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Eslam Shaaban
beigetreten: Sep 3, 2002
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Country: Ägypten
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ISLAM as a way of life
August 7, 2005 - 05:32 AM
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Dear brothers & Sisters,
let me star my words by the Islamic salut "Al SLAM AlAIKUM"
may peace of Allah be upon you all.
Its a reality!!!!
Islam is not just a religion its a way of life, its so called in the Islamic Doctrine an Islam life.
Islam as a religion is divided into two parts the relation between you and the Lord(Allah), and the other part is between you and all other members in the community; as how to deal with your parents, with your sons, your friends, your neighbors, non moslems, if you are a merchant how to deal with your clients, how,what and when to eat,encourage you to learn and to study and to think and watch what Allah have provided you.
And as for your relation with Allah you will findall the Islam princibles Allah stated in Quraan and Sunnah
I started this thread not to say any word all what i am going to do is providing some islamic articles for non moslems and iam asking every moslem to do so as to let our non moslem friends to know more about Islam and to know that our religion is a message of peace and mercy to all the humanity.
Thank you
Eslam Shaaban
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Eslam Shaaban
beigetreten: Sep 3, 2002
Beiträge: 6
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Country: Egypt
Province/State: Al Iskandariyah
Stadt: Alexandria
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Basics of faith
August 7, 2005 - 05:41 AM
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Islam began with the first man, who was also the first prophet, namely Adam (peace be upon him). The meaning of Islam is submission and obedience to Allah, the Creator of all. From Adam (peace be upon him) through to Muhammad (peace be upon him) was delivered the message of Allah to mankind; calling them to the worship of the One true God and establishing piety on earth.
Each prophet was sent to a particular group of people, like Abraham, Noah, Joseph, Ishmael, Isaac, Elias, Zakariah, Jonah, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon them all) (as well as many others). The difference with the final prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was that he was sent to the whole of mankind and his message would continue until the Day of Resurrection.
The essence of Islam is the acknowledgement of the Lordship of Allah; that He alone is to be worshipped and obeyed. The whole of creation is His handiwork and thus should be respected and cared for. That is why even when killing animals for food, the Muslim mentions the name of Allah, and so acknowledges the fact that this animal is owned by Him and has been provided for mankind out of His bounty. The Muslim recognizes that nothing happens within creation except by the knowledge and permission of Allah and that there exists wisdom and knowledge far beyond the reach of human beings. Indeed of knowledge, we have only been given a little. Hence there is no pride or arrogance as Allah alone is the Sovereign Lord and one of the things, which He dislikes is oppression. The Muslims have been called upon to spread good relations, honor the ties of the womb, help the poor and oppressed and alleviate suffering. To help the Muslims do this, Allah prescribed a way of life for the human beings so that all their duties and responsibilities in life could be fulfilled, as well as their spiritual potential and the development of their character.
Everything done in the life of a Muslim can be regarded as an act of worship if it is done with the intention of gaining the pleasure of Allah. So learning, working, taking care of the family and even the so-called mundane duties of life can be turned into means of closeness to Allah, as they are performed according to Islam and with the intention of gaining closeness to Allah.
In His Infinite Mercy, Allah turned to mankind and provided them with the necessary guidelines to live by, in order to attain success in this life and the next. Prohibitions from evil and all that leads to it, and encouragement to do good and establish piety have been prescribed and clearly set out.
The Muslim must worship Allah alone, pray five times a day, fast from dawn to sunset in the month of Ramadan, pay Zakat (a percentage of ones' wealth given to the poor), and perform Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah, if one is able to do so, once in their life time). Along with these basic pillars of Islam, the Muslim must follow the laws of Allah which outline the duties and responsibilities of family members, behavior in society, business, etc including all aspects of life. Every person has a trust, a role to perform which binds society into a harmonious unit. There are strict punishments for murder, theft, adultery, oppression and vices, which destroy the body and soul of man. How many families have been destroyed because of adultery? How many children suffer because of that? How many people today live in constant fear of being killed or robbed? These laws were instituted to protect human beings from evil.
The human being is regarded as a wondrous creation of Allah and within each person resides an innate nature that urges him/her to search for Allah (God) , truth, peace, justice and all that is good. Each child is born pure and no one bears the sins o r burdens of another. However, as the child grows, often this innate nature becomes distorted according to environment and education, but it remains deep within the psyche of man, emerging from time to time throughout life; responding to the individual's desire to attain their spiritual potential and closeness to Allah.
The relation between the body, mind and soul of man is paid a lot of attention in Islam. Man was created, prone to weakness and desires and so a lot of spiritual strength is required to overcome the evil in and around us. The struggle between good and evil is ongoing. It began in the beginning of time when satan refused to bow down to Adam and acknowledge his superiority and then again when satan tempted both Adam and Eve until they were cast out of the Gardens of Paradise. Allah forgave Adam and Eve but the consequences of their actions was that they were to live on the earth. Hence, the beginning of mankind. Satan remains as the enemy of mankind, having vowed to entrap as many as possible in his evil designs but Allah promised His help and protection to those who follow His ways and trust in Him.
Islam prescribes many forms of worship which help to develop spiritual strength in man. For example, prayer five times a day becomes a life line for the Muslim; a time to stop the activities of life and remember the bounties of Allah, His Mercy, Kindness and the reality of the Day of Judgment. It requires commitment and discipline and a high level of personal cleanliness of both body and soul. Also, fasting in Ramadan from dawn until sunset is a rigorous feat that can only be performed by those who are patient. It is not just keeping away from food and drink, but controlling the tongue, the desires and the urge to become angry, gossip and all other kinds of evil. There is also the pilgrimage to Makkah, which was the first mosque erected in the history of mankind, for the worship of Allah. It was built by prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael and continues to be visited by Muslims from all over the world. People until today, travel to Makkah in many ways. Some by plane, ship, motor vehicle and still some walk and ride animals. The atmosphere there is one of peace, love and fear of Allah, seeking forgiveness of sins and renewal. It is an event of great spiritual and practical significance, as people return from Hajj, refreshed and ready to face life and its hardships, while striving to obey Allah and establish piety of earth..
Contributed by : Velma Cook, Australia
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Dusmamat Karimov
beigetreten: Feb 11, 2005
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Re: ISLAM as a way of life
August 7, 2005 - 07:21 AM
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Valaykum salom
Thanks so much for your statment about islam
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Eslam Shaaban
beigetreten: Sep 3, 2002
Beiträge: 6
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Geschlecht & Alter: Männlich, 28
Country: Egypt
Province/State: Al Iskandariyah
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Re: ISLAM as a way of life
August 8, 2005 - 03:51 AM
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In the Name of Allah most Grecious most Grateful
Dear Brother Karimov:
Thank you for your kind reply, waiting for your contribution
Attention all brothers and sisters please send me your feedback.
Thank you all for your kind attention.
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Eslam Shaaban
beigetreten: Sep 3, 2002
Beiträge: 6
Poster Rank:
Soft-spoken
User is
Offline
Geschlecht & Alter: Männlich, 28
Country: Egypt
Province/State: Al Iskandariyah
Stadt: Alexandria
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Cat Stevens : How I came to Islam
August 8, 2005 - 03:54 AM
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All I have to say is all what you know already, to confirm what you already know, the message of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) as given by God - the Religion of Truth. As human beings we are given a consciousness and a duty that has placed us at the top of creation. Man is created to be God's deputy on earth, and it is important to realize the obligation to rid ourselves of all illusions and to make our lives a preparation for the next life. Anybody who misses this chance is not likely to be given another, to be brought back again and again, because it says in Qur'an Majeed that when man is brought to account, he will say, {O Lord, send us back and give us another chance} The Lord will say, {If I send you back you will do the same}
MY EARLY RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING
I was brought up in the modern world of all the luxury and the high life of show business. I was born in a Christian home, but we know that every child is born in his original nature - it is only his parents that turn him to this or that religion. I was given this religion (Christianity) and thought this way. I was taught that God exists, but there was no direct contact with God, so we had to make contact with Him through Jesus - he was in fact the door to God. This was more or less accepted by me, but I did not swallow it all.
I looked at some of the statues of Jesus; they were just stones with no life. And when they said that God is three, I was puzzled even more but could not argue. I more or less believed it, because I had to have respect for the faith of my parents.
POP STAR
Gradually I became alienated from this religious upbringing. I started making music. I wanted to be a big star. All those things I saw in the films and on the media took hold of me, and perhaps I thought this was my God, the goal of making money. I had an uncle who had a beautiful car. "Well," I said, "he has it made. He has a lot of money." The people around me influenced me to think that this was it; this world was their God.
I decided then that this was the life for me; to make a lot of money, have a 'great life.' Now my examples were the pop stars. I started making songs, but deep down I had a feeling for humanity, a feeling that if I became rich I would help the needy. (It says in the Qur'an, we make a promise, but when we make something, we want to hold onto it and become greedy.)
So what happened was that I became very famous. I was still a teenager, my name and photo were splashed in all the media. They made me larger than life, so I wanted to live larger than life and the only way to do that was to be intoxicated (with liquor and drugs).
IN HOSPITAL
After a year of financial success and 'high' living, I became very ill, contracted TB and had to be hospitalized. It was then that I started to think: What was to happen to me? Was I just a body, and my goal in life was merely to satisfy this body? I realized now that this calamity was a blessing given to me by Allah, a chance to open my eyes - "Why am I here? Why am I in bed?" - and I started looking for some of the answers. At that time there was great interest in the Eastern mysticism. I began reading, and the first thing I began to become aware of was death, and that the soul moves on; it does not stop. I felt I was taking the road to bliss and high accomplishment. I started meditating and even became a vegetarian. I now believed in 'peace and flower power,' and this was the general trend. But what I did believe in particular was that I was not just a body. This awareness came to me at the hospital.
One day when I was walking and I was caught in the rain, I began running to the shelter and then I realized, 'Wait a minute, my body is getting wet, my body is telling me I am getting wet.' This made me think of a saying that the body is like a donkey, and it has to be trained where it has to go. Otherwise, the donkey will lead you where it wants to go.
Then I realized I had a will, a God-given gift: follow the will of God. I was fascinated by the new termino- logy I was learning in the Eastern religion. By now I was fed up with Christianity. I started making music again and this time I started reflecting my own thoughts. I remember the lyric of one of my songs. It goes like this: "I wish I knew, I wish I knew what makes the Heaven, what makes the Hell. Do I get to know You in my bed or some dusty cell while others reach the big hotel?" and I knew I was on the Path.
I also wrote another song, "The Way to Find God Out." I became even more famous in the world of music. I really had a difficult time because I was getting rich and famous, and at the same time, I was sincerely searching for the Truth. Then I came to a stage where I decided that Buddhism is all right and noble, but I was not ready to leave the world. I was too attached to the world and was not prepared to become a monk and to isolate myself from society.
I tried Zen and Ching, numerology, tarot cards and astrology. I tried to look back into the Bible and could not find anything. At this time I did not know anything about Islam, and then, what I regarded as a miracle occurred. My brother had visited the mosque in Jerusalem and was greatly impressed that while on the one hand it throbbed with life (unlike the churches and synagogues which were empty), on the other hand, an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity prevailed.
THE QUR'AN
When he came to London he brought back a translation of the Qur'an, which he gave to me. He did not become a Muslim, but he felt something in this religion, and thought I might find something in it also.
And when I received the book, a guidance that would explain everything to me - who I was; what was the purpose of life; what was the reality and what would be the reality; and where I came from - I realized that this was the true religion; religion not in the sense the West understands it, not the type for only your old age. In the West, whoever wishes to embrace a religion and make it his only way of life is deemed a fanatic. I was not a fanatic, I was at first confused between the body and the soul. Then I realized that the body and soul are not apart and you don't have to go to the mountain to be religious. We must follow the will of God. Then we can rise higher than the angels. The first thing I wanted to do now was to be a Muslim.
I realized that everything belongs to God, that slumber does not overtake Him. He created everything. At this point I began to lose the pride in me, because hereto I had thought the reason I was here was because of my own greatness. But I realized that I did not create myself, and the whole purpose of my being here was to submit to the teaching that has been perfected by the religion we know as Al-Islam. At this point I started discovering my faith. I felt I was a Muslim. On reading the Qur'an, I now realized that all the Prophets sent by God brought the same message. Why then were the Jews and Christians different? I know now how the Jews did not accept Jesus as the Messiah and that they had changed His Word. Even the Christians misunderstand God's Word and called Jesus the son of God. Everything made so much sense. This is the beauty of the Qur'an; it asks you to reflect and reason, and not to worship the sun or moon but the One Who has created everything. The Qur'an asks man to reflect upon the sun and moon and God's creation in general. Do you realize how different the sun is from the moon? They are at varying distances from the earth, yet appear the same size to us; at times one seems to overlap the other.
Even when many of the astronauts go to space, they see the insignificant size of the earth and vastness of space. They become very religious, because they have seen the Signs of Allah.
When I read the Qur'an further, it talked about prayer, kindness and charity. I was not a Muslim yet, but I felt that the only answer for me was the Qur'an, and God had sent it to me, and I kept it a secret. But the Qur'an also speaks on different l I began to understand it on anothlevel, where the Qur'an says, {Those who believe do not take disbelievers for friends and the believers are brothers} Thus at this point I wished to meet my Muslim brothers.
CONVERSION
Then I decided to journey to Jerusalem (as my brother had done). At Jerusalem, I went to the mosque and sat down. A man asked me what I wanted. I told him I was a Muslim. He asked what was my name. I told him, "Stevens." He was confused. I then joined the prayer, though not so successfully. Back in London, I met a sister called Nafisa. I told her I wanted to embrace Islam and she directed me to the New Regent Mosque. This was in 1977, about one and a half years after I received the Qur'an.
Now I realized that I must get rid of my pride, get rid of Iblis, and face one direction. So on a Friday, after Jumma' I went to the Imam and declared my faith (the Kalima) at this hands. You have before you someone who had achieved fame and fortune. But guidance was something that eluded me, no matter how hard I tried, until I was shown the Qur'an. Now I realize I can get in direct contact with God, unlike Christianity or any other religion. As one Hindu lady told me, "You don't understand the Hindus. We believe in one God; we use these objects (idols) to merely concentrate." What she was saying was that in order to reach God, one has to create associates, that are idols for the purpose. But Islam removes all these barriers. The only thing that moves the believers from the disbelievers is the salat. This is the process of purification.
Finally I wish to say that everything I do is for the pleasure of Allah and pray that you gain some inspirations from my experiences. Furthermore, I would like to stress that I did not come into contact with any
Muslim before I embraced Islam. I read the Qur'an first and realized that no person is perfect. Islam is perfect, and if we imitate the conduct of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) we will be successful. May Allah give us guidance to follow the path of the ummah of Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). Ameen!
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