you gonna start your pep talk on this now.

Amal: Well, just listen or perhaps you should record, then re-listen to it when you are at home and write an article on this for the next edition of our school's magazine!

Aliyah: Oh please Amal, just go ahead.

Amal: Look, you spread the message about illuminati and Freemasons and such messages, you transmitted to people by matching the verses like "For those who love Islam, this is a new invention ...." or "Note, if you love Allah and the Prophet, this is the fact the enemy of the sons of our agenda ..." and "If we love Islam, never a fan of ...." You know what?

Aliyah: What?! Just say it Amal.

Amal: This is a form of Paranoid. Let say if person that do not understand Islam hear about it, and said:'This is crazy to understand Islam'. This will cause a fitnah on how comprehensive and authentic Islamic message is. Adverse impact of the paranoia of the Freemasons and the Illuminati is, we construct the following formula: Freemasons and Illuminati are the only pagan or in arabic we call as Jahiliyyah. What is the harm of this formula?

Aliyah: Hm no idea!

Amal: Well, we conclude that the only pagan(Jahiliyyah) is Freemasons and Illuminati. Even worse, whatever the sign of 'possible' that is the Freemasons and the Illuminati, then it is pagan to us,like when you saw, I'm wearing the triangle necklace. We are so sensitive to the symbols of Illuminati and Freemason. Even the symbol of Awakening Records-the recording company to Maher Zain and SAmi Yusuf, that was shaped as a pyramid was connected with Freemason and Illuminati. Look how far this madness goes. Maybe after this, if the symbols appear on anyone else, we will continue to stamp it with Jewish agency, and so on without checking. We are too paranoid until we feel an urge to remove the agents of the Illuminati and Freemason, but we start to loose attention on another form of pagan. We boycott Lady Gaga and Justin, but at very same time we also interested in other form of pagan and  celebrities love's story? We busy accused, Upin and Ipin because of what they have, but still indulged in other anime and pagan cartoons. 

Aliyah: oh yeah, I have the same feeling as you smashed my nose now. I think I begin to see your points. So next?

Amal: So Aliyah, the actual formula we should look is: Freemasonry and Illuminati is only part of a pagan. We are the servants of God Almighty and we should reject ALL form of pagan not just Freemasonry and  Illuminati, which is only part of the pagan. Pagan is worse and paranoid retard our struggle. We give great attention to the Freemason and Illuminati because we saw how they managed to 'cover up' the world of design, such as The Arrivals. 

In fact, the pagan is greater than the Freemason and Illuminati. Jahiliyyah, has embraces the world. Aliyah, keep busy exploring the mysteries of Freemasonry and Illuminati did not give us victory. Busy sending a message like do-not-support-the-son-of-so-and-so because he is Freemason and Illuminati agent will not give us victory. We are busy with things that are not important. We are busy with things that really we are not able to control it. Finally, we forget our priority. Have we ever asked ourselves after we posted: "Wow, this all seems so Freemason?" After that what? In fact we may contribute to the victory of pagan. Because we are too busy in their conspiracy and we think that they would never be able to win us. In fact, the pagan is still ruining our society and we are busy running in endless circles.

Aliyah: Ok, take a breath Amal! I can see you are suffocating. 

Amal: Ok, I'm cool, I'm cool. Now lets look in a larger screen. We know that nothing would happen without Allah's permission even if it's the plan of Illuminaty or freemason; Allah Plans was the greatest one. After we know the fact about Illuminaty we begin to say: "Oh! This happened because of their plan, they're bloody successful on their plans, blah, blah, blah". Can you see that? and if we understand the matter, the pagan, whether Freemason and Illuminati or not, we will avoid all. We will not picky: "Oh, that's not the Freemasons, we can follow." We will never paranoid. We will have a clean mind, in dealing with the great pagan. We will understand what we should matter and what we shouldn't. 

Aliyah: You are real debater after all Amal. So what we should do?

Amal: Oh thanks Aliyah! First of course, start with yourself, then people around us and to the public. Invites all to undergo the process Tarbiyah Islamiyyah as the Prophet's companions. Back to  Al-Quran and Sunnah.Take Islam as a total, and totally rejects Jahiliyyah. We learn from the Illuminati and the Freemasons that noise alone will not change anything. Learn from what we see in the Arrivals. If you believe with all the conspiracies, although I would not say it all true, but what I have to be refined are the movements of the Illuminati and the Freemasons. How they vary their tactics, and magically, all of their tactics are subtle. They do not simply barking- Leave Islam, Faith-in-Allah is no longer relevant, let commit adultery, or lets Default to God - which is if they do so, nobody will go to them, but all will be too busy looking for what is Islam.

Aliyah: Agreed!

Amal: So,where is our priority? Our mission? Have we invited people around us to Islam? Our neighbour? Classmates? House-mates? Our friend that seats next to us in the class? Even the most simple have we been preaching on Islam? Or do we only know to make noise?

Merely the Illuminati and Freemason message, will not be overthrowing pagan. In fact, the situation will be reversed. People follow the message, and all sense of the struggle was finished only with noise. While the pagan continue to devour more victims and expand their territory.

Just lets stop this Aliyah. This is a fitnah and shows ignorance. Stop the spreading messages, everything associated with the Illuminati and Freemason. 

Aliyah: So you are telling me that it is wrong for me to know about this Amal?

Amal: Oh don't get me wrong darling! I like to study as well. I am happy with such exposure, it's feel like when we manage to know the top secret of our enemy. It is good to know but the benefits should be extracted, that which may enables the nation returned to the Al-Quran and Sunnah, which may brought them back to Islam, which gives them a strategy to oppose Jahiliyyah, did not cause fitnah and not just like: "Yes! we have successful exposed the Jewish agenda," but at the same time, Jews continue their mission with pleasure and satisfaction.

We should 'beat' the pagan, 'beat' them Aliyah. Not just 'scream' on them. And no one is even proven way to handle pagan, but the way of preaching and tarbiyah performed by the Prophet.

Aliyah: You sound so "Amal"! Yeah, my vision is as clear as crystal now, I will stop the paranoia and start spreading the beauty of Islam.

Amal: What? Are you expecting me to sound like Samantha Booke in "The Great Debaters"? Anyway, you are the fastest digester I ever found on earth Aliyah!

Aliyah: Wait, did you mean that I'd beat you? hahaha 

Amal: Whatever! You are mental Aliyah and need a proper treatment at my mom's hospital.

Aliyah: That was so cruel Amal, you're hurting me. I'm so normal and beautiful you know that.

Amal: You asked for it. Yes, you look normal until they get to know you :P

Aliyah: You are such a messed, Amal!!

So this image is really similar to Amal and Aliyah :)

Feel free to share


*Peace out*

Where is Allah?

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with ALLAH, The Almighty. He asks one of his new students to stand and.....
Prof : So you believe in ALLAH?
Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is ALLAH good?
Student: Sure.

Prof: Is ALLAH all-powerful?
Student: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to ALLAH to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But ALLAH didn't. How is this ALLAH good then? Hmm?
Student is silent.

Prof: You can't answer, can you?
Let's start again, young fellow. Is ALLAH good?
Student: Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.

Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From...ALLAH. .

Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And ALLAH did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.

Prof: So who created evil?
Student does not answer.

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?
Student has no answer.

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen ALLAH?
Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your ALLAH?
Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your ALLAH, tasted your ALLAH, smelt your ALLAH? Have you ever had any sensory perception of ALLAH for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your ALLAH doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes Faith. And that is the problem science has.
Now the student said can I ask something to you Professor.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.

Student : And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn't.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something.
You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light... But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?
Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good ALLAH and a bad ALLAH. You are viewing the concept of ALLAH as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?
(The class is in uproar.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable. )

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student: That is it sir... The link between man and ALLAH is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving and alive. .

---------------------------------------------------The end--------------------------------------------------

So, who that student was?

Reasons to know

This is the DVD cover with striking photographs and a 'special' message from Geert Wilders, who came to America with an urgent and terrifying warning: "Islam is on verge of conquering the West" and I guess almost everyone of us have seen his documentary entitled 'Fitna'. Well Mr Wilders, if it is true as you claimed Islam is a terrorist religion, I certain that you are not living and freely spread your message to the world while you knew  the fact that  estimated 5 million Muslims living in the United States and 1.2 billion Muslims in the world!

If it is true that Sept. 11 were typical of the faith, and Islam truly inspired and justified such violence, its growth and the increasing presence of Muslims in both Europe and the U.S. would be a terrifying prospect. So we come to this question, why are those people choose and adopt this so called "terrorist religion"(As they claimed) even after Sept. 11? Well, its simply because they explore and study Islam thoroughly and find out what Islam really is. Within Islam it is both legitimate and right to ask the question: "Why Islam?" Every tenet in Islam is subject to analysis and contention and Allah invites the question as to "why Islam?". So here are 11 reasons for you to explore Islam:

Yes we need a good reason

1. Rational System

Islam is also a rational system which not only allows questions but raises knowledge to a new level of dignity and respect. No other religion has exalted knowledge and its pursuit, as has Islam. In fact, for the first time in human history, a religious book invited people to question the creation of the universe and stated that in it (the universe) were signs for people of knowledge. Everything in Islam is subject to rational pursuit.

Islam has only forbidden the questioning of one thing and this is something which reason cannot handle. However, this does not imply an anti-intellectual attitude. The only thing which Islam has said is not within the capacity of the human mind to question is the essence (dhat) of God. This will always escape a person, as He, Allah, is transcendent. However, His will, His purpose, His works, His intentions and His effects can be known.

Even the rites of Islam can be examined rationally. For example, logical and rational explanations can be made for the time of Prayer, the number of rakats or units in Prayer and even why we must bend our toes when we do. Of course the Muslim will always be aware that the answer he has obtained by rational enquiry is not exhaustive. It cannot be definitely accepted as explaining all the facts. It could be erroneous or incomplete. However, Islam encourages its followers to ask "why Islam?". Islam is an intellectual and historical religion. There are no secrets and no mysteries which cannot be understood by an ordinary person.

2. Easily Understandable

Islam does not present stumbling blocks to the mind. It does not make claims which overwhelm the mind. Islam does not present to a person that which the human intellect cannot grasp. Anyone can understand Islam as it is a universal religion. However, for example, Hinduism legitimizes idolatry for the less educated, as it says, not all people can understand the higher religion of the Brahmans.

3. Universal Message

Islam does not force a person to choose between various religions as it has included the essential teachings of all religions in its universal message. The Islamic concept is that, to every people, Allah sends a Messenger and that in their present religion or ideology they must have retained some kernel of truth from the original teachings of that religion which was, of course, the teachings of the primordial religion (deen al-fitra) or, in other words, Islam.

Islam views inter-religious dialogue as an internal discussion, not as a discussion with outsiders because, from its perspective, all mankind are members of a universal religious brotherhood. So the differences Islam has with other religions are regarded as internal differences. Of course, Islam criticizes some Jews and Christians who have wrongly interpreted their faith, however, this criticism is based on the fact that they have strayed from the original teachings of their religion.

Islam, therefore, was the first religion in the world to call for the critical examination of religious texts. The Muslim says, in effect, to other religions: "Let us together examine the Holy Books of our religions and compare the contents with the original teachings of our respective religions and examine how far we have adhered to, or gone astray from these original teachings." Muslims, therefore, never attack other religions.

4. Religious Tolerance

Islam is tolerant of other religions and regards them as religiously legitimate or de jure. In accepting other religions as legitimate, Islam, therefore, accepts their adherents. No other religion has given equal treatment to other religions as has Islam for over 1400 years. As we well know, Judaism and Roman Catholicism were illegal in the time of Queen Elizabeth I. In Spain under Ferdinand and Isabella, it was illegal to have any religion other than Catholicism, and Muslims and Jews had to choose baptism, exile or death. In the Middle East, some Christian sects, which were brutally eliminated by their fellow Christians in Europe, have survived after fourteen centuries of Muslim rule. Secular regimes do not respect religion. They look down upon religion; either they believe any religion will do or they believe no religion is acceptable. The tolerance of other religions in Islam comes from respect because Islam says in every person there is an embryonic fitra or purity planted in all human beings at birth and in every religion there is a basic kind of the original deen al-fitra.

5. The Human Being's Innocence

Islam declares a person to be born with a clean slate. The human being was not born evil but rather he was created good and equipped by nature to fulfill his duties. From the Islamic point of view, the drama of a person's life is something that takes place after birth and not before. Islam does not record a human being as a degradation of the divine as it regards a human being as having instincts which are pure and good.

6. The Human Being: An Integral Whole

Islam does not divide the soul and life of a person into two compartments, i.e. religious or ethical and verbal or material. Islam regards the human being as an integral whole. All of his actions and instincts are part and parcel of his being together with his hopes, fears, certitude, faith and conviction. Islam wants all these to cohere and, therefore, we could say that Islam is mental health par excellence. Islam considers a person's work or even sex in this world as an act of worship.

7. Life Filled With Purpose and Meaning

Islam takes the world of life and existence seriously, declaring it to be full of meaning and purpose. Life is not a sport, nor is it purposeless. From the Islamic perspective, everything has meaning because the concept of God's purpose in creation gives meaning to human life. The Muslim is never bored with life; there is no existential anxiety in Islam. The Muslim can see the working of the good purposes of the divine Creator in everything. The Muslim lives in a world where life is full of meaning and purpose and this means the Muslim never looses his mental balance. In fact, mental illness is very rare in the Muslim community.

8. World-Affirmative

Islam is world-affirmative. For the Muslim the world is good. It is a blessing, it has been created good, to be enjoyed. Islam does not view the world as a demon, it is not valued as being satanic or evil. It is not a degraded kingdom. The world is the only kingdom; the hereafter is not a kingdom but merely a place of Judgment for a human person's actions during his life. For Muslims, the world is a beautiful place; pearls, clothes and horses are to be enjoyed. What is wrong, is its misuse under moral law. The world is good and Muslims are obliged to cultivate it and make it into a garden. The process of organizing people as a community is a religious duty.

No 'ism', ideology or religion matches Islam in its world-affirmative stance. All Muslims should be wealthy and affluent. It is Satan who promises poverty, not God. In fact, the Qur'an criticizes those who were lazy and who failed to migrate, who could not pull themselves up by their bootstraps; they deserved what they got. To be a Muslim is to live in and to be loyal to this world but not above and beyond our loyalty to Allah.

9. A Social Faith

In building this world and conforming it to God's desire, Muslims are told that they must work with each other and not alone. Islam establishes a social order not a mystical order. Islam's social order has teeth, regulated by law, the Shariah. Islam wants to establish a social order to command the good and prevent the evil. However, every Muslim must correct evil. It is his duty, just as much as it is his duty to pray five times a day.

In Islam, it is of the highest degree of faith to plunge into space and time and bring about the transformation of the world in accordance with God's desire. Islam is affirmative action in a social setting; it is neither abstract nor isolationist. Islam establishes justice and an ordered society, regulated by law. Islam guarantees justice for all; Madinah was that class of model society. In those days justice had no price. For several centuries under Islamic rule any citizen who voiced a complaint could be sure that justice would be done. No theory of society can give as much as the Islamic theory of society has given. Society, based on race, language or history are prototypes of the animal world where dog eats dog. The social order of Islam ends this and brings justice to all. A Muslim's mission is to bring order and this international society established by Islam must be carried to the world and, therefore, the Islamic social order seeks universality.

10. Universal System

Islam provides a social order which cannot only tend to be universal but must become universal. The Islamic system is a system for world order and it must spread around the world. Unless it is spread around the world, it will degenerate into a form of nationalism which is haram or unlawful in Islam. Islam is built on the basis of values which are not only for the group which adheres to them, but for the whole of mankind. Allah is the deity of all people and the Islamic concept of society must spread all over the world.

Does Islam deny the value of national, ethnic or linguistic identity and culture? No! Islam recognizes the worth of these national and ethnic groups. Islam does not only tolerate but encourages the development of different ethnic groups. The group has a special perspective on the values affecting people's lives. Insofar as it exists, national culture is encouraged by Islam, but it is subject to the universal law of Allah. The interests of the nation or group must be subject to the moral law, the Shariah, which encompasses the whole of mankind. Islam created a world society and it was Islam, over 1400 years ago, that first established a working system of international law.

It was only in the 20th century that the West started to develop international law. Grotius contributed only wishful thinking. In the West, international law existed only in the imagination until after World War I when the League of Nations was established. The present system of international law is far inferior to the Islamic system of international law because, under the Islamic system, the law of nations is backed by a court and not just a single court in the Hague. Any Shariah court in any part of the world can hear any international dispute to which the parties are not only nations but also individuals. If we want to solve international problems we must make justice under international law possible for everyone.

11. Promoting Harmony With The Environment

Islam is a religion that enables us to live our lives in harmony with nature, ourselves and God. Islam does not compartmentalize but rather unites the life of a person. This is the summum bonum, supreme good of Islam because Islam assures us of happiness in this world and the Next. Presently, people are so madly in pursuit of this world that it has resulted in upsetting the ecology of nature; this because of the decay in the inner nature of human beings. In this age of unprecedented advancements in science and technology, the pursuit of worldly gain has turned sour and self-destructive because it is devoid of all ethical values. 


Therefore the pursuit of dunya (worldly affairs) without Deen can only lead to, and has led to, disaster. On the other hand, pursuit of Deen (religion) without dunya (temporal world) is merely daydreaming. Islam asks people to cultivate the world without robbing, usury, stealing and raping the environment and insists that people must carry out their tasks subject to moral law. For the Muslim, involvement and success in the world will ensure success in the hereafter. If practiced with sincerity, Islam guarantees happiness in this world and the next. Having granted this great gift of God to humanity what else could we do but say 'we hear and we obey and all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.' 


The above article is from an audio recording at International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan, date unknown. Source: Ismail Faruqi Online

Isma'il Raji al-Faruqi (January 1, 1921 - May 27, 1986) was a Palestinian-American philosopher and an authority on Islam and comparative religion. He was Professor in the Department of Religion at Temple University until his death in 1986. Al-Faruqi and his wife, Lois Lamya al-Faruqi, were brutally stabbed to death in their home in Wyncote, Pennsylvania on May 27, 1986.

Repost and edited from www.islamicity.com