Mozaik Islam

Simply by saying with conviction, “La ilâha illa Allah, Muhammadun rasoolu Allah,” This is how one converts to Islam and becomes a Muslim. This saying means, “There is no true god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (God).” The first part, “There is no true god but God,” means that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah Almighty -God- alone, and that Allah-God- has neither partner nor son.

To be a Muslim, one should also:

1. Believe that the Holy Qur’an is the literal word of God revealed by Him.
2. Believe that the Day of Judgment (the Day of Resurrection) is true and will come, as God has promised in the Qur’an
3. Accept Islam as his or her religion.
4. Not worship anything or anyone except Allah Almighty.

Yasser Gabr & Houda Karkour, Islamic Propagation Office in Rabwah, Riyadh

1. It is the religion of Allah which He has chosen for Himself, sent with His Messengers and through which He allowed His slaves to worship Him.
2. Comprehensiveness: One of the most prominent beauties of this religion is its comprehensiveness for everything. This religion encompasses all that one has to do with the Creator like His Names, Attributes and rights; and all that one has to do with the creatures like laws, obligations, manners and relationship.
3. Islam is linking man to his Creator directly; without a priest, reverend, or holy secret. This direct connection between the Creator and the created is a connection that links the heart with its Lord and it thereby gets light, guidance and loftiness; the heart will seek perfection; and deems itself high above insignificant and debased things.
4. It caters for benefits of this world and the Hereafter. The Islamic Law is based on protection of the benefits of this world and the Hereafter to the extent to lead to the perfection of good morals. As for the explanation of the benefits of the Hereafter, the religion of Islam has explained all the necessary details and left nothing without dealing with it. It has expounded it to satisfy all the human needs to the point to let nothing of it unknown. Islam promises the bliss in the Hereafter and warns the humankind against its agony.

Concerning the benefits of this world, Allah ordained in this religion to perform all matters that can protect all the elementary needs of the human being: her/his religion, life, property, posterity, dignity and intelligence.

Concerning honourable conducts, Islam enjoins that overtly and covertly so much so that it forbids all sorts of debasing manners. Among the apparent noble conducts that Islam enjoins are cleanliness and purification which are very different from all kinds of impurities and dirt. Islam recommends using of perfume and outward adornment; but it forbids filthy behaviours like adultery, fornication, consuming alcohol; eating dead animals, blood and pork (it is fine to just say pork for it simply the flesh of the pig). It is well-known that Islam enjoins eating of lawful good things as well as it prohibits wastefulness and extravagance.

As for the inner purification, Islam prohibits undesirable conducts and encourages commendable ones. Among the forbidden manners are: lies, obscenity, anger, jealousy, stinginess, debasing oneself, love of prestige and this world, arrogance, haughtiness and hypocrisy. Among the commended behaviours are: good conduct, good companionship to all people by being kind to them, justice and fairness, humility, truthfulness, magnanimity, generosity, dependence on Allah, sincerity in worshipping acts, fear of Allah, patience and showing gratitude.

Yasser Gabr & Houda Karkour, Islamic Propagation Office in Rabwah, Riyadh

Belief in Allah

You must believe in His Lordship; that He is the Lord, the Creator, the Possessor and the Controller of all matters. You must also believe in His right to be worshipped, that He is the only True Deity, that all deities besides Him are false. You must believe in His Names and Attributes, that He has Beautiful Names and perfect Sublime Attributes.

You must also believe in His Oneness in all that, that He has no partner in His Lordship, nor in His right to be worshipped or in His Names and Attributes. You must also believe that neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him; that He knows all that is hidden and evident; and that to him belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. You must also believe that He rose high over His Throne above His creation, and that He is with them by His knowledge and He knows their conditions, hears their utterances, sees their places and controls their affairs. He provides for the poor, gives relief to the dejected, gives authority to whom He wills, withdraws it from whom He wills and that He is Able to do all things.

Belief in His angels

A Muslim must believe in the angels; that is to say, it is Allah Who has created them and describes them as, “honoured slaves”, they does not speak until He has spoken and they act on His Command. Allah conceals them from our eyes so that we do not see them. But Allah sometimes shows some of them to some of His Prophets and Messengers.

Angels have functions assigned to them. Gabriel is assigned to Revelations which he brings from Allah to whosoever He wishes of His Messengers. Among them are: an angel assigned to taking the souls, another to the protection of mankind, another to recording of their deeds…etc.

Belief in His Books

To believe that Allah revealed Books to his Prophets and Messengers, in order to explain the truth and call to it.

These Books are many. Among them are the Scripture of the Prophet Abraham, the Torah of the Prophet Moses, the Psalms given to the Prophet David and the Gospel which was brought by the Prophet Jesus Christ, may peace be upon all of them.

Belief in the Previous Books lies in believing that it is Allah Who revealed them to His Messengers and that they contained the Law that Allah wanted to be conveyed to people at that time.

All these Books that Allah informs us about have all become extinct. The scripture of Abraham does no longer exist in the world. As for the Torah, the Gospel and the Psalms, even though they do exist by name in the hands of Jews and Christians, they have become altered, interpolated and adulterated and many of their original contents are missing. The lines which are not part of them have been included in them, and they are attributed to those who are not their authors. The Old Testament for instance, has more than forty books, and only five of them were attributed to Moses. As for the existing gospels of today, nothing of them is attributed to Jesus. On the Other hand, the last Book, which is revealed by Allah, is the Qur’an which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad. It has always been and is still protected and preserved by Allah. No change or alteration has crept into any of its letters, words, vowels or meanings.

Belief in His Messengers

To believe that Allah sent Messengers to His creation in order to give them glad tidings of Paradise if they believe in Allah and His Messengers, and to warn them of punishment if they disobey. There are many messengers. The first of them was Noah and the last of them is Muhammad {P.B.U.H}. Allah has told us stories about them in the Holy Qur’an like Abraham, Moses, Jesus, David, John Zakariah and Saleh. There are also some prophets whom we know nothing for, Allah tells us nothing.

All these Messengers were humans since they are created by Allah. They possessed nothing of the qualities of Lordship or Godship. Therefore, no act of worship should be directed to them for they could not avail themselves of any harm or benefit. The Prophets are honoured slaves, whom Allah chose. They are honoured with the Message and described as His slaves. Their religion is Islam (Submission to God’s orders), and Allah will not accept any other religion besides it.

The basic messages of the Prophets were one but their Laws differ.

The final of all these Laws is that of Muhammad. It abrogates all other previous laws. His Message is the last of all Divine Messages and he is the last of all Messengers. Whoever believes in a Prophet among them should believe in all of them and whoever denies anyone of them, it means he/she has denied all of them.

Belief in the Last Day

Believe that the present life is only a trial preparation for the next perennial realm of existence. This life is a test for each individual for the everlasting life that comes after death. A day will come when the whole universe will be destroyed and the dead will be resurrected for judgment by God. This day will be the beginning of a life that will never end. This day is the Day of Judgment. On that day, all people will be rewarded by God according to their beliefs and deeds.

After having sent the Prophet Muhammad to call people to Islam, God does not accept adherence to any religion other than Islam, when someone rejects belief in God, His Prophet Muhammad, or His religion of Islam, it is just that he or she will be punished in the Hereafter. The truth is completely enlightened and does not need more explanation for it simply does not contain conflicts in the Holy Qur’an, the Sayings of the prophet Muhammad, and the Islamic creed.

Those who die while believing that “There is no true god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of Allah” and are Muslim will be rewarded on that day and will be admitted to Paradise forever, as Allah Almighty has said:

{{But they who believe and do righteous deeds – those are the companions of Paradise; they will abide therein eternally.}} (Holy Qur’an 2:82)

But those who die at the time they do not believe that “There is no true god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of Allah”, in other words, they are not Muslim and they will lose Paradise forever to be sent to Hellfire, as God has said:

{{And whoever seeks a religion other than Islâm, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.}}

(Holy Qur’an 3: 85)

Those who die before Prophet Muhammad {P.B.U.H}, and were following the real message of Allah which is sent through previous messengers (Jesus, Moses…) are considered to be believers. It’s quite clear to further that all the messengers of Allah are brothers and they love each other. It occurs that some people, who have followed them, try to interpolate the Holy message and to alter it to their personal gluttony and whims.

Belief in pre-decree

You must believe that Allah knows what happened and what shall happen; that He knows the conditions, deeds, life spans and provisions of His slaves.

Yasser Gabr & Houda Karkour, Islamic Propagation Office in Rabwah, Riyadh

What is Islam?

Islam means submission, obedience, surrender and compliance with the command and prohibition of the commander without objections. Allah has named the true religion, ‘Islam’ for it is an obedience to him, submission to His Commands without any resistance, purifying acts of worship for Him, believing in His words and having faith in Him. Islam then became a proper name for the religion brought by Muhammad {P.B.U.H}.

Why was this religion named Islam?

Adherents of various religions all over the world have named their religions, either with the name of a man or a particular race like Christianity, which was named after Jesus Christ; and Buddhism was named after its founder Buddha; and Zoroastrianism was named after its founder and flag banner, Zoroaster. Judaism had also emerged among the tribe of Judah and so on. The All-Mighty Allah Himself called it Islam when He said,

{{Truly, the religion with Allâh is Islâm. (Submission to His Will)}} (Holy Qur’an 3:1)

It is only Islam that is not attributed to any particular man or nation. Its name indicates a special characteristic that the meaning of Islam denotes. It is evident in this name that no man has any role in bringing this religion into existence and that it is not peculiar with any nation to the exclusion of others. Its only goal is to make all people of the earth have characteristics of Islam. So, whoever is characterized with the qualities of Islam among ancient people and contemporary people is a Muslim, just as he shall be called a Muslim, and anyone who possesses its qualities among the coming generations.

The Message of Islam:

The most important message of Islam is the absolute Unity of God-that there is only One Supreme Being who has no partners and is not dependent on anyone or anything. He is the creator of everything and the whole universe is under His control. Since the total submission of one’s will to Allah represents the essence of worship, Islam is the worship of Allah alone and the avoidance of worship directed to any person, place or thing other than Allah. In essence, Islam calls man away from the worship of creation and invites him to worship only its Creator.

Allah is the only one deserving man’s worship as it is only by His will that prayers are answered. Hence prayers to the non-living such as the sun, fire, and to humans whether they are Jesus, Moses or even Muhammad are rejected, as Allah informs us in the opening chapter of the Holy Qur’an,:

{{You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).}}

(Holy Qur’an 1:4)

Yasser Gabr & Houda Karkour, Islamic Propagation Office in Rabwah, Riyadh

To Allah belong the most beautiful names. The Holy Qur’an says: {{” Say (O Muhammad): “Invoke Allâh or invoke the Most Beneficent (Allâh), by whatever name you invoke Him (it is the same), for to Him belong the Best Names. And offer your Salât (prayer) neither aloud nor in a low voice, but follow a way between.}} (Holy Qur’an 17:110)

Sources of Islam give no less than ninety-nine different attributes to Allah Almighty. The Holy Qur’an refers to Allah as Ar-Rahman (Most Gracious), Ar-Raheem (Most Merciful) and Hakeem (All Wise) among many other names.

God does not take human form: Many religions at some point believe, directly or indirectly, in the philosophy of anthropomorphism i.e. God is palatable to become a human. Their contention is that God Almighty is so pure and holy to the extent that He is unaware (It is true that Allah is not like us, but this does not mean that He is unaware of our situations!!!?- I would rather say: is far away) of the hardships, shortcomings and feelings of human beings. In order to set the rules for human beings, He came down to earth as a human. Let us now analyze this argument and see if it stands to reason.

Suppose I manufacture a videocassette recorder (VCR). Do I have to become a VCR to know what is good or what is bad for the VCR? What do I do? I write a manual instruction. “In order to watch a video cassette, you should insert the cassette and press on the play button. In order to stop, press on the stop button. If you want to fast forward, press on the FF button. Do not drop it from a height or it will get damaged. Do not immerse it in water or it will get ruined”. These manual instructions list the various do’s and don’ts for the machine. Similarly, our Lord and Creator, Allah does not need to take the human form so as to know what is good or bad for the human being. He chooses to reveal the manual instructions. The last and final manual instruction that is sent down to the human beings is the Glorious Qur’an whose ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ are mentioned to the human beings through the Holy Verses.

If you allow me to compare human beings with machines, I would say humans are more complicated than the most complex machines in the world. Even the most advanced computers, which are extremely complex, are pale in comparison to the physical, psychological, genetic, and social factors that affect individuals and collective human life. The more advanced the machine is, the greater the need for its manual instruction is. By the use of the same criteria, don’t the human beings require a manual instruction by which it is easy to govern their own lives?

Therefore, Allah does not come down personally to give the manual instruction. He chooses a man amongst men to deliver the message and communicates with him at a higher level through the medium of revelations. Such chosen men are called messengers and prophets of God.

God does not perform ungodly acts: The attributes of Almighty God preclude any evil since God is the source of justice, mercy and truth. God can never be thought of as doing an ungodly act. Hence, we cannot imagine God telling a lie, being unjust, making a mistake, forgetting things, or having any such human failings. Similarly, God can do injustice if He chooses to, but He will never do it because being unjust is an ungodly act. The Holy Qur’an says: {{Surely! Allâh wrongs not even of the weight of an atom (or a small ant), but if there is any good (done), He doubles it, and gives from Him a great reward..}}. (Holy Qur’an 4:40)

God can be unjust if He chooses to be so, but the moment God does injustice, He ceases to be God.

God does not make mistake: God can make mistakes if He wants to, but He does not make mistakes, because making a mistake is ungodly act. The Holy Qur’an says:

{{… My Lord is neither unaware nor He forgets,}}) Holy Qur’an 20:52)

The moment God makes a mistake, he ceases to be God.

God does not forget: God can forget if He wants to. But God does not forget anything because forgetting is an ungodly act, which reeks of human limitations and failings. The Holy Qur’an says:

{{… My Lord is neither unaware nor He forgets,}} ) Holy Qur’an 20:52)

Yasser Gabr & Houda Karkour, Islamic Propagation Office in Rabwah, Riyadh

Does Allah create us in vain?

The brain is aware of the existence of Allah Almighty by the use of the signs in the universe. The human brain recognizes that the Creator of the universe is Knowledgeable and Wise. Thus, it is quite impossible that He creates us in vain and without a special target. Otherwise, this fact would not be in tandem with His wisdom, Glory be to Him.

{{“Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?” So Exalted be Allâh, the True King, Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne!!}}, (Holy Qur’an 23: 115-116).

Though, we cannot know what does the Creator want from us, How to worship Him as He really wants us to do? How to thank Him? This is why He has sent to us messengers to tell us about Himself (Allah Almighty) and the reason He has created the universe. Why he has created us? What is the life-style He has depicted for us to follow? And what He has preserved to us whether it is a reward or a punishment?

{{Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allâh after the Messengers. And Allâh is Ever AllPowerful, AllWise.}} (Holy Qur’an 4: 165)

The messengers, whom Allah has picked out from the best of His creatures, were under the custody and the protection of Allah. They have brought miracles from Allah Almighty to give evidence of their truthful message. Allah has sent down to them the procedure of life which must be performed by the humankind. As it is, he who has obeyed Allah and his messengers will be perfectly rewarded by Allah Almighty; and he who has disobeyed Allah will be punished for sure.

{{And whoso obeys Allâh and the Messenger (Muhammad), then they will be in the company of those on whom Allâh has bestowed His Grace, of the Prophets, the Siddiqûn (those followers of the Prophets who were first and foremost to believe in them.), the martyrs, and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are!}} (Holy Qur’an 4: 69).

Furthermore, Allah Almighty has confirmed in the Holy Qur’an:

{{And whosoever disobeys Allâh and His Messenger (Muhammad), and transgresses His limits, He will cast him into the Fire, to abide therein; and he shall have a disgraceful torment.}} (Holy Qur’an 4:14)

Allah Almighty has explained to us that the creation is certainly for specific wisdom:

{{And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them without purpose! That is the consideration of those who disbelieve! Then woe to those who disbelieve (in Islamic Monotheism) from the Fire!}} (Holy Qur’an 38:27)

Allah Almighty has made it clear to us to know the reason behind the creation of the humankind:

{{And I (Allâh) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone).}} (Holy Qur’an 51: 56)

It goes without saying that worshiping Allah is not only praying, genuflecting, and fasting, but it contains also all the deeds and the behavior which Allah loves us to do. Taking care of the orphan is considered as worshipping. Visiting a sick person is part of worshipping. Taking away anything that might hurt the others in the road is a way of worshipping. Greeting the others is also worshipping….etc.

Sheikh Ibn Taymiyyah has confirmed:
Worshipping is a name that is connected to everything Allah Almighty loves and agrees on whether it is related to sayings, interior and exterior deeds. Prayer, giving alms, fasting, doing the pilgrimage, saying the truth, loyalty, filial devotion, good contact with one’s relatives, fulfillment of the pact, Ordering to work out kindness and avoiding badness, striving against the unbelievers and hypocrites, the philanthropy to the neighbours, orphans, indigent, vagabond, slaves, animals, invocation of Allah, reading…are all kinds of worshipping Allah Almighty.

The love of Allah and His messenger, the fear of Allah, deputation to His Almighty, keeping loyalty to His religion, being patient to his orders, being thankful to His beneficence, the contentment towards His fate, the reliance on him, Beseeching His mercy and apprehending his excruciation, and the like are all kinds of worshipping Allah Almighty.

Yasser Gabr & Houda Karkour, Islamic Propagation Office in Rabwah, Riyadh

Some people pretend that the existence of more than one God is not illogical. Let us point out to them that if there were more than one God, they would dispute with one another for each god tries to fulfill his will against the will of the other gods. This can be seen in the mythology of the polytheistic and pantheistic religions.

If a ‘God’ is defeated or unable to defeat the others, he is surely not the one true God. It is also popular among polytheistic religions the idea of many Gods for each one is having different responsibilities. Each one would be responsible for a part of man’s existence e.g. a Sun-God, a Rain-God, etc. This indicates that one ‘God’ is incompetent of certain acts, and moreover, he is also ignorant of the other Gods’ powers, duties, functions and responsibilities. It cannot be an ignorant and incapable God. If there were more than one God, it would surely lead to confusion, disorder, chaos and destruction in the universe. But the universe is in complete harmony. The Glorious Qur’an says: {{Had there been therein (in the heavens and the earth) gods besides Allâh, then verily both would have been ruined. Glorified be Allâh, the Lord of the Throne, (High is He) above what they attribute to Him!}}. (Holy Qur’an 21: 22)

If there were more than one God, they would have taken away what they created. The Holy Qur’an says:
{{No son (or offspring or children) did Allâh beget, nor is there any ilâh (god) along with Him; (if there had been many gods), behold, each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would have tried to overcome others! Glorified be Allâh above all that they attribute to Him!}}, (Holy Qur’an 23:91).

Thus the existence of one True, Unique, Supreme, Almighty God, is the only logical concept of God.

What are the proofs that betoken Allah Almighty’s existence? Allah, to Whom be ascribed all perfection and majesty, has made demonstrations in this universe to enunciate His existence and His singleness.

He has made the signs in the universe as his elementary device to let the human being grasp by his/her brain. The reason can perceive the existence of Allah Almighty by the use of the rational evidence which is put in the world by the Creator.
These demonstrations are as follows

1. The evidence of creation:It is known that the human being does neither create him/herself nor does he/she the animals, the plants, and the earth he/she lives on.

   The Holy Qur’an has stated this fact in the following verse: {{Or were they created of nothing, or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Rather, they are not certain.}}, (Holy Qur’an 52: 35-36)

2. The evidence of charge:The vestiges of Allah’s attributes and the features of His magnificent creation are existing in every corner of the whole world. Everything is made in the universe is considered as a sign that betokens Allah Almighty Who has created, brought to perfection and excelled in making His creatures.

   The unbeliever is the one who finds an elegant dress, and then he/she does not deduce that the existence of this dress gives evidence of the one who has made it. He imputes the existence of the dress to the “Coincidence” that has interfered to make the tip of the thread to get by itself into the threading hole of the needle which moves in a counted movement to end up with the dress by all its minute wonderful details.

   Is it possible that a rational person thinks that “the chance” or ” the coincidence” is able to make a car that is found in front of his house?

   Would he/she say that a wind has blown to gather the pieces of plastic upon the pieces of iron with a pinch of rubber and fragments of glass to make a car??!!….Or would he/she wonder who has innovated this car by its capacities and accuracy?

   Thus, a rational person would not accept that the universe, including its galaxies, planets, earth, seas, is simply created by an irrational nature which has neither an essence nor an existence.

   Would a judicious person think that the human body, including its limbs whose structures and duties are accurate, is working as a thorough system depending on the creation of coincidence?

   All the data of the modern science highlights of a capable and creative Creator of the world, and its containing.

   {{Were they created of nothing, Or were they themselves the creators?}} (Holy Qur’an 52: 35).

3. The evidence of guidance:When Pharaoh had asked the prophet Moses, peace be upon him, the answer was herewith: {{Fir’aun (Pharaoh) said: “Who then, O Mûsa (Moses), is the Lord of you two?” [Mûsa (Moses)] said: “Our Lord is He Who gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright.”}},

   (Holy Qur’an 20: 49-50).

In the simple explanation of Holy Qur’an: ” Moses had answered: Our Lord is He Who has given everything He has created its fitting feature to be a sign of His perfect creation. Then, He guided each creature to what is made to accomplish on earth.

Henceforth, Allah Almighty has created each genre of the creatures to be guided to its kind of life-style and to its devices he/she/it provided with.

The birds are lead to migrate thousands of kilometres and then come back to their nests of which they have been already guided to build it.

The fish is also directed to migrate thousands of kilometres and to get back by the same way to its birthplace. For example, the Salmon, which migrates from some of the American rivers to the shores of Europe, is totally capable to come back to the river where it has been born. It simply swims on the opposite direction of the river to put its eggs and to die therefore. The next generation is spontaneously able to do the same steps. To boot, Allah has guided the animals to the way of its nutrition and the manners of hunting. Some other creatures are acquainted with the stratagems of disguise and deviousness etc.

One has mentioned some examples of Allah Almighty’s guidance to his creatures:-

When the cat excretes, it does not leave the place unless it covers its stool with the dust.

1. The amazing defense in the beehive since it is defended by its bees till the last bee dies during their fight against the hornets. One might wonder Who has taught the bees to make sacrifice of themselves to keep their hive.
2. The members of the beehive, who are the workers, are used to choose among the working maggots a larva that is assumed to turn out the queen by consuming the royal nutrition in case of the queen death without progeny.
3. The mosquito that is used to put its eggs as bags in the quagmires so as to buoys on the surface of water. Who has taught it the buoyancy rule of Archimedes?
4. Who has taught this mosquito to get its nurture from the blood of the human being? Thus, how does it get the substance to secrete in order to stop the thrombosis of the blood and to remain fluid as soon as it inserts its suckers?
5. The desert trees which engenders wings to its seeds to fly far away and through miles to look for good opportunities to be implanted over there; Who has taught these trees to make these wings and sunshades? – Who has taught the firefly to be illuminated at night to attract the mosquitoes in order to eat them?
6. And the hornet who inserts its stinger inside of the nervous center of the victim insect to be numbed and paralyzed; then, it brings it to its nest to put on it one egg….whenever it hatches, the small insect can find its nurture is fresh and ready to eat. From where does the hornet learn the surgery and the anatomy of the nervous system?

How do all these creatures get its knowledge and regulation but from its Creator?

Sheikh Muhammad Al Ghazali has written:

Whatever the human being gets through his/her effort and thought that he/she has a limited quality in comparison to what occurs in his/her worldly surroundings. I remember the time I have walked about the industries of sugar where the tunnels are abounded with juice and the ovens are full of fuel. The machines are covering a vast area of the earth. I have looked around me here and there to say spontaneously: Praise the Lord! The interior of the bee can do this duty…the duty of making the sugar without the use of all these rotary machines and the clamorous noise!

Herewith, I have imagined that the human innovations are an intelligent hint to the wonders that occur in the universe without these complex interventions and the multiple devices.

{{Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, and the ships which sail through the sea with that which is of use to mankind, and the water (rain) which Allâh sends down from the sky and makes the earth alive therewith after its death, and the moving (living) creatures of all kinds that He has scattered therein, and in the veering of winds and clouds which are held between the sky and the earth, are indeed Ayaât (proofs, evidences, signs, etc.) for people of understanding.}}

(Holy Qur’an 2:164).

Yasser Gabr & Houda Karkour, Islamic Propagation Office in Rabwah, Riyadh

The name Allah (God) in Islam is the personal name of God. The most concise definition of God in Islam is given in four verses of Surah Al-Ikhlaas in the Holy Qur’an:
{{Say, “He is Allah, [Who is] One,
Allah, the Eternal Refuge,
He neither begets nor is born,
Nor is there to Him any equivalent.”}}

(Holy Qur’an 112: 1-4)

To Muslims, this four-line definition of Almighty God serves as the touchstone of the study of God. Any candidate to divinity must be subjected to this ‘acid test’ and since the attributes of The Creator given in this chapter are unique, false gods and pretenders to divinity can be easily dismissed using these verses.

1. The first criterion is “Say, He is Allah, one and only“.Can there be more than one god? This verse tells us that The Creator is the only one who has total and absolute power, unique in His names and attributes.
2. The second criterion is, ‘Allah is absolute and eternal’.The word that is translated as “The Eternal, Absolute” from Arabic is something that can be attributed only to The Creator as all the other existent beings temporal or conditional? It also means that Allah is not dependant on any person or thing, but all persons and things are dependant on Him.
3. The third criterion is ‘He begets not, nor is He begotten‘.This means God was not born, nor does He give birth and share his divinity with others. Nor does He have a family or relationship with another being.
4. The fourth test – which is the most stringent – is, “There is none like unto Him“.The moment you can imagine or compare ‘God’ to anything, then he (the candidate to divinity) is not God. It is not possible to conjure up a mental picture of the One True God because of the simple fact, as creation, we only know creation.

The Muslims prefer calling the Supreme Creator, ‘Allah’, instead of the English word ‘God’. The Arabic word, ‘Allah’, is pure and unique, unlike the English word ‘God’, which can be played around with. For example, If you add ‘s’ to the word God, it becomes ‘Gods’, that is the plural of God. Allah is one and singular, there is no plural of Allah. If you add the word ‘father’ to ‘God’ it becomes ‘God-father’. God-father means someone who is a guardian. There is no word like ‘Allah-father’. If you add the word ‘mother’ to ‘God’, it becomes ‘God-mother’. There is nothing like ‘Allah-mother’ in Islam. Allah is a unique word, which does not conjure up any mental picture nor can it be played around with. Therefore, the Muslims prefer using the Arabic word ‘Allah’ for the Almighty.

Yasser Gabr & Houda Karkour, Islamic Propagation Office in Rabwah, Riyadh

I fast Ramadan but I do not pray. Is my fasting valid?.

Praise be to Allah.

The Ramadan fast, and indeed any righteous deed, is not accepted if you do not pray. That is because not praying constitutes kufr as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer.” Narrated by Muslim, 82. See also question no. 5208.

No righteous deed is accepted from the kaafir, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And We shall turn to whatever deeds they (disbelievers, polytheists, sinners) did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust“

[al-Furqaan 25:23]

“If you join others in worship with Allah, (then) surely, (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers“

[al-Zumar 39:65]

al-Bukhaari narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever forsakes ‘Asr prayer, his deeds are in vain.” (al-Bukhaari, 553). What is meant by “his deeds are in vain” means that they become invalid and will not avail him anything.

This hadith indicates that in the case of one who does not pray, Allah will not accept any deed from him, so the one who does not pray will not benefit at all from his deeds, and no good deeds of his will ascend to Allah.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said concerning the meaning of this hadith: “The apparent meaning of this hadith is that those who do not pray are of two types: those who do not pray at all, which renders all of their deeds invalid, and those who do not pray some days, which renders his deeds on that day invalid. So the loss of all good deeds happens to those who do not pray at all, and the loss of some deeds happens to those who miss some prayers.” From Kitaab al-Salaah, p. 65

Our advice to the sister who asked this question is to repent to Allah, to feel regret for her negligence in her duties towards Allah for exposing herself to His wrath, anger and punishment. Allah accepts the repentance of those among His slaves who repent to Him, and forgives their sins; indeed, He rejoices greatly at that. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has given glad tidings to those who repent when he said: “The one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin at all.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 4250; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Sahih Ibn Maajah, 3424.

So she should hasten to do ghusl and pray, so that she may become pure both inwardly and outwardly. She should not delay repentance and say, “I will repent tomorrow or after tomorrow, because she does not know when death will come. She should repent to Allah before regret will be of no avail.

“And (remember) the Day when the Zaalim (wrongdoer, oppressor, polytheist) will bite at his hands, he will say: ‘Oh! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger (Muhammad).

Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as a Khaleel (an intimate friend)!

He indeed led me astray from the Reminder (this Qur’aan) after it had come to me. And Shaytaan (Satan) is to man ever a deserter in the hour of need'”
[al-Furqaan 25:27-29 – interpretation of the meaning].

By:
Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Zionisme adl sebuah gerakan politik kaum Yahudi yg tersebar di seluruh dunia utk kembali lagi ke Zion, bukit di mana kota Yerusalem berdiri. Gerakan yg muncul di abad ke-19 ini semula ingin mendirikan sebuah negara Yahudi di Afrika kemudian berubah di tanah Palestina yg kala itu dikuasai Kekaisaran Ottoman (Khalifah Ustmaniah) Turki.

Zionisme merupakan gerakan Yahudi Internasional. Istilah zionis pertama kali dipakai oleh perintis kebudayaan Yahudi, Mathias Acher (1864-1937), & gerakan ini diorganisasi oleh beberapa tokoh Yahudi antara lain Dr. Theodor Herzl & Dr. Chaim Weizmann. Dr. Theodor Herzl menyusun doktrin Zionisme sejak 1882 yg kemudian disistematisasikan dalam bukunya “Der Judenstaat” (Negara Yahudi) (1896). Doktrin ini dikonkritkan melalui Kongres Zionis Sedunia pertama di Basel, Swiss, tahun 1897. Setelah berdirinya negara Israel pd tanggal 15 Mei 1948, maka tujuan kaum zionis berubah menjadi pembela negara baru ini.

Rapat Dewan Umum PBB mengeluarkan Resolusi 3379 tanggal 10 Desember 1975, yg menyamakan Zionisme dgn diskriminasi rasial. Akan tetapi pd 16 Desember 1991, resolusi tersebut dicabut kembali.

from wikipedia.com