In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful
"When God's succour and triumph come, and you see people entering the religion of Islam in crowds, then hymn the praises of your Lord, and seek forgiveness of Him. Verily, He is ever ready to show mercy" (The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 110)
I've come across a video of a large group of 22 brothers and (mostly) sisters converting to Islam by the grace of God. They had converted after listening to Muslim speaker Khalid Yasin. Khalid is a mainstream Muslim speaker, with incredible public speaking skills, which cause many to join Islam after many of his lectures. He's not the most knowledgeable Muslim out there, but definitely a great speaker, something our Ummah has enjoyed in the West.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Islam & Friends: Sunni, Shi'ah, and Qa'im Dialogue
Salam Alaykum,
I've recently been involved in an Islamic dialogue between the Sunni and Shi'i sects on the Islam and Friends show. Brother MacIsaac, who was a Christian who converted to Buddhist, and then finally Shi'i Islam, represented the Shi'ah side. The Sunni Muslim side was represented by brother Orthodox786, a renowned debater of the Salafi school of thought.
I was the third person, but since I do not attribute myself to any sect, I was simply representing my beliefs as a Muslim. I mostly sat in the sidelines, but I had put in my input with ayat and ahadith every now and then. The dialogue was preformed very professionally, and much respect was put forth. I highly recommend you watch it or at least a part of it. Very interesting stuff, I must say:
I've recently been involved in an Islamic dialogue between the Sunni and Shi'i sects on the Islam and Friends show. Brother MacIsaac, who was a Christian who converted to Buddhist, and then finally Shi'i Islam, represented the Shi'ah side. The Sunni Muslim side was represented by brother Orthodox786, a renowned debater of the Salafi school of thought.
I was the third person, but since I do not attribute myself to any sect, I was simply representing my beliefs as a Muslim. I mostly sat in the sidelines, but I had put in my input with ayat and ahadith every now and then. The dialogue was preformed very professionally, and much respect was put forth. I highly recommend you watch it or at least a part of it. Very interesting stuff, I must say:
Friday, January 16, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The Gospel and the Injeel
In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful.
May the peace, blessings, and mercy of God be upon all of you, and may He continue to bless all of the prophets, their successors and their followers for eternity.
There's a huge misconception amongst both Muslims and Christians concerning the Injeel & Gospels. Some say these are synonymous terms, and that the Gospels (or even the New Testament) is the Injeel mentioned in the Qur'an, given to Jesus (a).
Let's clear a few things up a bit:
The Christian Bible is divided into two major sections: Old Testament and New Testament. The OT is a collection of several books, which include the Jewish Pentateuch (attributed to the Torah), the Psalms (attributed to the Zabur), and the books of the prophets, written by man, inspired by God. Jews and Christians both accept the Old Testament.
The New Testament (NT) is exclusively a Christian scripture, and not included in the Jewish Bible. It contains the 4 versions of the Gospel, as well as various letters written by different authors, and it is concluded with the book of Revelations; an alleged revelation written about 100 years after Jesus' birth.
Let's look at the 4 Gospels. Each Gospel is the account of one author, who writes about the life and time of Jesus (a). The authors of the 4 Gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The fact is, though, we barely know anything about these authors. At first, it was believed that these were all eye-witnesses to Jesus (a), but further evidence proves that these four individuals may not have even been students of the Messiah Jesus (a).
The Gospel of Mark was the first one to be written, which is said to have been written at around 60 CE, approximately 27 years after Jesus' alleged crucifixion. The 4th Gospel, written by John, was likely to have been written between the years 90 and 120 CE, therefore making it much after the time of Jesus (a).
Were these the only accounts of Jesus' life? Absolutely not. It is said by Christian scholars and archeologists that there may have even been 60 Gospels written in the first two hundred years, including some that had been attributed to Jesus' apostles. There were also many Apocalypses written. Each piece of work was radically different from the others, and every one of them had unique ideas, stories, and arguments on who Jesus (a) really was. Some argued he was God in body and spirit, others had said he was God in spirit, but not in body. Some put him as an esteemed messenger of God, while others put Jesus as the means in which God would create something.
As if this wasn't confusing enough, archeologists today claim that about 5,000 manuscripts of the 4 Gospels have been found that date back as far as 200 CE - and no two manuscripts are identical! Each one had its own set of minor differences, and some even had major differences, with omitted, added, or changed verses.
The most ancient authorities of these Gospels are usually the ones that comply more with Islam, though I must say that the very writers of these Gospels are unreliable. We simply do not know much about Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, if that was in fact their real names. We are not sure if these people had known the Messiah Jesus (a), and even if they did know him, we do not know if they had sent out an authentic message. The 4 Gospels themselves have conflicting views and inconsistencies in comparison to each other, so we know for sure that the sources are not infallible.
So if the 4 Gospels and the rest of the NT is not the Injeel, what is the Injeel mentioned in the Qur'an?
The Injeel is not a book written by obscure, inconsistent authors AFTER Jesus (a). It is in fact the revelation given from God to Jesus (a) during his lifetime.
"And He will teach him (Jesus) the Scripture and wisdom, and the Torah and Injeel" (3:48)
"And We caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow in their footsteps, confirming that which was revealed before him in the Torah, and We bestowed on him the Injeel, wherein is guidance and a light, confirming that which was revealed before it in the Torah - a guidance and admonition to those who ward off evil" (5:46)
As these verses and others like it say, the Injeel was indeed a new teaching which God had given Jesus (a). It was the very essence of the revelations given to the Messiah, and was probably an oral revelation and teaching which Jesus (a) had instructed his students with.
Does the Injeel still exist today? Assuming the Gospels quoted Jesus (a) correctly, word for word, then those quotations of Jesus (a) would be the only part of the Injeel we still have today. But the authenticity of the Gospels and the Bible are undetermined, so we do not know for sure what Jesus (a) had said, versus what was twisted and what was fabricated.
May God bless the Prophets and all who follow them in righteousness.
May the peace, blessings, and mercy of God be upon all of you, and may He continue to bless all of the prophets, their successors and their followers for eternity.
There's a huge misconception amongst both Muslims and Christians concerning the Injeel & Gospels. Some say these are synonymous terms, and that the Gospels (or even the New Testament) is the Injeel mentioned in the Qur'an, given to Jesus (a).
Let's clear a few things up a bit:
The Christian Bible is divided into two major sections: Old Testament and New Testament. The OT is a collection of several books, which include the Jewish Pentateuch (attributed to the Torah), the Psalms (attributed to the Zabur), and the books of the prophets, written by man, inspired by God. Jews and Christians both accept the Old Testament.
The New Testament (NT) is exclusively a Christian scripture, and not included in the Jewish Bible. It contains the 4 versions of the Gospel, as well as various letters written by different authors, and it is concluded with the book of Revelations; an alleged revelation written about 100 years after Jesus' birth.
Let's look at the 4 Gospels. Each Gospel is the account of one author, who writes about the life and time of Jesus (a). The authors of the 4 Gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The fact is, though, we barely know anything about these authors. At first, it was believed that these were all eye-witnesses to Jesus (a), but further evidence proves that these four individuals may not have even been students of the Messiah Jesus (a).
The Gospel of Mark was the first one to be written, which is said to have been written at around 60 CE, approximately 27 years after Jesus' alleged crucifixion. The 4th Gospel, written by John, was likely to have been written between the years 90 and 120 CE, therefore making it much after the time of Jesus (a).
Were these the only accounts of Jesus' life? Absolutely not. It is said by Christian scholars and archeologists that there may have even been 60 Gospels written in the first two hundred years, including some that had been attributed to Jesus' apostles. There were also many Apocalypses written. Each piece of work was radically different from the others, and every one of them had unique ideas, stories, and arguments on who Jesus (a) really was. Some argued he was God in body and spirit, others had said he was God in spirit, but not in body. Some put him as an esteemed messenger of God, while others put Jesus as the means in which God would create something.
As if this wasn't confusing enough, archeologists today claim that about 5,000 manuscripts of the 4 Gospels have been found that date back as far as 200 CE - and no two manuscripts are identical! Each one had its own set of minor differences, and some even had major differences, with omitted, added, or changed verses.
The most ancient authorities of these Gospels are usually the ones that comply more with Islam, though I must say that the very writers of these Gospels are unreliable. We simply do not know much about Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, if that was in fact their real names. We are not sure if these people had known the Messiah Jesus (a), and even if they did know him, we do not know if they had sent out an authentic message. The 4 Gospels themselves have conflicting views and inconsistencies in comparison to each other, so we know for sure that the sources are not infallible.
So if the 4 Gospels and the rest of the NT is not the Injeel, what is the Injeel mentioned in the Qur'an?
The Injeel is not a book written by obscure, inconsistent authors AFTER Jesus (a). It is in fact the revelation given from God to Jesus (a) during his lifetime.
"And He will teach him (Jesus) the Scripture and wisdom, and the Torah and Injeel" (3:48)
"And We caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow in their footsteps, confirming that which was revealed before him in the Torah, and We bestowed on him the Injeel, wherein is guidance and a light, confirming that which was revealed before it in the Torah - a guidance and admonition to those who ward off evil" (5:46)
As these verses and others like it say, the Injeel was indeed a new teaching which God had given Jesus (a). It was the very essence of the revelations given to the Messiah, and was probably an oral revelation and teaching which Jesus (a) had instructed his students with.
Does the Injeel still exist today? Assuming the Gospels quoted Jesus (a) correctly, word for word, then those quotations of Jesus (a) would be the only part of the Injeel we still have today. But the authenticity of the Gospels and the Bible are undetermined, so we do not know for sure what Jesus (a) had said, versus what was twisted and what was fabricated.
May God bless the Prophets and all who follow them in righteousness.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
U.S Delivers Israelis Weapons as Casualties Escalate
In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful.
May the peace, blessings, and mercy of Almighty God be upon all of you.
The United States of America has been rather silent on the Gaza crisis this time around. All of the media outlets and senators of both parties are, of course, giving their undying support to the Israeli "Defense" Forces, saying that the war is both legit and within Israel's rights to defend itself from Palestinian fireworks. But, the Bush administration and Barack Obama have not said much concerning the conflict, and just reiterating the same-old "Hamas militants are terrorists that need to be killed" stance.
However, the U.S is actually fully involved in this war. According to the Jerusalem Post, in early December, the Israeli military had received a shipment of 989 20-foot Containers carrying U.S-made Bunker-Buster missiles. These are very effective high-explosive air-to-surface missiles capable of destroying underground facilities, tunnels, shelters, and of course enemy bunkers. It was shipped by the U.S Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC), which almost undoubtedly means Israel had been planning for this war since at least early December.
This is coming out of your tax money, America!
325 more containers of "ammunition" is expected to reach Israeli shores from the Greek port of Astakos in mid-to-late January, the source and MSC documents said.
Medics in Gaza have confirmed that at least 821 people have been killed since the start of the offensive, including 93 women and 235 children. That means almost half of the dead are only women and children - terrorists, right? That does not include the young, middle aged, and elderly men who have been killed without being a part of Hamas. Hamas is a democratically elected government in Gaza, which therefore makes its armed wing the unofficial Gazan military, so those Hamas members that have died so far have died for their country and their cause, and the people of Palestine are supporting them.
And the world, including the Arab and Muslim countries, are absolutely silent about the 821 killed and over 3,350 wounded. The medics have almost no access to medical supplies due to Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid and intentional targetting of UN, Red Cross, and Press members, so it's very plausible that these wounded will wrongfully die due to simple injuries. The blood of these wounded Palestinians are on Egypt for not letting these people in as refugees.
As for Israeli casualties, I woud like to make a correction from yesterday. Earlier I had said 4 civilians had been killed. Correction, the amount of Israeli civilians killed is 3. 10 Israeli soldiers have been killed, either via rockets, mortars, or gunfire.
Updates on the Gaza Crisis
In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful:
May the peace, blessings, and mercy of God be upon you all.
The 2-week old Israeli slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza has now escalated, with an estimated 800 Palestinians dead and over 3000 injured. Israeli air forces and artillery had first bombarded Gaza from the air, killing hundreds, mostly civilians, and now Israeli ground troops are moving into Gaza to fight Palestinians at ground level. This is where the real tension is expected to begin.
Hamas' homemade rockets, which are largely ineffective and inaccurate, are being launched at the Israeli border, which has so far killed 1 Israeli soldier and 4 others. 8 Israeli soldiers are said to have been killed recently by Hamas gunmen, which mainly compose of rifles.
Although we don't know how many Hamas members have been killed, we can say for sure that the vast majority of those killed are in fact civilians. More than half of which are women, children, and elderly. Israel has blocked off all humanitarian aid to Gaza, and has blocked all escape routes, making Gaza a jail. Civilians are told by the IDF to escape, but there is no where to escape to.
Earlier we had heard about hospitals and mosques being destroyed, but now the crimes of the Israeli forces have gotten disgusting: a Red Cross truck carrying aid and a UN school protecting women and children have been struck intentionally by the Israeli military. The Red Cross and UN always gives their coordinates to the military, informing them that they are not holding any Hamas fighters, nor are they smuggling any weapons, but rather they are giving aid to the Palestinians.
The Red Cross truck driver was in fact killed, with no warnings and nothing he had done wrong. The UN school had been bombed by Israeli aircraft, killing 40, mostly children, and wounding hundreds of others.
The intentional murder of the Red Cross aid workers, Press workers, UN, and civilian structures is absolutely disgusting. This goes to show that the Israeli Military is completely against medical aid going into Gaza, and against the protection of civilians.
Warnings from the Israeli government say that they are going to increase the violence, and Mahmoud Abbas had warned that this conflict will be a giant bloodbath. Still no word from the Arab and Muslim puppet governments, who are doing almost nothing to stop the fighting. Meanwhile, large protests all over the world, including my home town, are condemning this conflict and calling for a cease fire.
Reports everywhere are saying Hamas does not want a ceasefire. They are only telling half the story. The condition put by the Israeli military is that in the event of a ceasefire, only 15% of the humanitarian workers, trucks, aid, and medical supplies will be allowed to enter Gaza. This is even lower than the amount during the previous ceasefire. Hamas has disagreed with these terms, but whether this was a good idea or not is up to you. I say, Israel needs to withdraw right away, let ALL humanitarian aid get into Gaza.
From what we see, the fighting will continue, and the western powers are in full support of Israel. This war may take an interesting turn when Israeli troops begin to engage Hamas forces, but I don't expect them to put up much of a fight.
I ask all readers to pray for the civilians of Gaza, and anywhere where oppression takes place. Take a stand on the issue, get involved in protests and speak out against the massacre.
May the peace, blessings, and mercy of God be upon you all.
The 2-week old Israeli slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza has now escalated, with an estimated 800 Palestinians dead and over 3000 injured. Israeli air forces and artillery had first bombarded Gaza from the air, killing hundreds, mostly civilians, and now Israeli ground troops are moving into Gaza to fight Palestinians at ground level. This is where the real tension is expected to begin.
Hamas' homemade rockets, which are largely ineffective and inaccurate, are being launched at the Israeli border, which has so far killed 1 Israeli soldier and 4 others. 8 Israeli soldiers are said to have been killed recently by Hamas gunmen, which mainly compose of rifles.
Although we don't know how many Hamas members have been killed, we can say for sure that the vast majority of those killed are in fact civilians. More than half of which are women, children, and elderly. Israel has blocked off all humanitarian aid to Gaza, and has blocked all escape routes, making Gaza a jail. Civilians are told by the IDF to escape, but there is no where to escape to.
Earlier we had heard about hospitals and mosques being destroyed, but now the crimes of the Israeli forces have gotten disgusting: a Red Cross truck carrying aid and a UN school protecting women and children have been struck intentionally by the Israeli military. The Red Cross and UN always gives their coordinates to the military, informing them that they are not holding any Hamas fighters, nor are they smuggling any weapons, but rather they are giving aid to the Palestinians.
The Red Cross truck driver was in fact killed, with no warnings and nothing he had done wrong. The UN school had been bombed by Israeli aircraft, killing 40, mostly children, and wounding hundreds of others.
The intentional murder of the Red Cross aid workers, Press workers, UN, and civilian structures is absolutely disgusting. This goes to show that the Israeli Military is completely against medical aid going into Gaza, and against the protection of civilians.
Warnings from the Israeli government say that they are going to increase the violence, and Mahmoud Abbas had warned that this conflict will be a giant bloodbath. Still no word from the Arab and Muslim puppet governments, who are doing almost nothing to stop the fighting. Meanwhile, large protests all over the world, including my home town, are condemning this conflict and calling for a cease fire.
Reports everywhere are saying Hamas does not want a ceasefire. They are only telling half the story. The condition put by the Israeli military is that in the event of a ceasefire, only 15% of the humanitarian workers, trucks, aid, and medical supplies will be allowed to enter Gaza. This is even lower than the amount during the previous ceasefire. Hamas has disagreed with these terms, but whether this was a good idea or not is up to you. I say, Israel needs to withdraw right away, let ALL humanitarian aid get into Gaza.
From what we see, the fighting will continue, and the western powers are in full support of Israel. This war may take an interesting turn when Israeli troops begin to engage Hamas forces, but I don't expect them to put up much of a fight.
I ask all readers to pray for the civilians of Gaza, and anywhere where oppression takes place. Take a stand on the issue, get involved in protests and speak out against the massacre.
Friday, January 2, 2009
'Ajal-Allahu Farajah (May God hasten his return)?
Peace.
It is a popular tradition amongst the Shi'ah to say "ajal-allahu farajah" whenever the 12th Imam, the Mehdi, is mentioned. The term is Arabic for "may God hasten his return", which is in reference to the Mehdi's occultation and second coming/advent in the end times.
Although this constant optimism for the advent of the Mehdi is natural, and the Shi'ah are obviously excited to see the Mehdi fix our world, I differ in opinion when it comes to saying this term. You see, how I look at it, God has destined a fixed term for when the Day of Judgment will take place - which is a date we know not. Even the Christian Son of God Jesus (a), according to the Gospels, does not know when the Hour will be, because this is information only accessable to God.
No matter what kind of du'a we throw, God will not change the time of the Hour, because of the circumstances He has destined to take place which lead to the apocalypse. For example, if we know for a fact that the Day of Judgment will take place this Friday, there's nothing we could do to stop that.
Similarly, Imam Mehdi will come out of concealment right before the Day of Judgment, aka the End Times. It would be absurd to ask God to hasten the coming of the Imam (a), because we would not want to see him prematurely. Rather, God has destined a time and place for his return, and God knows best. He knows exactly when we will need the Mehdi most. God knows exactly when we will be ready for the him. We as human beings know nothing in comparison. So therefore it would be best not to ask God to hasten the appearance of the 12th Imam (a), or even the Messiah Jesus (a), because He has destined a time and place for everything.
Secondly, I would like to mention this: we must always act today, instead of being optimistic on what will happen tomorrow. Today is the day God has given YOU to do good deeds, pray, learn, and memorize Qur'an. Today is the day God has given YOU to protest against aggression, free the captives, and warn the people around you concerning corruption and obedience to God. Today is the day to find unity in the Ummah.
I say this because many people look to tomorrow in so many respects. We as humans tend to delay all chores, and all obligatory acts for a later time. But who will guarantee you tomorrow? Who will guarantee you the very next breath? Surely, God is the only One who knows your fate. Many people see the corruption around them and say, oh well, Imam al-Mehdi will come and fix things soon. Similarly, people say, oh, the Messiah (Jesus or otherwise) will make the world better. Many Muslims have even given up (and are proud of it) any hope in re-establishing the Shari'ah and Muslim rule according to the Qur'an and Sunnah.
I'd like to inform you, O Muslims, that it is very likely that NOBODY is coming IN YOUR LIFETIME to make things better. I am not saying we don't wait for the Messiah or Imam Mehdi, because when they come by we will welcome them. What I am saying is that we must act today. As God says in Surat Muhammed:
"And if you turn away, He will exchange you for another people, and they will not be the likes of you" (47:38)
If you don't free your mind, free your soul, and free your society using Islam and its divine system of brotherhood. Otherwise, God will exchange you for another folk - meaning, He will cause either you or your descendants to abandon Islam and/or its teachings, and instead give the religion to those who are more deserving, and more likely to carry out His commandments.
May God bless the Prophet (s) and his family (a) just as He blessed Abraham (a) and his family (a).
It is a popular tradition amongst the Shi'ah to say "ajal-allahu farajah" whenever the 12th Imam, the Mehdi, is mentioned. The term is Arabic for "may God hasten his return", which is in reference to the Mehdi's occultation and second coming/advent in the end times.
Although this constant optimism for the advent of the Mehdi is natural, and the Shi'ah are obviously excited to see the Mehdi fix our world, I differ in opinion when it comes to saying this term. You see, how I look at it, God has destined a fixed term for when the Day of Judgment will take place - which is a date we know not. Even the Christian Son of God Jesus (a), according to the Gospels, does not know when the Hour will be, because this is information only accessable to God.
No matter what kind of du'a we throw, God will not change the time of the Hour, because of the circumstances He has destined to take place which lead to the apocalypse. For example, if we know for a fact that the Day of Judgment will take place this Friday, there's nothing we could do to stop that.
Similarly, Imam Mehdi will come out of concealment right before the Day of Judgment, aka the End Times. It would be absurd to ask God to hasten the coming of the Imam (a), because we would not want to see him prematurely. Rather, God has destined a time and place for his return, and God knows best. He knows exactly when we will need the Mehdi most. God knows exactly when we will be ready for the him. We as human beings know nothing in comparison. So therefore it would be best not to ask God to hasten the appearance of the 12th Imam (a), or even the Messiah Jesus (a), because He has destined a time and place for everything.
Secondly, I would like to mention this: we must always act today, instead of being optimistic on what will happen tomorrow. Today is the day God has given YOU to do good deeds, pray, learn, and memorize Qur'an. Today is the day God has given YOU to protest against aggression, free the captives, and warn the people around you concerning corruption and obedience to God. Today is the day to find unity in the Ummah.
I say this because many people look to tomorrow in so many respects. We as humans tend to delay all chores, and all obligatory acts for a later time. But who will guarantee you tomorrow? Who will guarantee you the very next breath? Surely, God is the only One who knows your fate. Many people see the corruption around them and say, oh well, Imam al-Mehdi will come and fix things soon. Similarly, people say, oh, the Messiah (Jesus or otherwise) will make the world better. Many Muslims have even given up (and are proud of it) any hope in re-establishing the Shari'ah and Muslim rule according to the Qur'an and Sunnah.
I'd like to inform you, O Muslims, that it is very likely that NOBODY is coming IN YOUR LIFETIME to make things better. I am not saying we don't wait for the Messiah or Imam Mehdi, because when they come by we will welcome them. What I am saying is that we must act today. As God says in Surat Muhammed:
"And if you turn away, He will exchange you for another people, and they will not be the likes of you" (47:38)
If you don't free your mind, free your soul, and free your society using Islam and its divine system of brotherhood. Otherwise, God will exchange you for another folk - meaning, He will cause either you or your descendants to abandon Islam and/or its teachings, and instead give the religion to those who are more deserving, and more likely to carry out His commandments.
May God bless the Prophet (s) and his family (a) just as He blessed Abraham (a) and his family (a).
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