HISTORY - ~ The Marriage of Khadija

Muhammad was twenty-five years old. He was known all over Makkah.
People knew that he was fair, decent and honest with a clear
conscience, so they nicknamed him Al-ameen, the honest. Khadija was a
noble rich woman of Quraysh. Each year Khadija hired some men to trade
for her. She loaned money to merchants and made them her partners in
trade and profits. That way she guaranteed that they would be honest
in their business. On the day Khadija was making arrangements with the
merchants, Abu Talib met his nephew Muhammad. Abu Talib said to him,
"I ama penniless man. Business is getting very bad for we have had a
couple of bad years. Now we have to trade. The caravan is preparing to
leave and Khadija, the daughter of Khuwaylid, is hiring men totrade
for her. Those men make lots of money. Why don't you go and ask her
tohire you. She will give you preference over the others for she has
heard a lot about your decency." Muhammad said, "Maybe she is going to
suggest that herself." His uncle said that he was afraid she might
hire someone else if they did not ask. Muhammad refused to ask her. He
did not want to askpeople to do things for him.
Abu Talib went to Khadija and asked, "Would you hireMuhammad?" Khadija
answered, " If you asked me to hire a stranger, I would have done it
for you. How can I refuse such a decent honest man as Muhammad." Then
she sent for Muhammad. Whenhe came she said to him, "I have decided to
hire you because I have heard aboutyour truthfulness, your honesty and
your decent manners. I am offering youtwice what I would offer another
man." Muhammad accepted the offer to trade for her. Later he met his
uncle Abu Talib and told him about Khadija's offer. Abu Talib said,
"That is something Allah sent to you." Muhammad preparedto leave with
Khadija's caravan. Her servant Maysara was going with him. Muhammad's
uncles came to say goodbye to him. They asked the other merchants to
take care of him and help him. This wasthe first time Muhammad had
gone trading without his uncles. The caravan traveled for days and
nights. Muhammad and Maysara chatted together. Maysara enjoyed hearing
Muhammad. He liked his good manners and the longer they stayed
together, the more Maysara admired Muhammad.
The caravan arrived at the market at Busraa. Muhammad and Maysara
started to sell Khadija's goods. In one sale a dispute arose between
Muhammad and a customer. The customer said to Muhammad, "Swearby the
Latt and the Uzzaa." Latt and Uzzaa were two idols which some of the
people worshipped at the time. Muhammad said, "I never swear by the
Latt and Uzzaa." The customer was astounded. All the Arabs swore by
these two idols. So he said, "Whateveryou say." The customer accepted
Muhammad's word because he realized that Muhammad was not like other
merchants. They swore by the idols and still told lies and cheated.
The men sold all the goods they had. They made good profits. So
Maysara said to Muhammad happily, "Muhammad, we have traded for years
for Khadijabut we never made as much profit as we made with you."
Khadija stood looking through a high window, waiting. It was time for
hercaravan to return. Finally she saw the camels, donkeys and mules
causingthe dust to rise in the distance. The returning caravan was
indeed Khadija's. Muhammad and Maysara were in front when Maysara said
to Muhammad, "Why don't you hurry to Khadija to tell her about the
profits Allah has given to us." So Muhammad went ahead. Khadija was
watching at the window when she saw Muhammad on his camel. She
recognized him and prepared herself to meet him. Muhammad walked in,
handsome and beautiful. He told her aboutwhat he did not the trip and
about the profits they had made. She was listening to him delighted.
Her heart opened to him. After he told her everything, she asked,
Where is Maysara now?" Muhammad answered, "Still in the desert."
Khadijasaid, "Go back to him and ask him to hurry."
Maysara came and told her about profits made in the trip. It was twice
what she usually made, but she was not interested in how the business
went. She wantedto know about Muhammadand what he did on the trip.
Maysara told her everything.
Khadija was forty years old.The people nicknamed her the pure woman
and the "Lady of the Quraysh". She was beautiful. She had a fair
complexion, and was slightly plump. Her hair was raven black and
smooth while her eyes were wide. Many of the noble people of Quraysh
wanted to marry her, but she refused them all. However, when she saw
Muhammad, she loved him and thought of marrying him. But how could she
propose to him?
Since Muhammad and Maysara had become friends on the caravan, Khadija
decided to send Maysara to Muhammad to talk to him.

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QUR'AN AYATH EXPLANATION :- ~ Beliefs and Practices

Islam is the only religion inthe world that says that its precepts are
natural. The Holy Quran says:"..It is Allah's Nature on which Allah
has created humans. There is no change in Allah's creation. This is
the established religion (deen al-qayyim) but many of the humans know
not." (al-Room, 30).In Islam, the beliefs have primary position; they
are the roots, and the practicesare branches that are dependent for
their existence on the roots. The primary belief is that of theUnity
and Supreme Sovereignty of Allah, the Almighty, the Everpresent, the
Everlasting, the All-knowing. Allah is Just. He sent prophets to
conveyHis message. He ordained aDay of Judgement when the deeds of His
creatures will be measured and rewarded or punished accordingly.
Belief in Allah, therefore, entails belief in all of the above.Islam
is the last divine religion and Prophet Muhammadis the last Messenger
of Allah. In Islam, Allah has encompassed all His commandments and
decrees - decrees that will suffice for humankind til the end of the
world. The commandments are there not only to guide His creatures to
proper belief, but also to show them the proper way to live their
lives. Islam says that its practices are for benefit of the followers,
benefit in this world and in the hereafter.The ethical and moral
degeneration of the western society and the predominance of suicide,
drug abuse, and crime, seem to clearly indicate that spiritual health
of an individual and a community is as important as physical health.
The factors of physical and spiritual well-being form the basis of
Islamic practices. All that is necessary for a person's spiritual and
physical well-being is obligatory, and all that is harmful is haram
(prohibited). Islam shows ways of dealing with the world around us;
the responsibilities of a person to oneself, to parents, to siblings,
to offspring, to spouses, to neighbors, to society, to nation; what
habits to cultivate and what to avoid; what things to possess and what
to give away; what time to sleep and what time to wake up;when and how
to make love and when and how to refrain from it; when to speak up and
when to remain silent; what to eat; how to eat; how to seek knowledge,
etc. In short, Islam teaches values and priorities concerned with
every walk of life.Islam fulfills all the needs of the human nature in
such a way that by following the path of Islam, a person can attain
astate of perfection that is close to divinity. Here is a very brief
look at some of the general guidelines that Islam provides for living
anideal life.In conclusion, a point to remember is that accordingto
Islamic spirit, the first and foremost aim of a believer in following
the practices laid down by Islam is to seek Allah's pleasure.

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NEWS - ~ STORY - ~ Beginner's Introduction

Islam is the same religion that God revealed through His messengers
(peace be upon them) to all people. Islam is a complete way of life.
It impacts every part oflife, from eating and sleeping to working and
playing. It is not only a personal religion, but also a social
one.Muslims are supposed to live in accordance with God's laws. By
doing so, they strive to obtain nearness to God and victory over
temporary trials and temptations in this world. All aspects of their
practice including prayer, fasting, charity, andpilgrimage are
intended to help meet this goal.Muslims believe in Allah, the Supreme
and Eternal, Infinite and Mighty, Merciful and Compassionate, The
Creatorand The Provider, He begets not, nor was He begotten, and there
is none equal or comparable unto Him.Muslims believe in all Messengers
of Allah without any discriminationamong them, as every known nation
has a Warner or messenger from Allah. They were chosen byGod to teach
humanity anddeliver His Divine message. The Qur'an mentions the name
of some of them including Jews including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ishmael,
Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Elias, Jonah,
John the Baptist, and Jesus (peace be upon them).Muslims also believe
in another prophet named Muhammad, who is a direct descendant of
Abraham through his first born son, Ishmael. His prophethood is
propheciedin the Bible in several places, including Deut 18:18 and
John 14:16. Mohammadstands as thelast messenger and the crowning glory
of the foundation of prophethood.Muslims believe in all original
scriptures and revelations of Allah, accepting them as the guiding
light that the messengers received to show their respective people the
right path to Him. However, some of these books and revelations had
been lost or corrupted before the revelation of the Qur'an. The only
authentic and complete book of Allah in existence today is the Qur'an,
which has been preserved as it was revealed to prophet Muhammadthrough
Angel Gabriel in its pristine,pure form.The Qur'an contains many
stories that are familiar to Christians and Jews. It contains no
scientific fallacies or internal contradictions. In fact, it contains
much scientific knowledge discovered by scientists only in this
century. The Qur'an is an unparalleled Arabic literary
masterpiece.People living in the West and throughout the world should
not allow themselves to be ignorant about Islam and Muslims. For
example, there are ten million Muslims living in the United States out
of 1.8billion in the world. Only 18% of Muslims live in the Arab
world. Demographers say that Islam is the fastestgrowing religion in
the U.S.and the world. Islam is the second largest religion in
America, France, Great Britain and many more, surpassing Judaism,
Mormonism, Jehovah's Witness, and other religions.

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QUR'AN AYATH EXPLANATION :- ~ When you’re weary and alone, let faith carry you

There are times when we're alone, discouraged, and just plain weary.
Timeswhen it seems like there's no one left who matters.
That's when faith counts more than ever. That's when faith is tested.
Don't give up. Keep hope inyour heart. Remember thatin the darkest
cave, the deepest canyon, the most barren desert, Allah is still
there.
Let faith carry you at those times, and let Allah guide you, and you
will come through to a better place. It's a promise from Allah:
"And whoever is conscious of Allah, He will make for him a way out
(from every difficulty). And He will provide for him from (sources) he
never could imagine. And whoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will
suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Indeed Allah
has sent a measure for all things." (Quran: 65/2-3)

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