Feel the passion of Islam

" Alif Laam Raa. A book which we have revealed to you (Muhammad) so that you may lead the people from out of the darknesses into the light by their Lord's leave to the path of the All-Mighty, the Praiseworthy." Al Qura'n

The Qur'an ("Qor-Ann") is a Message from to humanity. It was transmitted to us in a chain starting from the Almighty Himself (swt) to the angel Gabriel to the Muhammad. This message was given to the Prophet (saas) in pieces over a period spanning approximately 23 years (610 CE to 622 CE). The Prophet (saas) was 40 years old when the Qur'an began to be revealed to him, and he was 63 when the revelation was completed. The language of the original message was Arabic, but it has been translated into many other languages.

The Qur'an is one leg of two which form the basis of Islam. The second leg is the (Sunnah) of the Prophet (saas). What makes the Qur'an different from the Sunnah is primarily its form. Unlike the Sunnah, the Qur'an is quite literally the Word of Allah, whereas the Sunnah was inspired by Allah but the wording and actions are the Prophet's. The Qur'an has not been expressed using any human's words. Its wording is letter for letter fixed by no one but Allah.

Prophet Muhammad (saas) was the final Messenger of Allah to humanity, and therefore the Qur'an is the last Message which Allah has sent to us. Its predecessors such as the Torah, Psalms, and Gospels have all been superceded. It is an obligation - and blessing - for all who hear of the Qur'an and (Islam) to investigate it and evaluate it for themselves. Allah has guaranteed that He will protect the Qur'an from human tampering, and today's readers can find exact copies of it all over the world. The Qur'an of today is the same as the Qur'an revealed to Muhammad (saas).

Introducing Islam

In order to understand Islam it is necessary to know the meaning of certain key terms and the identity of some proper names. Most of them are in the Arabic language, and there is often no equivalent in English or in other tongues.
 
What is Islam ?

ISLAM means submission, that is, submission to the will of God, the characteristic attitude of members of our faith. MUSLIM (also spelled Moslem) is based on the same Arabic root as Islam `(s-l-m) and means one who submits to God, that is, a believer in Islam.
 
Concept of "God" in Islam:-

ALLAH is the Supreme Being, the one and only God. Allah is the same God as that worshipped by the Jews and Christians, and Arabic-speaking Christians also use this name when referring to God.

Women in Islam:-

At a time when Islam is faced with hostile media coverage particularly where the status of women in Islam is concerned, it may be quite surprising to learn that the majority of converts to Islam are WOMEN.

The Muslim woman was given a role, duties and rights 1400 years ago that most women do not enjoy today, even in the West. These are designed to keep balance in society; what may seem unjust or missing in one place is compensated for or explained in another place.

Innovation :-

Bid'at (innovation) is something that has no Islamic basis. A thing which is not proved from the Holy Quran and Hadith, as in practice at the time of the Holy Prophet, his companions, but is now done as religious duty.

The Prophet (saw) has condemned one who indulges in innovation and called them "destroyer of the religion".

What is Jihad ?

An Arabic word the root of which is Jahada, which means to strive for a better way of life. The nouns are Juhd, Mujahid, Jihad, and Ijtihad. The other meanings are: endeavor, strain, exertion, effort, diligence, fighting to defend one's life, land, and religion.

This word has been in frequent use in the Western press over the past several years, explained directly or subtlely, to mean holy war. As a matter of fact the term "holy war" was coined in Europe during the Crusades, meaning the war against Muslims. It does not have a direct counterpart in Islamic glossary, and Jihad is certainly not its translation.

 Necessity of Believing in Allah the Almighty

Belief in Allah is a rational, emotional, psychological, social, political and linguistic necessity. You may wonder why it is also a linguistic necessity and you have the right in doing so.

Here, we come to the language and ask, which of them come first meanings or words? Or do the words come first then meanings?

It is taken for granted that unless the meaning is very clear in our minds, it is impossible to create the word. In other words, if the meaning is not clear in the mind, we will find no word for it in the language. Therefore, if the meaning precedes the word what can we say concerning the modern meanings which were not existent before that such as for example the terminology of new inventions.

The linguistic assemblies state that we should create a word for this new term because it is a modern thing such as radio, TV, missile, refrigerator, spaceship, and helicopter etc. These names accrued from a precedent and particular meanings for them in the mind.

In the light of what is mentioned above, it is impossible that the concept of ‘divinity’ is a non-existent concept which has no words. If it is believed what non-existent things cannot reach the degree of having words and if the words cannot precede the meanings, then the spread of such words in the language, culture and civilization of the people is considered to be a clear-cut proof on their existence. On the top of these concepts comes the concept of divinity.

Thus, we can deduce that the meaning of belief in the existence of Allah precede the language and the words. Its existence in the human languages, in the anthropological studies, and through history, is a decisive proof that his meaning has an existence in the human thought however numerous its names, forms, or patterns.

If one contemplates this question, he will find that there is a harmony and cohesion in the essence of the words to such an extent that they have no contradiction altogether. For example, the word of ‘disbelief’ (kufr) may connote the meaning of ‘belief’ (Iman), for the word Kufr, in essence, means covering. So, the word indicates that there was something existent then it was covered. In other words, covering is something temporary in respect of the existent thing. For this reason, the scholars interpreted the phrase ‘they have disbelieved’ (Kafaru) in the glorious Ayah that it is a condition for something which was existent. In the light of the previous mentioned, we can say that disbelief is something temporary to the belief.
                                   

 Touqeer Khan

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