Welcome to Islam, - The light of the truth

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WELCOME! - AS'SALAMU ALAIKUM!!(WR, WB)

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What Is Life?
Man's existence in this world and the creation of this entire universe are not mere accidents or products of a fortuitous nature. This universe, every single atom of it, manifests and leads us to the realization of a Loving, Merciful and All-powerful Creator. Without a Creator, nothing can exist. Every single human being is aware that their existence is dependent upon a Creator. He knows for sure that he cannot create himself. Therefore, it is his duty to know his Master, the Creator.
Humankind
Man is a unique creature. Allaah, the Most Exalted, established man as His representative or deputy, to govern over all other creatures in this world. He is endowed with the faculty of reason, which sets him apart from all other animals. Together with this faculty to discriminate and discern, man has been given the freedom to choose for himself a way of life worthy of his position as Allaah's representative, or to fall lower than the lowest of all animals or creations. Almighty Allaah Says in the Noble Quran )what means(:
"And ]by[ the soul and He who proportioned it. And inspired it ]with discernment of[ its wickedness and its righteousness. He has succeeded who purifies it. And he has failed who instills it ]with corruption[."]Quran 91: 7-10[
Man is born pure and sinless and has been given the choice to do righteous deeds or indulge in sins. Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, )may Allaah exalt his mention( said in an authentic Hadeeth )narration(:"No babe is born but upon Fitrah )innate nature, which is Islam(. It is his parents who make him a Jew or a Christian or a Magian."]Muslim[
Divine Guidance
The Creator, out of His abundant Love and Mercy for mankind has not left us in darkness to discover the right path by trial and error alone. Coupled with our intellectual capability to reason, our Creator bestowed upon us Divine Guidance that outlines the Criterion for Truth, knowledge, as well as the reality of our existence in this world and the Hereafter.
Revelations
From the beginning of mankind, our Creator sent Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, to convey His Revelation and to invite human beings to the Path of true peace and obedience to the one true God. This is Islam. This message has been conveyed to man in successive generations through the different prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, who invited mankind to the same Path. However, all the earlier messages or revelations from Allaah Almighty were distorted by people of later generations.
As a result, the pure Revelation from our Creator was corrupted with myths, superstitions, idol worship and irrational philosophical ideologies. The religion of Allaah, the Exalted, in a sense was lost in a plethora of religions. Human history is a testament of man's drift between light and darkness, but Allaah, out of His Abundant Love for mankind, has not forsaken us.
Final Revelation
When mankind was in the depths of the Dark Ages, our Creator sent His final Messenger, Prophet Mohammed, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to redeem humanity with the final Revelation, which represents the ultimate and permanent source of guidance for the whole world.
Criteria for Truth
The following criteria can best serve as a gauge to find out the authenticity of the last Revelation )the Quran(, the Word of Allaah:
1.Rationalteachings
Since our Creator bestowed reason and intellect upon us, it is our duty to use it to distinguish the truth from falsehood. True, undistorted Revelation from Almighty Allaah must be rational and can be reasoned out by all unbiased minds.
2. Perfection
Since our Creator is All-Perfect, His Revelation must also be perfect and accurate, free from mistakes, omissions, interpolations and multiplicity of versions. It should be free from contradictions in its narration.
3. No myths or superstitions
True Revelation is free from myths or superstitions that degrade the dignity of our Creator or man himself.
4. Scientific
Since our Creator is the Creator of all knowledge, True Revelation is scientific and can withstand the challenge of Science at all times.
5. Factual prophecy
Our Creator is the Knower of the past, present and future. Thus, His prophecies in His Revelation will be fulfilled as prophesied.
6. Inimitable by man
True Revelation is infallible and cannot be imitated by man. Allaah's true Revelation is a Living Miracle, an open book challenging all mankind to see and prove for themselves its authenticity or veracity. Almighty Allaah Says in the Noble Quran )what means(:
"Then do they not reflect upon the Quran? If it had been from ]any[ other than Allaah, they would have found within it much contradiction."]Quran 4:82[






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Welcome to Islam, - Whom must we worship?

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The submission of man to His Creator is the essence of Islam. The name "Islam" is chosen by God )Allaah( and not by man. It is the same unifying Message revealed to all the Prophets and Messengers by Allaah, and which they spread amongst their respective nations. It was revealed in its final form to Muhammad,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam,)may Allaah exalt his mention( as a complete Message to humanity.
The Lord, Allaah, is the True and Only Creator that deserves to be worshipped. No worship is worthy of being given to a stone, statue, a cross, a triangle, Krishna, Guru, Buddha, Mahatma, sun, moon )not even to the namesake from Korea!(, light, fire, rivers, cows, Rama, temples, saints, priests, monks…all these are created beings or things.
Allaah, is the Name of The One True God. His Name is not chosen by man and does not have a number or gender. It is known that Allaah is the Name of God in Aramaic, the language of our beloved Prophet 'Eesaa )Jesus(, may Allaah exalt his mention, and a sister language of Arabic. The Name "Allaah" has been used by all previous Prophets starting with Aadam )Adam(, may Allaah exalt his mention and by the last and final Prophet Muhammad,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
The innate nature in man recognizes what is good and bad, what is true and false. It recognizes that the attributes of Allaah must be True, Unique, and All Perfect. It does not feel comfortable with any kind of degradation of His Attributes. Many who became "discontent with God" did so because of the practices of the Church in medievalEurope, and because of the claims of "god dwelling in a son" and the concept of "original sin".
However, they "escaped" into worshipping a new theory called "Mother Nature" and the material world. With the advancement of materialistic technology, others from different religions adopted the concept of "forgetting about God" and "let us live this life and enjoy it!", not realizing that they have chosen to worship the original god ofRome: Desire! As a result, the ‘enjoyment’ is turning to ‘suffering’ from AIDS.
It is now clear that this materialistic and secular progress produced a spiritual vacuum that led to complex social, economical, political and psychological problems. Many of those who "fled" their "religions" are in search again. Some try to "escape" the complexity of their daily lives by various means.
Those who have had the chance to examine the Quran and Islam, proceed with a complete way of life that leads man to establish a purpose for his presence on earth. This is well recognized in the Attributes of Allaah, and what He requires from man. Allaah Almighty does not want man to be enslaved to any false deity: nature, drugs, lust, money, other men, desire, or sex. He provides man with the proofs that He is the One Who can redeem, so that man can free himself from the slavery to any form of creation and to turn to his Creator Alone.
This Creator Has Perfect Attributes. He is the First, nothing is before Him, the Ever Living. To Him is the Final Return where everyone will be dealt with in the Most Perfect and Just way. He does not begot nor is He begotten.
Those who attribute Divinity to ‘Eesaa )Jesus(, may Allaah exalt his mention, forget or ignore the fact that he was born from a mother's womb, he needed nutrition and grew up to be a man. He was trusted with the Injeel as a Message to the Children of Israel:"For there is One God, and one mediator )i.e. a messenger( between God and men )the Children ofIsrael(, the man Christ Jesus”]I Timothy 2:5[.
Jesus, may Allaah exalt his mention, was a man-messenger calling his nation not to worship him:"But in vain they do worship me!"]Mathew 15:9[. A man who needs to eat, walk, sleep, rest, etc. cannot have Divine Attributes because he is in need and God )Allaah( is Self-Sufficient.
In all the other religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Marxism and Capitalism, there is the devotion of worshipping created beings or things in one form or another. Jews had attributed a nationalistic sense of belonging to God. They labeled Him ‘the tribal god’ for the Children of Israel. Men and women following these religions were born with the natural inclination of submission to their Creator, Allaah. It is their parents who drove them into their respective traditions.
However, once people are exposed to the Signs of Allaah around them, or in the Quran, or to someone who triggers theirFitrah)natural inclination to worship Allaah Alone(, the reverting process begins and that is why we see Islam spreading universally.
In the West, despite many distortions of Islam in the media, many admit that Islam is the fastest growing faith. No sense of fairness can be achieved without a genuine attempt to know the Word of Allaah in the Quran, and not just on the 30-minute Evening News. This is the real challenge for those who seek the Truth.
Man is created for a purpose: to live a life in accordance with Allaah's way. And why not? Do we possess the air we breathe? Did we create others or ourselves? Or were we ourselves the Creators? We are limited and weak. So, do we have the right to ignore our Creator when we all need Him?
Islam is the submission in worship to Allaah Alone and it is the essence of all the Messages sent to all nations before us. Allaah is All-Just and All-Wise. He does not intend confusion for His Creation. The religion acceptable to Him is the one chosen by Him. Its essence must be One, because He is One. It is free from geographical, racist, and status oriented concepts. It is Perfect and it is the complete way of life.
All these qualities are chosen by Allaah in His Only Religion: Islam. Its details are in the Quran, read it and come with an open heart because none can expose better than the Word of Allaah. The Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He did not author it; he was unlettered. Its translation is available in many languages in bookstores or in an Islamic center close to you. Take the time to read it and come to, or call the Islamic center, or speak to someone who reverted and submitted to Allaah Alone.








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Dought & clear, - Is it mustahabb to wash the hands with soap?

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Did the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) warn against germs and did he use soap or lotus leaves? Doctors nowadays tell us that we should wash our hands often and use soap and water. But soap at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was not like it is now. Should we follow the modern ways for protection or is water sufficient, as it was at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? If germs are a cause of anxiety and we have to follow what we are told, then can we use lotus leaves or potash instead of soap, as was done at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? Will our reward be greater if we follow the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in everything, such as using potash and a little soap and water, and not to change often or own a lot of clothes?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
Islamic sharee‘ah is a flexible way that is based on general principles and holistic foundations governing human conduct. At the same time it allows room for new developments that occur with changes in time and place. For example, it does not put undue restrictions on people with regard to customs and purely worldly actions; rather it gives them the freedom to act in accordance with what is appropriate to their desires and interests, and what will benefit them, so long as any given custom is not contrary to the text of the Qur’an or Sunnah. This is the meaning of what was affirmed by the fuqaha’ and scholars of usool when they said: The basic principle with regard to customs is that they are permissible and are allowed.
Based on that, there is nothing wrong with the Muslim benefiting from what has been invented or discovered in modern times, such as cars, airplanes and electricity… and modern means of cleaning the body or clothes.
The Muslim is not required to go back to riding camels or using the kind of cleaning agents that were used by the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), because these are not worship in which he is required to follow the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); rather these are customs and traditions.
Ash-Shaatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to customs, the Lawgiver focused on the idea of achieving a given purpose, not on a literal following of a shar‘i text, unlike acts of worship which must be based on a shar‘i text.
End quote fromal-Muwaafaqaat, 2/523
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) encouraged cleanliness and that which will protect good health in general terms, and for that purpose he used the means and things that were available at his time (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). If something new is introduced and it leads to the same purpose (i.e., cleanliness and maintenance of good health) without causing any harm, then there is nothing wrong with the Muslim using it and benefiting from it.
In Islam there are many teachings that are indicative of paying attention to cleanliness of the body, clothing and place where one is. To confirm that, it is sufficient to note that wudoo’ – which involves washing the hands, mouth, nose, and face – is one of the conditions of prayer, which is the foundation of the faith, being valid.
Using cleaning agents with water was not widely practised at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) because of the scarcity of these cleaning agents and the scarcity of water itself.
Yet despite that it is proven in the Sunnah that lotus leaves may be used in some cases where ghusl is done that require extra attention to care and cleaning, such as washing the deceased prior to burial, ghusl for a woman whose period has ended, and ghusl for the kaafir who becomes Muslim. The fuqaha’ also mentioned using saltwort as well for the purpose of cleaning and bathing.
Saltwort (salsola) is a plant that grows in sandy ground; it or its ash is used for washing clothes and hands.
Al-Mu‘jam al-Waseet, 1/91
With regard to lotus, this is a plant that grows on water. Its fruit is the lotus fruit (nabq) and its leaves are used for washing. See:Lisaan al-‘Arab, 4/354
It was narrated that Umm ‘Atiyyah al-Ansaariyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered upon us when his daughter died and said: “Wash her three times, or five, or more than that, if you see fit, with water and lotus leaves, and put camphor in the last time, or a little camphor”.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1253; Muslim, 939
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This indicates that it is mustahabb or encouraged to use lotus leaves when washing the deceased. There is unanimous agreement that it is mustahabb.
End quote fromSharh Muslim, 7/3
Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Al-Maymooni said: I read to Ibn Hanbal: Is it acceptable for the woman whose menses has ended to do ghusl using only water?
He dictated to me: If she cannot find anything but water on its own, then she should do ghusl with it. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Your water and your lotus leaves,” and this is more than ghusl in the case of janaabah.
I said: What if she did ghusl using water only, then she found (lotus leaves)?
He said: I prefer that she should repeat it, because of what he said.
End quote fromFath al-Baari, 1/471-472
It was narrated from Qaasim ibn ‘Aasim (may Allah be pleased with him) that he became Muslim, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed him to do ghusl using water and lotus leaves.
Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, 605. He said: It is hasan. It was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh at-Tirmidhi.
It is obvious that using lotus leaves when doing ghusl does not come under the heading of acts of worship; rather it is the matter of customs that change with time and place. Whoever uses any cleansing material in the place of lotus leaves has fulfilled the spirit of the Sunnah and has fulfilled the purpose for which the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed people to do ghusl with lotus leaves.
On our website, in a number of answers, we have explained that it is not mustahabb to imitate the actions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he did on the grounds that they were customs or personal habits or preferences, and doing so does not bring any greater reward than other customary matters. Rather reward is attained by adhering to Sunnahs of worship and related matters.
Shaykh Dr. Muhammad al-Ashqar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The ruling on these matters of custom and similar issues is that they are indicative of something being permissible, and no more, except in two cases:
1. Where there is a report of words enjoining or encouraging something, in which case it seems that it is something prescribed in Islam
2. Where it seems that it is connected to Islam by circumstantial evidence other than words, such as placing the deceased in his grave facing towards the qiblah. That is obviously connected to something that is prescribed in Islam.
End quote fromAf‘aal ar-Rasool, 1/237
See also the answer to question no. 69822
Secondly:
With regard to what you mentioned about not owning a lot of clothes, what is required of the Muslim with regard to food, drink and clothing, and the house in which he lives and the furniture on which he sits, and other such matters, is that he should not go beyond what he needs. So what he has of clothing and furnishings should be in accordance with what he needs and no more than that. If it is more than what he needs, then he comes under the heading of extravagance which is condemned in Islam. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allah) likes not Al-Musrifoon (those who waste by extravagance)”
[al-An‘aam 6:141].
As-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Extravagance may mean having more than is sufficient and consuming too much of food that is harmful to the body; or it may mean going to excess in luxury in food, drink and clothing; or it may mean overlooking what is halaal and favouring what is haraam.
“certainly He (Allah) likes not Al-Musrifoon (those who waste by extravagance)” means that Allah hates extravagance and it is harmful to the individual’s body and livelihood, because he may end up being unable to meet his financial obligations. This verse commands us to consume food and drink and it forbids us to neglect them or be extravagant with them. End quote.
Tafseer as-Sa‘di, p. 311
Ibn Maajah (3605) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Eat and drink, give charity and wear clothes, so long as that does not involve any extravagance or vanity.”
Classed as hasan by al-Albaani inSaheeh Ibn Maajah.
And Allah knows best.










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