Had Allah willed, He would have made you one Ummah

Allah says in the Quran, Surat Al-Maaidah (5:48):
To each of you We prescribed a law and a method. Had Allah willed,He
would have made youone nation [united in religion], but [He intended]
to test you in what He has given you; so race to [all that is] good.
To Allah is your return all together, and He will [then] inform you
concerning that over which you used to differ.
The differences between us, differences of religion, ethnicity and
nationality, are a test and a blessing. They are a part of Allah's
plan. If He had willed it, He could have made us all onesingle Ummah,
with no disagreements and no variations, homogeneous like a field of
grass, all blending together so that the eye could rest on any one
person and he would look no different from any other. Allah could have
made us all with the same language, same faces, eyes and hair, same
customs and traditions, same cuisines, same art and architecture… But
that doesn't sound like a very interesting or exciting world, does it?
The religious differences among us are a test. The other differences
are blessings.
Never let the vast variety of human tongues and traditions become a
source of hostility, suspicion or despair. Never let the physical
distances betweenus become a source of frustration. Be grateful for
the beauty of a Tibetan monastery high in the Himalayas, or the tang
of Thai curry, or the beating of the drum at an Indonesian wedding, or
thegreat variety of cultures found in your own hometown. Be glad for
the opportunity to be exposed to something different, andto let your
mind open like a flower.
If the differences between people present a challenge,then welcome the
challenge; Allah has given you that challenge for a reason, so look
for the opportunity to learn. It is there.

The Wisdom of the Prophet: the Incident of the Epileptic Woman

There is a hadith narrated by 'Ata bin Abi Rabah:
Ibn 'Abbas once said to me,"Shall I show you a womanof the people of Paradise?"
I said, "Yes."
He said, "This black lady came to the Prophet (peacebe upon him) and
said, 'I get attacks of epilepsy and my body becomes uncovered; please
invoke Allah for me.' The Prophet said (to her), 'If you wish, be
patient and you will have Paradise; and if you wish, I will invoke
Allah to cure you.' She said, 'I will remain patient,' and added, 'but
I become uncovered, so please invoke Allah for me that I may not
become uncovered.' So he invoked Allah for her." - Bukhari :: Book 7
:: Volume 70 :: Hadith 555
This hadith was published recently on MuslimasOasis.com , and I was
fascinated by the many comments from readers who have epilepsy and
have been inspired or comforted by this hadith.
One sister wrote:
"(This hadith) was a comfort to me as an epileptic when I had a
seizure outside of a masjid on the pavement in Philadephia during a
busy Jumaah afternoon. When I came to, my niqab was removed, my hijab
loosened, and my husband and a brother were helpingthe paramedics that
had arrived. Because of this hadith I felt comfort in spite of being
such a spectacle, alhamdulillah."
Another said:
"I too am an epileptic. When I first reverted to Islam over 3 years
ago, oneof the sisters who witnessed my Shahada wrote this hadith out
and gave it to me. It is a HUGE comfort to know this. May Allah ease
the trials of all epileptics and those who suffer from any disease
andgrant us all sabr. Ameen!"
And there were other similar comments, from men and women, ma-sha-Allah.
I don't have epilepsy or any other serious sickeness,Alhamdulillah
(praise God) for all His blessings. But as Iread the comments of
people who do have some illness and have been tremendously comforted
by this hadith, all of a sudden I realized the huge wisdom of the
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in whathe said to the epileptic woman. He
could have simply invoked for her and she would have been cured, and
then all of us 1,400 years later would read the story and say,
"Ma-sha-Allah, another miracle to prove his Prophethood." But it
wouldhave no lasting personal significance.
Instead, by asking the woman to be patient and promising her Jannah
(Paradise), the Prophet (pbuh) has sent a message of hope down through
the ages to all the other sufferers in the world: Allah sees your
suffering. Your pain will be compensated, and your patience rewarded
with the greatest possible prize.
Even today epilepsy cannotbe cured, though it can be controlled
somewhat through medication. So even now, all these years later, in
this age of medical wonders, this hadith still has immediate
significance for people who suffer from this illness, and in fact
frompeople who suffer from any illness, from cancer to leprosy to
bipolar disorder.
Another point of note is that every Prophet was sent with certain
types of miracles appropriate to theunderstanding of their people.
Musa (Moses, peacebe upon him) was sent with the staff of power andthe
white hand, because his mission was to a peoplesteeped in sorcery.
"Medicalmiracles" – curing the sick, even bringing the dead back to
life – were the hallmark of the Prophet Isaibn Maryam (Jesus son of
Mary, pbuh), because he was sent to a people who specialized in
healing arts.
If the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had made it his habit to cure the sick,
the Christians might say about us Muslims, "Oh, you are only taking
Biblical stories and applying them to your Prophet."
Instead, though the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) performed his shareof
wonders, he was given the greatest miracle of all, the Quran, a living
proof through the millenia, and asource of eternal guidance. This is
appropriate becausehis immediate mission wasto a people of poetry, of
language and eloquence; while his greater mission was to all of
humanity.
"Say: 'If the whole of mankind and Jinns were to gather together to
produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like of
it, even if they backed up each other with help and support.'" (Quran
17:88)
Did the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), a mereshepherd and trader living
almost one and a half thousand years ago in the lonely deserts of
Arabia, realize the lasting significance of his actions? Did he
perceive the way hiswords and deeds would echo down the annals of
history?
Sure he did. He was a man of great wisdom, courage and natural
intelligence. Hedid not do things randomly, especially in matters of
worship. And hewas guided by Allah in these matters, so that his
actions could serve as an example for humanity untilthe Day of
Resurrection.

Our Prophet's (saas) Affectionate, Protective and Loving Attitude Toward The People of The Book

OUR PROPHET (SAAS) GAVE THE NAJRAN CHRISTIANS PERMISSION TO WORSHIP IN
THE MASJID-I NABAWI
"A Christian Najran delegation came to Medina at the time of the
afternoon prayer and entered the Masjid-i Nabawai. Arriving when our
Prophet (saas) and his people were still peforming the
afternoonprayer, the Christians turned to the East and prepared to
worship.SOME COMPANIONS WISHED TO PREVENT THEM WORSHIPING, BUT THE
PROPHET (SAAS) COMMANDED THAT THEY BE LEFT ALONE AND PERMITTED TO
WORSHIP. " ( Tabarî, I bn Kathir, Razî, Qurtubî; Surah Al 'I mran,
3/1-61; Part of these commentaries dealt with the beginning of the
Surah, and some with the 61st verse, known as the mubahala verse).
(Hamidullah, The Prophet of Islâm, trans.: Salih Tug, Ankara 2003, I,
920; Saricam, The Prophet Muhammad and His Universal Message, 278.)
OUR PROPHET (SAAS) SPREAD OUT HIS CLOAK FOR THE NAJRAN CHRISTIANS TO
SIT ON DURING THEIR VISIT
In addition, according to some accounts, our Prophet (may Allah
blesshim and grant him peace) attended their weddings , visited their
sick, and was generous to them. THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAAS) EVEN
SPREAD OUT HIS CLOAK SO THAT THE CHRISTIANS OF NAJRAN WHO CAME TOVISIT
HIM COULD SIT ON IT.
OUR PROPHET (SAAS) SAID THAT THE PEOPLE OFTHE BOOK WERE ENTRUSTED TO MUSLIMS
In the agreement which our Holy Prophet (saas) decreed the articles to
Ibn Harris ibn Ka'b, who is a Christian, and other Christians: " THE
RELIGION, CHURCHES, LIVES, CHASTITY AND PROPERTY OF THE ENTIRE
CHRISTIANS LIVING IN THEEAST AND THE WEST ARE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF
ALLAH, HIS PROPHET (SAAS) AND ALL THE BELIEVERS.None of the people
embracing the religion of Christianity will be forced to accept Islam
. If one of the Christians suffers murder or injustice, Muslims are
obliged to help him," he narrated the verse: "Only argue with the
People of the Book in the kindest way…" (Surat al-Anqabut, 29/46).
(Ibn Hisham, Abu Muhammad Abdu'l-Malik, (v.218/834), as-Seerat
an-Nabaweeyat, Daru't-Turasi'l-Arabiyye, Beirut, 1396/1971,
IV/241-242; Hamidullah, Al-Wasaiq, s.154-155, No.96-97; DoğuBatı
kaynaklarında birlikte yaşama, "Living together in Eastern and Western
sources, p. 95)
OUR PROPHET (SAAS) MADE THE HOMES OF THE COMPANIONS AVAILABLE FOR
VISITING MEMBERS OFTHE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK TO STAY IN
In the time of our Prophet (saas) envoys and delegations visited
Medinain groups. Sometimes these groups – includingthe People of the
Book – would stay for more than 10 days, such that the houses of some
people such as Abdurrahman bin Awf, Mu g ire bin S ube, Abû Ayyub
al-Ansarî and Ansar were made available for them. In addition, a tent
pitched near the Masjid and where the People of Suffa, who acquired
knowledge around the Masjid al-Nabawi, stayedwould be prepared for the
visitors. Our Prophet (saas) would give documents of privilege
(written commands and instructions setting out rights and privileges
bestowed on certain groups and individuals in agreements with
foreigners)and official texts notifying the lands set aside for them.
He would apppoint governorsfrom among them to some regions. Again, in
sending alms officials to Muslims, the Holy Messenger would also
appoint Christians as non-Muslims capitation tax officials. In fact,
these official delegations that arrived were all evidence of the whole
Arabian peninsula's acceptance of the Prophet Muhammed's (saas)
prophethood and dominion. (Saricam, The Prophet Muhammad and His
Universal Message, 356.)
ON MATTERS THAT WERE NOT REVEALED, OUR PROPHET (SAAS) WOULD ACT
ACCORDING TO THE BEHAVIOR OF THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, NOT THE PAGANS OF
MECCA
In Mecca, Rasulullah (saas) opposed the Meccan pagans on subjects on
which there had been no revelation, AND ACTED IN THE LIGHT OF THE
BEHAVIOR OF THE POEOPLE OF THE BOOK . (Bukhârî, al-Libâs 70; Muslim,
al-Fadâ'il 90)
OUR PROPHET (SAAS) SENT COMPANIONS ON HEJIRA TO THE CHRISTIAN NAJASHI
The first Christian country that attracted the interest of our Prophet
(saas) before the Hejira and that he desired Muslims to migrate to was
Abyssinia. In the face of the ruthless tortures and oppression on the
part of the pagans of Mecca, Rasulullah (saas) desired the Muslims of
Mecca to migrate to Abyssinia and he expressed those feeling in these
words: "If you wish and have the means, seek shelter in Abyssinia.
BECAUSE NOBODY IS PERSECUTED IN THE LANDS OF THE KING WHO RULES THERE.
THAT IS A TRUE AND SAFE PLACE. STAY THERE UNTIL ALLAH MAKES THINGS
EASIER." (Muhammad Hamîdullah, al-Wasaik al-Siyasiyya, (trans.Vecdi
Akyuz), Kitabevi, Istanbul 1997,p.115; Hamîdullah, The Prophet of
Islam, I,297.)

NEWS - ~ Cargo plane hits busin Ghana airport crash

3 June 2012 Last updated at 01:28
~
A cargo plane has crash landed in Ghana's capital Accra, hitting a bus
full of passengers, officials say.
Ten passengers on board the bus were reported to have been killed
while allfour crew members survived.
Local TV showed the heavily damaged Boeing 727 Allied Air plane lying
across a road close to Kotoka International Airport.
Ghana's airport operator said the plane, which hadflown from Lagos,
Nigeria, overshot the runway.
It said in a statement thatthe four crew members were receiving
treatmentat an airport clinic.
"The aircraft collided witha minivan, resulting in 10confirmed
fatalities," the statement added.
Police and troops cordoned off the scene following the incident just
after 19:00 GMT on Saturday.
Ghana's Vice President John Dramani Mahama told reporters at the
airport that a thorough investigation would be carried out.
"No early conclusions should be drawn. We should allow investigations
to arrive atthe actual cause. But I canassure Ghanaians that
thesituation is under control," he said.
Ghana Airport Company said flights were continuing as normal at the airport.
Kofi Kportufe, head of Ghana's national disaster management agency,
praised the emergency services for their quick response, which he said
had "averted further disaster".
"This is a sad day for Ghana," he said.
The BBC's West Africa correspondent John James says Ghana's air safety
record has been good in recent years.