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New Muslims Worldview

Inspired By Muhammad – Women’s Rights

During his lifetime, Prophet Muhammad took counsel with and encouraged over 600 female scholars, warriors, nurses, businesswomen, teachers and students.

Are women degraded in Islam? Do women have rights in Islam? Do women have a right to participate in public life? Do women have a right to inherit?

To know the answer to these questions, watch this Show of Inspired by Muhammad campaign in which Sultana Tafadar focuses on women’s rights.

 

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New Muslims Worldview

Islam Denounces Terrorism

This film, produced by the Science Research Foundation, a Harun Yahya institution, presents the Muslim response to and denunciation of terrorism. Beginning with the event of September 11, the film explains that all kinds of violence against civilians are crimes against humanity and grave sins in religious terms. It is also stressed that terrorism is an inherent feature of secular ideologies like communism, fascism and racism. In contrast, all theistic religions – Islam, Christianity and Judaism – are opposed to terrorism and their ultimate goal is to bring peace and brotherhood to mankind.

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Does Islam Teach Terrorism?

Does Islam allow the killing of innocent people? Does Islam permit terrorism? Can Islam be judged by what some people do?

To know the answer to these questions, watch this Show.

 

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Source: Taken with kind permission from thedeenshow.com.

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Tips for Keeping a Balance in Life

Islam is about moderation in all affairs, whether religious or worldly.

Islam is about moderation in all affairs, whether religious or worldly.

Are life and the Hereafter enemies? Does seeking worldly affairs affect one’s destiny in the Hereafter?

Or are life and the Hereafter two faces of the same coin? Can a Muslim balance between them and how?

God created us with a purpose in this life: to acknowledge His oneness and to worship Him alone. If we understand the main objective of creating human beings, we will recognize the importance of exerting every possible effort to worship God the proper way.

On the other hand, one has to work to earn his living. One has to interact with others. One has to go here and there. Then, what should one do? Should one isolate himself and live in a ghetto?

No, Islam is not against interaction. Islam does not accept the renunciation of this world. Interaction is not a crime, quite the opposite, as Islam calls for involvement, struggle and change.

A true believer should be involved in worldly affairs by commanding good, forbidding evil, and establishing justice on earth. A Muslim should be an active member in society.

We read in the Quran the story of Qarun (Korah), who was of Prophet Moses’s people, that he was warned by the godly men among his people:

Seek instead, by means of what God has granted you, [the good of] the life to come, without forget¬ting, your own [rightful] share in this world; and do good [unto others] as God has done good unto you; and seek not to spread corruption on earth: for, verily, God does not love the spreaders of corruption!” (Al-Qasas 28:77)

This is exactly what is required from a Muslim; i.e. to strike a balance between his religious and worldly affairs. The question is how to strike this balance?

Managing time is the key for success. If you manage your time correctly, you can do everything you want. You first have to set your list of priorities, starting with the most important, then the less important. You should make the best use of every second in your life. On your way to work or on your way back home, you can simply turn good deeds into acts of worship. For example, you can read the Quran, remember God, seek His forgiveness while you are on the bus or the train.

We have a good example in the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Lady Aisha was once asked: “What did the Prophet use to do in his house?” She replied: “He used to keep himself busy serving his family, and when it was time for prayer he would go out for it.” (Al-Bukhari)

The Prophet used to help his wives with the housework; this is a worldly affair. However, when the time of prayer came he left everything and went to the mosque to offer the prayer.

Indulging in worldly affairs without paying heed to religious obligations is not recommended in Islam. God says about those people what means:

… whereas they who are bent on denying the truth shall have – even though they may enjoy their life [in this world] and eat as cattle eat – the fire [of the hereafter] for their abode. (Muhammad 47:12)

New Muslims might think that in their transition period they should abandon everything in this life and focus only on strengthening their relation with God. They are right in seeking a strong connection with God. However, they are not right in rejecting this life. The following hadith explains the course of action that the Prophet adopted.

Narrated Anas bin Malik: A group of three men came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet asking how the Prophet worshipped (Allah), and when they were informed about that, they considered their worship insufficient and said, “Where are we from the Prophet as his past and future sins have been forgiven.” Then one of them said, “I will offer the prayer throughout the night forever.” The other said, “I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast.” The third said, “I will keep away from women and will never marry.”

Allah’s Apostle came to them and said, “Are you the same people who said so-and-so? By Allah, I am more submissive to Allah and more afraid of Him than you; yet I fast and break my fast, I do sleep and I also marry women. So he who does not follow my tradition in religion, is not from me (not one of my followers).” (Al-Bukhari)

This is the moderate approach that should be followed by Muslims whether they are new or born Muslims. Extremism and negligence are rejected in Islam.

There are many Quranic verses that make it clear that a Muslim should not burden himself with what he cannot do:

God does not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear. (Al-Baqarah 2:286)

Remain, then, conscious of God as best you can, and listen [to Him], and pay heed. (At-Taghabun 64:16)

The Prophet is reported to have said: “… if I forbid you to do something, then keep away from it. And if I order you to do something, then do of it as much as you can.” (Al-Bukhari & Muslim)

Lady Aisha said: “Once the Prophet came while a woman was sitting with me. He said: “Who is she?” I replied: “She is so and so,” and told him about her (excessive) praying. He said disapprovingly: “Do (good) deeds which is within your capacity (without overtaxing yourself) as Allah does not get tired (of giving reward) but (surely) you will get tired;  the best deed (act of Worship) in the sight of Allah is that which is done regularly.” (Ahmad)

These are the guidelines that should be followed. A mid-ground approach will help us grow in faith in this world in a sustained way, and lead to great rewards in the Hereafter.

 

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Women and Inheritance

 

In Islam a woman has no financial obligation and the economical responsibility lies on the shoulders of the man.

In Islam a woman has no financial obligation and the economical responsibility lies on the shoulders of the man.

Under Islamic law, why is a woman’s share of the inherited wealth only half that of a man? This is a common question asked about the issue of inheritance in Islam and what it tells about the position of women in Islam.

Here is the answer…

The Glorious Qur’an contains specific and detailed guidance regarding the division of the inherited wealth, among the rightful beneficiaries.

The Qur’anic verses that contain guidance regarding inheritance are:

It is prescribed, when death approaches any of you, if he leave any goods that he make a bequest to parents and next of kin, according to reasonable usage; this is due from the Allah-fearing. (Al-Baqarah 2:180)

Those of you who die and leave widows should bequeath for their widows a year’s maintenance and residence; but if they leave (The residence), there is no blame on you for what they do with themselves, provided it is reasonable. And Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise. (Al-Baqarah 2:240)

From what is left by parents and those nearest related there is a share for men and a share for women, whether the property be small or large,-a determinate share. But if at the time of division other relatives, or orphans or poor, are present, feed them out of the (property), and speak to them words of kindness and justice. Let those (disposing of an estate) have the same fear in their minds as they would have for their own if they had left a helpless family behind: Let them fear Allah, and speak words of appropriate (comfort). (An-Nisaa’ 4:7-9)

O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should you treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the dower you have given them,-except where they have been guilty of open lewdness; on the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If you take a dislike to them it may be that you dislike a thing, and Allah brings about through it a great deal of good. (An-Nisaa’ 4:19)

To (benefit) every one, We have appointed shares and heirs to property left by parents and relatives. To those, also, to whom your right hand was pledged, give their due portion. For truly Allah is witness to all things. (An-Nisaa’ 4:30)

Also in Surat Al-Ma’idah 5, verse 106-108.

There are three verses in the Qur’an that broadly describe the share of close relatives:

Allah (thus) directs you as regards your children’s (inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females, if only daughters, two or more, their share is two-thirds of the inheritance; If only one, her share is a half. For parents, a sixth share of the inheritance to each, if the deceased left children; If no children, and the parents are the (only) heirs, the mother has a third; if the deceased left brothers (or sisters) the mother has a sixth. (The distribution in all cases is) after the payment of legacies and debts. You know not whether your parents or your children are nearest to you in benefit. These are settled portions ordained by Allah; and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (An-Nisaa’ 4:11)

In what your wives leave, your share is half. If they leave no child; but if they leave a child, ye get a fourth; after payment of legacies and debts. In what ye leave, their share is a fourth, if ye leave no child; but if ye leave a child, they get an eight; after payment of legacies and debts. If the man or woman whose inheritance is in question, has left neither ascendants nor descendants, but has left a brother or a sister, each one of the two gets a sixth; but if more than two, they share in a third; after payment of legacies and debts; so that no loss is caused (to anyone). Thus it is ordained by Allah; and Allah is All-Knowing Most Forbearing. (An-Nisaa’ 4:12)

They ask thee for a legal decision. Say: Allah directs (them) about those who leave no descendants or ascendants as heirs. If it is a man that dies, leaving a sister but no child, she shall have half the inheritance. If (such a deceased was) a woman who left no child, Her brother takes her inheritance. If there are two sisters, they shall have two thirds of the inheritance (between them). If there are brothers and sisters, (they share), the male having twice the share of the female. Thus doth Allah makes clear to you (His knowledge of all things). (An-Nisaa’ 4:176)

In most of the cases, a woman inherits half of what her male counterpart inherits. However, this is not always the case. In case the deceased has left no ascendant or descendent but has left the uterine brother and sister, each of the two inherits one sixth. If the deceased has left children, both the parents that are mother and father get an equal share and inherit one sixth each.

In certain cases, a woman can also inherit a share that is double that of the male. If the deceased is a woman who has left no children, brothers or sisters and is survived only by her husband, mother and father, the husband inherits half the property while the mother inherits one third and the father the remaining one sixth. In this particular case, the mother inherits a share that is double that of the father.

It is true that as a general rule, in most cases, the female inherits a share that is half that of the male. For instance in the following cases:

1. Daughter inherits half of what the son inherits,

2. Wife inherits 1/8th and husband 1/4th if the deceased has no children

3. Wife inherits 1/4th and husband 1/2 if the deceased has children

4. If the deceased has no ascendant or descendent, the sister inherits a share that is half that of the brother.

In Islam, a woman has no financial obligation and the economical responsibility lies on the shoulders of the man. Before a woman is married, it is the duty of the father or brother to look after the lodging, boarding, clothing and other financial requirements of the woman. After she is married it is the duty of the husband or the son.

Islam holds the man financially responsible for fulfilling the needs of his family. In order to do be able to fulfill the responsibility the men get double the share of the inheritance. For example, if a man dies leaving about Rs. one hundred and fifty thousand, for the children (i.e. one son and one daughter) the son inherits one hundred thousand rupees and the daughter only fifty thousand rupees.

Out of the one hundred thousand which the son inherits, as his duty towards his family, he may have to spend on them almost the entire amount or say about eighty thousand and thus he has a small percentage of inheritance, say about twenty thousand, left for himself.

On the other hand, the daughter, who inherits fifty thousand, is not bound to spend a single penny on anybody. She can keep the entire amount for herself. Would you prefer inheriting one hundred thousand rupees and spending eighty thousand from it, or inheriting fifty thousand rupees and having the entire amount to yourself?

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Taken with kind permission from www.irf.net

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Terrorism: Whose Monopoly?

Quran

The message of the Qur’an is clear as we have seen that the sanctity of any human life is to be respected and any violation in that regard is paramount to the worst crime.

Unfortunately more and more often, Islam has been associated with terrorism and violence due to the actions of a few extreme individuals who’ve taken it upon themselves to do the most heinous crimes in the name of Islam.

Tragic events such as the attack on the twin towers in New York, the bombings of Bali, Madrid and London are assumed to be justified by Islam in the minds of some people. This idea has been fueled further by many media channels which defame Islam by portraying these bombers as ‘Islamists’ or ‘Jihadists’, as though they were sanctioned by Islam, or had any legitimate spokemenship on behalf of Muslims.

The actions of a few fanatical individuals who happen to have Muslim names or ascribe themselves to the Muslim faith should not be a yardstick by which Islam is judged. For the same reason, that one would not do justice to Christianity if it were perceived as sanctioning the genocide of the Native Americans, the atrocities of world war II or the bombings of the IRA.

To understand Islam’s stance on terrorism, one must refer to its original sources, the Qur’an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) which are explicit in their prohibition of any form of injustice including that of wanton violence which seeks to instill fear, injury or death to civilians.

The Qur’an turns our attention to the high value of human life, whether it is Muslim or Non-Muslim and makes it absolutely forbidden to take an innocent life unjustly.  The gravity of such a crime is equated, in the Qur’an, with the killing of all humanity.

On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person- unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our apostles with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land. (Al-Ma’idah 5:32)

Not only is human life sacred in Islam but the property, wealth, family and dignity of all individuals in society are to be respected and protected.  Those who transgress these rights and sow fasad (corruption) as the Qur’an describes it, incur the wrath of Allah.

…and seek not corruption in the earth; lo! Allah loves not corrupters. (Al-Qasas 28:77)

Likewise in another verse:

The blame is only against those who oppress men and wrong-doing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land, defying right and justice: for such there will be a penalty grievous. (Ash-Shura 42:42)

Islam goes further than just prohibiting oppression and safeguarding rights, it commands its faithful to deal kindly and compassionately to all those who seek to live in peace and harmony

Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for your faith, nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: For Allah loves those who are just. (Al-Mumtahanah 60:8)

In times of war and conflict, where enmity can obstruct an individual’s judgment to act morally, Islam commands that justice be upheld even towards one’s enemies.

O you who believe! stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do. (Al-Ma’idah 5:8)

Centuries before the Geneva Convention was drawn up, Muslims were bound by a code of conduct which the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) set. He forbade the killing of women, children and elderly in war. In an authentic narration the Prophet (peace be upon him) warned that he who kills anyone who has a covenant of peace with the Muslims will not smell the scent of Paradise.

In fact, he taught that justice is not only to humans but must be shown to animals and all living things. In a narration the Prophet informed us about how a lady was sent to hell because of a cat she had locked up until it starved and died. If such is the sanctity which Islam places on the soul of an animal, how much more grave is the killing of hundreds of innocent humans?!

Abu Bakr, the first Caliph of the Muslims, reflected these prophetic teachings when he advised his general Yazid, who was confronting Roman armies,

’I advise you ten things: Do not kill women or children or an aged, infirm person. Do not cut down fruit-bearing trees. Do not destroy an inhabited place. Do not slaughter sheep or camels except for food. Do not burn bees and do not scatter them. Do not steal from the booty, and do not be cowardly.’

The message of the Qur’an is clear as we have seen that the sanctity of any human life is to be respected and any violation in that regard is paramount to the worst crime.

Mercy is at the heart of the Islamic call: “We sent thee (O Muhammad) not save as a mercy for the peoples” (Al-Anbiyaa’ 21:107); a totally different message to what the terrorists are sadly imparting to humanity.

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Source: islamway.net.

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Islam: A Religion of Quality

nature_islam

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that unkempt, unclean and loutish individuals who spout distorted religious speculations as being wholly representative of Islam.

The Islamic world is wide-spread not only in its geography, but in its various traditions. However, when we look at the world of Islam today, a general coarsening has taken place.

At one time, Muslims were regarded as people of good character; in the Middle Ages, Saladin was regarded by the Crusaders, including Richard the Lionhearted, as a wise and noble figure worthy of respect. Islam led the world in the sciences, the arts and literature.

Now when we gaze upon the Islamic world, we see a degraded culture where shabby-looking men are held up as saints, where beautiful women are commanded by bigots to conceal their beauty, and where unkempt women are held up as paragons of virtue by the very nature of their appearance, as though having bad skin and uncombed hair somehow makes you pious.

It goes without saying that many, especially in the West, look at bedraggled men with long and disheveled beards, wearing rags and semi-literate, as examples of Islam. This occurs because the media has made them so, and these particular men love nothing more than to claim to speak for the whole of the Islamic world.

But it is not only in the West that this has happened; in the Islamic world, far too many Muslims see these same men and think to themselves, “Why, look! He wears filthy rags, and has a long and ungroomed beard. Surely this is a holy man!” Or they see a woman in stylish clothes, wearing makeup or having her hair uncovered, and the immediate reaction of far too many is, “Why, this woman is a prostitute, a Jezebel!”

This kind of foolish thinking is unfortunately commonplace in the Islamic world.

So how has it come to this? How is it that music, art and beauty is condemned, when music, art and beauty are gifts from God? Why are these gifts, which uplift and elevate the mind and soul, looked upon as curses from the devil himself?

Perhaps it is because we have allowed petty and small-minded provincials with peculiar ideas to rule the discussion for too long. We have allowed these people to enjoy a cultural dictatorship, a “tyranny of moral busybodies,” as the Christian writer C.S. Lewis so eloquently said.

We have allowed them to become cultural arbiters. And the results? A world without joy or beauty. A world where those men and women who wish to share the talents given to them by God are told their gifts are sins. What madness is this? Truly, a world in which there is no appreciation of beauty and aesthetics is little more than a manifestation of Hell itself.

There is nothing from the Qur’an that prohibits music or the arts. It is mistaken to say, “The Qur’an prohibits music!” This is bid`ah, or heresy, and those who introduce such things are committing a sin. As it says in the Qur’an:

Say, “Do you see that which God has provided for you – you make some of it unlawful (haram) and some of it lawful?” Say, “Did God allow you to do this, or do you tell lies about God?” (Yunus 10:59)

Our Prophet (peace be upon him) was a man of fine appearance and attribute, and he had an aesthetic appreciation for beauty. He used to grow roses around his house, and in a desert environment growing almost anything is a difficult task.

At that time there existed a fragrant oil and our Prophet used to use olive oil as well as that oil mixed with a beautiful smelling rose extract; he used to wear this in his hair as a brilliantine, and it made him appear more youthful. It is said his clothes, his frock and shirt were white and always kept clean and in good repair. His teeth (owing to the use of a miswak, a natural toothbrush) were white and clean.

All of these descriptions of his appearance come from the hadiths. All these descriptions are notably different from what we so often see, and all are notably different from what we see in Muslim extremists as well.

So to my fellow Muslims, please do not allow yourselves to fall into the trap of thinking that by looking shabby and scowling, that this makes you a more devout Muslim. Do not fall prey to the notion that forbidding music or art or beauty is somehow the commandment of God.

Do not think for one moment that by treating your wife as an object of scorn or contempt, or as your occasional beast of burden when you go to the shops, that you are living the truth of Islam. You are not. You are behaving in an ugly and boorish manner, and this behavior is fodder for those who seek to portray Muslims as savages.

And above all, do not fall into that trap of utopian nonsense which says that if the Muslims were simply to go back to the life of the seventh century A.D., then all would be well in the world, and we would all live in perfect contentment forevermore. This rejection of the modern world is not only profoundly silly and highly reactionary, it is dangerous.

And for the Western reader, I ask you not to fall into the trap of thinking that unkempt, unclean and loutish individuals who spout distorted religious speculations mixed with their own superstitions and cultural peculiarities as being wholly representative of Islam. They are not; overall, they are a minority. They get the attention they do simply because they manage to talk over everyone else.

And do not fall into the trap of the anti-Muslim bigots; while they like to claim they are only opposed to “extremists” and “radicals”, they portray this vocal and extremist minority as representative of the entirety of Islam, when in fact the opposite is true. Extremists speak only for themselves; they are a majority only in their fevered delusions.

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Source: huffingtonpost.com 

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The Reason Why Pork Is Forbidden

Eating of pork can cause no less than seventy different types of diseases.

Eating of pork can cause no less than seventy different types of diseases.

Why is the eating of pork forbidden in Islam?

The fact that consumption of pork is prohibited in Islam is well known. The following points explain various aspects of this prohibition:

1. Pork Prohibited in Qur’an

The Qur’an prohibits the consumption of pork in no less than 4 different places. It is prohibited in 2:173, 5:3, 6:145 and 16:115.

Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah. (Al-Ma’idah 5:3)

The above verses of the Qur’an are sufficient to satisfy a Muslim as to why pork is forbidden.

2. Pork Prohibited in the Bible

The Christian is likely to be convinced by his religious scriptures. The Bible prohibits the consumption of pork, in the book of Leviticus:

“And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven footed, yet he chews not the cud; he is unclean to you.”

“Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch, they are unclean to you.” (Leviticus 11:7-8)

Pork is also prohibited in the Bible in the book of Deuteronomy:

“And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet chewethnot the cud, it is unclean unto you. Ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcass.” (Deuteronomy 14:8)

A similar prohibition is repeated in the Bible in the book of Isaiah chapter 65, verse 2-5.

3. Consumption of Pork Causes Several Diseases

The other non-Muslims and atheists will agree only if convinced through reason, logic and science. Eating of pork can cause no less than seventy different types of diseases. A person can have various helminthes like roundworm, pinworm, hookworm, etc.

One of the most dangerous is Taenia Solium, which is in lay man’s terminology called tapeworm. It harbours in the intestine and is very long. Its ova i.e. eggs, enter the blood stream and can reach almost all the organs of the body. If it enters the brain, it can cause memory loss. If it enters the heart, it can cause heart attack. If it enters the eye, it can cause blindness. If it enters the liver, it can cause liver damage. It can damage almost all the organs of the body.

Another dangerous helminthes is Trichura Tichurasis.

A common misconception about pork is that if it is cooked well, these ova die. In a research project undertaken in America, it was found that out of twenty-four people suffering from Trichura Tichurasis, twenty two had cooked the pork very well. This indicates that the ova present in the pork do not die under normal cooking temperature.

4. Pork Has Fat Building Material

Pork has very little muscle building material and contains excess of fat. This fat gets deposited in the vessels and can cause hypertension and heart attack. It is not surprising that over 50% of Americans suffer from hypertension.

5. Pig is One of the Filthiest Animals on Earth

The pig is one of the filthiest animals on earth. It lives and thrives on muck, faeces and dirt. It is the best scavenger that I know that God has produced. In the villages they don’t have modern toilets and the villagers excrete in the open air. Very often, excreta is cleared by pigs.

Some may argue that in advanced countries like Australia, pigs are bred in very clean and hygienic conditions. Even in these hygienic conditions the pigs are kept together in sties. No matter how hard you try to keep them clean they are filthy by nature. They eat and enjoy their own as well as their neighbour’s excreta.

6. Pig is the Most Shameless Animal

The pig is the most shameless animal on the face of the earth. It is the only animal that invites its friends to have sex with its mate.

In America, most people consume pork. Many times after dance parties, they have swapping of wives; i.e. many say ‘you sleep with my wife and I will sleep with your wife.’ If you eat pigs then you behave like pigs. We Indians look upon America to be very advanced and sophisticated. Whatever they do, we follow after a few years. According to an article in Island magazine, this practice of swapping wives has become common in the affluent circles of Bombay.

Joel Osteen, an American preacher, televangelist, author, and the Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church, talks about the true nature of pig/pork here…

httpv://youtu.be/avKpsVD_1jI

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Source: Da`wah Skills

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Islam and the HIV/AIDS Pandemic

AIDS/HIV

There is an Islamic teaching in the Qur’an discouraging adultery, which can be a predisposing factor for HIV transmission

With worldwide concern over HIV/AIDS with global campaigns dedicated to raising awareness about it, and with a growing number of people falling victim to the pandemic, Islam has a critical say in the matter.

So, the operational definition of the Islamic approach to HIV/AIDS includes the following:

1- Believing in Allah and Prophet Muhammad

This is the first pillar of Islam indicating that an individual recognizes that there is an invisible God Who has power over all creation, Who is the Most Gracious and Most Merciful and Who has given guidance to mankind on how to live on this earth and in the Hereafter.

This guidance includes Islamic teachings that promote HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, stigma reduction, and life skills utilization. Some of the verses in the Qur’an which support this include the following:

Certainly your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days and He established Himself on the throne of authority regulating and governing all things. No intercessor can plead with Him except after His leave has been obtained. This is Allah your Lord; therefore, serve Him. Will you not receive this reminder? (Yunus 10:3)

2- Acquiring scientific knowledge about HIV/AIDS

Eliminating or reducing risk of infection requires learning about and understanding the scientific facts about HIV prevention and risk avoidance, and about treatment, care and support of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).

Allah’s guidance to believers is to read and learn in order to acquire knowledge and education:

Read! In the Name of your Lord who has created all that exists. He has created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the most generous who has taught by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not. (Al-`Alaq 96:1-5)

Also, Anas ibn Malik relates from the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he addressed the issue of knowledge in the hadith where he said: “Seeking knowledge is compulsory upon every Muslim and Muslim.” (Ibn Majah)

3- Making use of relevant Islamic teachings and practices

For example, there is an Islamic teaching in the Qur’an discouraging adultery, which can be a predisposing factor for HIV transmission:

Do not come near to adultery. For it is a shameful deed and an evil, opening the road to other evils. (Al-Israa’ 17:32)

This means that people should not indulge in activities that stimulate their sexual desires, which could then lead them to commit adultery. Adultery is a shameful behaviour that may increase risk of HIV infection. Marriage is encouraged but people must have the means to marry including testing for HIV infection.

4- Forming partnerships with and making use of religious leaders and their administrative structures

The mosque imams are the major pillars in this partnership. They can deliver AIDS education and counseling to grassroots communities. Islamic guidance in the Qur’an encourages people to form partnerships for promoting good behaviors.

Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. They are the ones to attain success. (Aal `Imran 3:104)

AIDS apademic

The jihad on AIDS is about each person’s individual struggle to control their own personal behaviour for the welfare of themselves and their families

5- Making use of the concept of Jihad An-Nafs (struggle of the soul against temptation) by each individual to combat AIDS

In this context, the jihad on AIDS is about each person’s individual struggle to control their own personal behaviour for the welfare of themselves and their families, as well as each community’s struggle to address the broader context of preventing HIV transmission and to provide care and support to those coping with HIV infection.

All Muslims were advised to participate in this Jihad An-Nafs by Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him). He called it the biggest Jihad because it is not easy for anyone to control the tempting desires of his or her soul.

Implementation of the first four components of the Islamic approach to HIV/AIDS above is likely to have a limited impact at the community level until a significant proportion of individuals participate in this jihad.

It is narrated that some troops came back from an expedition and went to see the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He said:  “You have come for the best, from al-jihad al-asghar (the smaller jihad) to al-jihad al-akbar (the greater jihad)”.  Someone said: “What is the greater jihad?”  The Prophet replied: “The servant’s struggle against his lust”.  (Al-Bayhaqi)

The enemy in this Jihad is shaitan (Satan) and Allah provides guidance on how to handle this enemy. Allah says:

If a suggestion from Satan Assail your (mind), seek refuge with Allah: For He hears and knows (all things). Those who fear Allah, When a thought of evil from Satan assaults them, bring Allah to remembrance, when lo! They see (aright)! But their brethren (the evil ones) plunge them deeper into error, and never relax (their efforts). If you bring them not a revelation, they say: “Why have you not got it together”? Say: “I but follow what is revealed to me from my Lord: This is (nothing but) lights from your Lord, and guidance, and mercy, for any who have faith.” When the Qur’an is read, listen to it with attention, and hold your peace: That you may receive Mercy. And do you (O reader!) Bring your Lord to remembrance in your (very) soul, with humility and remember without loudness in words, in the mornings and evenings; and be not you of those who are unheedful. Those who are near to your Lord disdain not to worship Him: They glorify Him and prostrate before Him. (Al-A`araf 7:200-206)

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The article is an excerpt from the paper: “The Islamic Approach to HIV/AIDs: Enhancing the Community Response”. It was derived from discussions at the International Muslim Leaders’ Consultation on HIV/AIDS, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 23–27 July 2007, organized by the Islamic Medical Association of Uganda in conjunction with the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, sponsored by USAID Health Policy Initiative. 

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Categories
New Muslims Worldview

Islam: Beyond Diversity & Cultures

nature_fence

There is one Islam, and the fundamental principles that define it are those to which all Muslims adhere.

 

Whether they are Western or Eastern, the Muslims of the world refer to a universe of meaning elaborated and constructed around a certain number of fundamental principles.

Above and beyond the diversity of their national cultures, the essence of their faith, their identity, their being in the world, is the same; they define themselves on the basis of points of reference that explain their sense of belonging to the same community of faith and at the same time, more profoundly, root them in the universe of Islam.

The often complex connection between the common principles and the diverse ways of life that one quickly notices if one visits the Muslim countries of Black Africa, North Africa, or Asia has led some orientalists and sociologists to speak of various “Islams” to take account of this plurality of cultures.

Only an in-depth study of the sources and the Islamic sciences can enable us to understand how, across various geographical areas, the oneness of the points of reference and the diversity of their lived manifestations become concrete and overlap.

One Islam

There is one Islam, and the fundamental principles that define it are those to which all Muslims adhere, even though there may be, clothed in Islamic principles, an important margin allowed for evolution, transformation, and adaptation to various social and cultural environments.

Western Muslims, because they are undergoing the experience of becoming established in new societies, have no choice but to go back to the beginning and study their points of reference in order to delineate and distinguish what, in their religion, is thabit (unchangeable) from what is mutaghayyir (subject to change), and to measure, from the inside, what they have achieved and what they have lost by being in the West.

It is a long, difficult, and sometimes dangerous journey, demanding deep immersion in the heart of the sources and the Islamic sciences and at the same time having a knowledge of the West, its history, and the social, cultural, political, and economic dynamics that constitute what one may call its specificity.

But it is a journey nonetheless imperative for those spirits who, while wanting to remain loyal to the principles of their faith and ethic, are no less conscious that they must confront the challenges of their time and their society.

This first part is an essentially theoretical study of the fundamental principles of “universal Islam” and the tools that Muslims have available to confront diversity and change, whether historical, geographical, or cultural. This research, by establishing a corpus of reference, will enable us to suggest in the second part a number of concrete responses to questions asked by Western Muslims in the various areas of their daily lives.

The word “Islam” has often been translated as “submission” to God, or “entering into the peace” of God, for these are indeed the two senses provided by the declension of the root “s-l-m.”

One Universe… One Creator

But what is missing from this approach, which relies on simple translation, is the understanding of the fundamental conceptions of Creator, human being, and universe that underpin this conceptualization.

It is assumed that the meaning is obvious, understood, and immediately accessible, whereas one cannot truly apprehend the meaning of “submission” or of “peace” in the Islamic universe of reference if one does not study, even if only a little, what is meant at the heart of the Muslim tradition by the realities of “God,” the “human being,” and “Revelation.”

If the “act of faith” is in itself simple, and considered, in Islam, as natural, it is because it is born in the depths of time and mind and is considered an essential dimension of the human being, or, more precisely, the being that is becoming human.

It is very precisely at this point that the most perfect expression of the universal, and the possibility of an encounter with it that is spiritual as well as intellectual, is expressed in the Islamic consciousness.

Flowing from it is the development of a conception of existence, of the human, of society, and of death that accompanies the Muslim wherever he may be: so the central question is to know whether this conception is exclusive and closed or, on the contrary, open and respectful of ‘otherness’ and difference.

To be continued…

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The article is an excerpt from Dr. Tariq Ramadan’s book “Western Muslims and

the Future of Islam” Oxford University Press (2004).

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