For children, - Restore Faith in Humanity: The Professor

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As usual life was hectic for me. Every day, I had to leave in a hurry to reach my office on time by 9:00 am. It was already 8:00 am; I just woke up from my slumber. In a hurry I got freshen up and dressed, ready to leave for office by 20 minutes without having my breakfast. It was a common routine for me; life was full of fixed schedule just like a pendulum moving to and fro.
I stood near the road, waved towards a passing auto, no luck. After 5minutes an auto stood by and I saw a young driver with a black t-shirt and blue denim, quite unusual for an auto driver. Without wasting my time in bargaining I boarded the auto. Another passenger was already seated, a woman in her mid-forties with little make ups, marks of talc near her neck, big rounded spectacles with a hand bag with few books. I guessed she was a professor from the imprint on her bag "Bangalore University."
After 5 minutes, the auto stopped and a woman came to seat near "The professor." Within an instant, the professor strongly opposed to the driver that woman cannot seat near her, or go in the auto.
The lady seemed like a daily laborer, with stains of dirt and dust across her sari, she looked feeble but her hand full of scratches and stiffness proved her strenuous works for a living. She had some masonry tools, dusty and old.
I was left aback when "The professor" said she cannot sit with her.
She can't sit in the auto. "This is my vehicle, I decide who will go or not" said the angry driver.
I will pay the full fare, replied the professor lady.
My anger was nearly out of control. Suddenly I spoke with a burst. "What the hell are you, Human or devil? Being a teacher is this what you teach your children? You think you are civilized? I think you are the most uncivilized one. You call yourself educated, but what is the use of the education. I think you are an uneducated fool."
The professor lady got angry and said to the driver, "I will pay the full fare, just leave this guy here."
The driver was equally angry: "Just get down; I don't need your bloody money. You are a curse to humanity."
With a few angry murmurs, the so called professor of a college with no such thing called humanity in her for a fellow woman, got down angrily.
The laborer lady got up and put her things at the back of the auto and sat down.
Unaware of the pace of time, I was fighting for a person's rights, fundamental rights. I was satisfied, even though it was already late.
I was just getting down from the auto paying my fare, when I heard a low voice saying "Thank You."
You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.

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Discover Islam, - * Islam and essential needs

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Islam came to complete the previous Divine religions and faith on earth. In fact, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, )may Allaah exalt his mention( completed the missions of the previous Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention. Allaah’s Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“My example, and the example of the prophets, who preceded me, is like that of a person who built a beautiful house. The house was perfect, magnificent and great except for a place of a single brick )in one corner(. People, who visited )or saw( that house admired it but always wondered, why did not the owner complete that missing single brick?’ I am that )missing( brick. I am the final Prophet )for mankind on the earth(.”]Al-Bukhaari, Hadeeth No.3341 and at-Tirmithi, Hadeeth No.2862[
Islam diligently acts to provide the basic needs of man on earth, like the previous Divine religions and works hard to secure his rights.
Let us read together the following verse of the Glorious Quran )which means(:“Fight in the cause of Allaah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allaah loves not transgressors.”]Quran 2:190[
Allaah, the Exalted and Sublime, has made Jihaad )fighting and struggling for His cause(, a rewardable act that Muslims believe in and practice. In fact, Jihaad is looked upon as the “hump” of the camel, the highest most important point on the body of the camel, and a Muslim should regard it similarly. Struggle for the sole cause of Allaah Almighty must be cherished by the sincere believing Muslims in this life. It should be treated with reverence and taken seriously, with a mature understanding of its objectives. Jihaad is not an innovation in Islam. In fact, Jihaad is an accepted, well-established, and known practice in the previous faiths and nations as well.
Jihaad was established earlier, Allaah knows best, because of the fact that there have been conflicts and differences among people all over the earth. Moreover, good and evil have always co-existed in societies all over the world throughout history. Therefore, Jihaad was founded and defined in order to stop tyranny and remove tyrant rulers, who deviate from Allaah’s Path and the code of life that He laid down for man to follow. Jihaad is also laid down, Allaah knows best, in order to stop people from worshipping other people and false deities, and introduces them to the reality of the worship of Allaah alone, Who has no son, partners or associates.
Jihaad is also laid down for man on earth to remove all injustices committed by man and introduce the world to the mercy, justice, peace and tranquility of Islam as a way of life. Moreover, Jihaad is laid down, in principle, to protect the call to Islam and help spreading it all over the world. It is for the interest of humankind on earth and not for the interest of Arabs or Muslims, as Islam has no geographic borders.
The final word underlying Jihaad is for the people to either accept or reject Islam as a way of life. Islam has a message for the entire humanity. Islam has the most comprehensive code of morals and ethics for people in every walk of life. Islam laid down the principles of justice, fairness, equality, freedom, prosperity, success and truthfulness for man on earth. Jihaad has not been laid down to force people against their will to join Islam; rather it is a tool and mechanism to help spread the religion of monotheism, justice and equality to the entire world. After the various peoples receive the message, it is up to them to accept Islam as a way of life or choose otherwise.
In any event, the essential purpose of Jihaad is to carry the Message of Islam to people and introduce it to them. Almighty Allaah states in the Glorious Quran )what means(:“Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects Evil and believes in Allaah has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And, Allaah hears and knows all things.”]Quran 2: 256[
The directive principle cementing relationships between government and people is based on peace. Yet, Allaah Almighty laid down the foundations of Jihaad in Islam for a special reason and purpose. There is a major difference between the terms“Jihaad”and“War”.Jihaad, as interpreted and understood in Islam, is not a“Holy War”as described in the Western media; rather, it is an honorable ‘struggle’ against the enemies of Allaah Almighty who reject His Word and faith in Him and His religion of Islam.“War”on the other hand, is a drive for personal interests and ownership of lands, natural resources for political or economic reasons. Islam ordered for Jihaad in the three situations as follows:
1- Defense of life, property and national boundaries
This concept is based on the verse of the Glorious Quran )which means(:“Fight in the cause of Allaah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allaah loves not transgressors.”]Quran 2: 190[
2- Removing oppression and preserving the just rights of the oppressed people. This concept is based on the verse of the Glorious Quran, )which means(:“And why should you not fight in the cause of Allaah and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated people )and oppressed(? Men, women, and children, whose cry is: ‘Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You one who will protect; and raise for us from You one who will help!’”]Quran 4:75[
3-Defence of Faith and Religion
A fighter must purify his intention to please Allaah Almighty alone and he must have a sound understanding that he is not participating in this Jihaad for any unfair reasons. The fighters must realize that they are taking part in such a Jihaad in order to spread the Word of Allaah Almighty. This concept is based on the verse of the Glorious Quran, )which means(:“And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevails justice and faith in Allaah altogether and everywhere; but if they cease, verily Allaah does see all that they do.”]Quran 8:39[
Moreover, if the enemies of Islam cease their fire and resort to stop the war, accepting to make peace with the Islamic Jihaad government, the Muslim fighters must, as well, cease their fires and stop all Jihaad activities. In fact, it becomes unlawful for Muslims to continue to fight in Jihaad against the troops of the other side, if the confronted party cease their fire and ask for peace. This concept is based on the verse of the Glorious Quran, )which means(:“Therefore if they withdraw from you but fight you not, and )instead( send you )guarantees of( peace, then Allaah has left no way for you )to war against them(.”]Quran 4:90[
Furthermore, all other types of wars that aim at land expansion, colonial interests and revenge that result in wide-scale destruction, are totally prohibited according to Islam. Although Islam permitted fighting against enemies for necessary reasons, it has laid articulate rules of conduct while waging wars against the enemies of Islam. Islam does not allow fighters to kill anybody: it is permissible to attack only combatants and supporting forces on the other side. Islam does not permit, accept or condone the killing of elderly people, children, women, sick people under medical treatment, medical staff workers and monks who have secluded themselves for worship of Allaah Almighty.
Islam prohibits killing a wounded man in a battle and forbids mutilating the bodies and organs of the deceased enemy fighters. Islam also forbids the killing of cattle or any type of animals of the enemies, destroying the houses of innocent people, polluting the potable waters, rivers, lakes, springs and wells of water of the fighting enemies. Moreover, Islam prohibits chasing people who flee the battlefield. This concept is based on a verse of the Glorious Quran )which means(:“But seek, with the )wealth( which Allaah has bestowed on you, the Home of the Hereafter, nor forget your portion in this World: but do you good, as Allaah has been good to you, and seek not )occasions for( mischief in the land: for Allaah loves not those who do mischief.”]Quran 28:77[

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Discover Islam, - * Islam and essential needs

* Islam and essential needs

Discover Islam, - * What is the purpose of life

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All praise be to Allaah and may Allaah exalt the mention of His messenger, Muhammad.
The information which I wish to share with you may seem a bit extensive, but when you consider the capacity of the human brain and the capacity that it can store, I am sure that a few pages in tonight's talk will not overburden you.
I am honored to have this opportunity and I would like to begin by saying that all of you have an equal responsibility. That responsibility is to listen with an open heart and an open mind. In a world filled with prejudice and cultural conditioning, it is very hard to be able to find people to take a moment to think about life objectively and try to arrive at the truth about this world and the real purpose of our lives.
Unfortunately, when you ask most people the question: "What is the purpose of life?" )such a fundamental and important question(, they will not tell you what they have concluded through observation or analytical reasoning. Rather, in most cases, they will simply tell you what someone else said, or they will tell you what is "commonly presumed" by others, i.e., What my father said purpose of life is, what the minister of my church said the purpose of life is, what my teacher in school said, what my friend said, etc. If I ask anyone about the purpose of eating or why do we eat, everyone will say ]in one word or another[ that it is for nutritional purposes, because nutrition sustains life. If I ask anyone why they work, they will say because it's a necessity in order to support themselves and to provide for the needs of their families. If I ask anyone why they sleep, why they wash, why they dress, etc., they will answer with appropriate answers, for these are common necessities for all human beings. We can follow this line of questioning with a hundred questions and receive the same or similar answers from anyone in any language from any place in the world. Then I ask you the question: Why, when we ask the question, "What is the goal and purpose of life?" that we get many different answers? It is because people are confused; they don't really know. They are stumbling in the dark, and rather than say, "I don't know"; they just offer any answer they have been programmed to give. Think about it. Is our purpose in this world simply to eat, sleep, dress, work, acquire some material things and enjoy ourselves? Is this our purpose? Why are we born? What is the object of our existence? What is the wisdom behind the creation of man and this tremendous universe?
Think about those questions. Some people argue that there is no proof of any diving origin; no proof that there is a god and there is no proof that this universe has come about through any divine purpose. There are people who argue this way, and they say that perhaps this world came about by chance. A big bang, and this great world ]with all its orchestration[ just came together. They argue that life doesn't have any definite purpose, and that there is nothing that can prove ]either through logic or science[ that there is a god, or a purpose or any divine reason behind this world.
Here I would like to mention a few verses from the Noble Quran that address this subject. We seek the protection of Allaah from every evil thing. Allaah mentions to us in the Noble Quran )what means(:"And to Allaah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and Allaah is over all things competent. Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. Who remember Allaah while standing or sitting or ]lying[ on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, ]saying[, "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You ]above such a thing[; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.."]Quran 3: 189-191[
Now here in these verses, Allaah draws our attention to the creation of the heavens and earth, the alternation of the night and the day, the creation of the universe. He calls our attention to their creation and their precision, and mentions those who contemplate the wonders of creation and realize that this was not created for any foolish purpose, ]that Allaah is exalted above doing such a thing[ and they seek refuge with Allaah from the punishment of Hell. Truly, when you see the design of all that Allaah created, you realize it is very powerful and very precise. Something very powerful and very precise; something beyond your own calculation and imagination, cannot be foolish. It cannot be just "thrown together".
There are many examples of things that happen by chance. Let me offer one situation. If you took ten colored marbles, then numbered them one to ten and you put them inside a bag. Next, you shook that bag to mix them up. Then, closing your eyes and reaching into the bag, you tried to pull out the marbles in order-1 to 10. What is the chance of pulling out the marbles in order? Do you know what the chances are? It is twenty six million to one )26,000,000 to 1(. And this is something within our ability to do. So now I ask you, what is the chance that the heavens and the earth just came together as they are ]with the exact precision and orchestration in their existence[?
My dear respected brothers and sisters, we have to ask ourselves a further question. When you see a bridge, a building or an automobile, you automatically consider the person or company that constructed it. When you see a large ship, an airplane, a rocket, a satellite; you also think about how incredible it is. ]You know by its design who the maker is.[ When you see a super international airport, nuclear plant or an orbiting space station you have to be thoroughly impressed with the engineering dynamics that are involved. Yet, these are just things that are manufactured by human beings. So what about the human body with its massive and intricate control systems? Think about it. Think about the brain: how it thinks, functions, analyzes, retrieves and stores information, as well as distinguishes and categorizes information in a millionth of a second, all of this constantly. Think about the brain for a moment. )And don't forget the fact that you are using your brain to consider itself!( This is the brain that made the automobile, the rocket ships, the boats, and so on. Think about the brain and who made that! Think about the heart. Think about how it pumps continuously for sixty or seventy years ]taking in and discharging blood throughout the body[ maintaining steady precision throughout the life of the person. Think about the kidneys and the liver and the various functions they perform. The purifying instruments of the body that perform hundreds of chemical analyses simultaneously and also control the level of toxicity in the content of the body. All of these are done automatically. Think about your eyes, the human cameras, that adjust, focus, interpret, evaluate, and discern color automatically, naturally receiving and adjusting to light and distance. Think about it-Who created them? Who has mastered their design and function? Who plans and regulates their function? Human beings do this? No, of course not. What about this universe? Think about this. This earth is one planet in our solar system, and our solar system is one ]of possible many[ solar systems. Our galaxy, The Milky Way, is one of the galaxies. There are one hundred million galaxies in the universe. They are all in order and they are all precise. They are not colliding with each other. They are not conflicting with on another. They are swimming along in an orbit that has been set for them. Did human beings set that into motion and are human beings maintaining that precision? No, of course not. Think about the oceans, the fish, the insects, the birds, the plants, bacteria, and chemical elements that have not yet been discovered and cannot be detected even with the most sophisticated instruments. Yet each of them has a law that they follow. Did all of this synchronization, balance, harmony, variation, design, maintenance, operation and infinite numeration happen all by chance? Do these things function perfectly and perpetually also by chance? No, of course not. That would be totally illogical and foolish. In the least, it indicates that however it came to exist-it exists beyond the realm of human capability. We will all agree to that. The Being, The Almighty Power, God, The Creator who has the knowledge to design and proportion crated all of this and is responsible for maintaining it. HE is the only one that deserves praise and gratitude.
If I were to give each one of you one hundred dollars for no reason, you would at least say thank you. What about your eyes, your kidneys, your brain, your children, and your life: Who gave you all of that? Is He not worthy of praise and thanks? Is He not worthy of your worship and recognition?
My brothers and sisters, in a nutshell, this is the goal and purpose of this life. Allaah Says to us in the Noble Quran )what means(:"And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me." ]Quran 51: 56[ This is what he Almighty said. Our purpose in this life is to recognize The Creator, to be grateful to Him, to worship Him, to surrender ourselves to Him and to obey the laws that He has determined for us. It means worship is our purpose in life. Whatever we do in the course of that worship, ]i.e., the eating, the sleeping, the dressing, the working, the enjoying,[ between birth and death is consequential and subject to His orders. But the main reason for our creation is worship. I don't think anyone who is analytical or scientific will have much of an argument with that purpose. They may have some other reason with themselves-but that is something they have to deal with between themselves and Almighty God.

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