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Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Sumait – Legendary Ambassador of Islam
Source (for article below) http://productivemuslim.com/dr-abdul-rahman-al-sumait-a-legendary-productive-muslim/#more-7343
I cannot even start describing this legendary personality who lived in our Ummah for the past half century and gave so much for the Ummah’s service.
I’m extremely saddened that we lost him last month after many months of struggling with his disease.
If you don’t know him, I won’t be surprised, since he wasn’t a man of fame or TV shows or websites, but he was a man of action and those who knew him, knew him from his actions.
He was the embodiment of sincere intentions and hard work which resulted in outcomes beyond his or anyone’s expectations.
His name is Dr.Abdul-Rahman Al-Sumait. An Islamic scholar, medical practitioner, but more importantly, a Humanitarian. He was known to have built hundreds of orphanages, schools, mosques, and amazingly inspired 11 million (yes 11 million!) Africans to convert to Islam.
Below is an article which I’m reproducing with kind permission from Al-Huda Institute (Canada) written by Bassama Al-Toaimi describing this legendary man.
But before you read this article (and after you read it), please make dua for him. He gave so much for the Ummah, let’s at least give him our duas.
Dr Abdul Rahman Al Sumait
The Story of a True Humanitarian
By Bassama Al Toaimi
Profile: Who: Sheikh Dr. Abdul Rahman Al Sumait
Nationality: Kuwaiti
Date of Birth: October 15, 1947
Family: Married, blessed with five children
Dr Al Sumait’s work
Founder and chairman of a branch of the Muslim Physicians Society, United States of America and Canada 1976, East Canada Branch
Founding member of the Montreal branch of the Muslim Students Society, 1974-1976
Founding member, Malawi Muslims Committee – Kuwait 1980
Founding member, Kuwaiti Relief Committee
Founding member, International Islamic Charity Authority – Kuwait
Founding member, International Islamic council for Call and Relief – Kuwait
Member of Charity Rescue Society – Kuwait
General Secretary of the African Muslims Committee, 1981 – 1999
Chairman of Direct Aid, 1999 – 2008 Member of the Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society – Kuwait
Editor-in-Chief of Al Kawther Magazine, 1984 until his passing
Member of the council of trustees of Islamic Call Organization – Sudan
Member of the council of trustees of Science and Technology University – Yemen
Chairman of the board of Faculty of Education – Zangbar
Chairman of the board of Faculty of Shari’ah and Islamic Studies – Kenya
Chairman of Charity Work Studies Center – Kuwait
Dr Abdul Rahman Al Sumait was an extraordinary human being who dedicated his life to doing good deeds. This man should be acknowledged and known for the major impact he had on millions of lives, not only in his hometown, but also worldwide.
Al Sumait was an Islamic scholar, a medical practitioner, and a role model for all Muslims. Born and raised in Kuwait, he was a qualified doctor specializing in internal diseases and gastroenterology before becoming involved in charity work. He graduated from the University of Baghdad with a BS in Medicine and Surgery, a diploma in Tropical Diseases from the University of Liverpool in 1974, and then completed his postgraduate studies specializing in internal diseases and the digestive system at McGill University in Canada. By the time he was 35 years old, he decided to move and live in Africa, and he dedicated 29 years of his life there with his wife, contributing and helping millions of children with education, starvation, shelter, and religion.
As a young high school student in Kuwait, Al Sumait witnessed a scene outside his school that sparked his interest in helping the less fortunate, and his life changed forever. He observed poor workers waiting for their means of transportation in the heat on a daily basis, and with some friends decided to save up from their pocket money and purchase an affordable car, and from that day onwards, he drove these workers for free.
At university Al Sumait used the majority of his monthly salary to purchase Islamic books and would distribute them at mosques. He also took part in collecting money from fellow Muslim students and all together they used the money to pay for the printing and distribution of Islamic pamphlets throughout South East Asia and Africa.
Al Sumait’s interest in Africa was ignited when he felt and saw that the continent of Africa was being neglected. Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, and Angola, among many other nations in the area that were suffering from famine, hunger and disease, were the focus of Al Sumait’s operations.
In 1981, when he was just 35 years old, he established the Africa Muslims Agency (AMA – later renamed Direct-Aid), where he served as chairman from 1981 to 2008. AMA is a charity organization that operates in more than 40 countries worldwide and aims to provide assistance to people suffering from economic and social crisis, mainly in Africa.
Upon his arrival to Africa, he was deeply saddened by the scenes of hunger and disease, so he decided to sacrifice his profession and dedicate himself fully to their benefit. Twenty-nine years of Al Sumait’s life was spent in undertaking charitable works in Africa, only returning to Kuwait for short visits or to receive medical treatment; he was on a mission to assist those in need.
He sacrificed his life, time, skills and efforts to provide people less fortunate with a decent life. Al Sumait also initiated a variety of projects in addition to Direct-Aid, which helped underprivileged people with the sole aim of easing their life from poverty.
The Highlights of His Accomplishments from His Time in Africa Are:
9,500 orphans supported
95,000 students financed
5,700 mosques
200 training centers for women
860 schools
4 universities
102 Islamic centers
9,500 wells
51 million Qur’ans distributed
7 million people reverted to Islam at his hands, Including priests and bishops
Although Al Sumait’s journey in Africa was a major success, it was anything but smooth. Due to his time in Africa, he took numerous trips deep into the African jungles to conduct his work; with time he got high blood pressure, diabetes, a number of blood clots, and malaria, among other diseases. He was also the target of several failed assassination attempts by armed militias who were disturbed by his overwhelming presence and the impact he had on the poor and needy. In Mozambique, Kenya, and Malawi, Al Sumait went through more than one near-death experience with deadly cobras. And he also had to experience the adversities of imprisonment at some point in his life. However, he still remained determined to fulfill and accomplish his aim of bringing peace, aid, and relief to Africa, whether it was with food, shelter, education, or religion.
Throughout his life, Dr Al Sumait’s efforts in charity work were recognized and acknowledged with honors, awards, trophies, and certificates, including the highly prestigious award, the King Faisal International Prize for Service to Islam. Dr Abdul Rahman Al Sumait was a remarkable man, truly an inspiration, and the definition of a true Muslim. He sacrificed his entire being for the benefit of others. His time and efforts are visible today and will always be visible, especially in the children of Africa who continue to receive education at various universities throughout the whole continent.
May Allah bless his soul and reward him immensely for the great life he leads. Amen.
Call for Action
Let’s not stop the river of good deeds pouring into this man’s scales. Support his charity Direct Aid and give as much as you can and invite your families and friends to support his charity.
On http://direct-aid.org, click on Ways to Give, and you will find a list of Endowments (waqf) and projects that are ongoing. You can choose from a range of projects such as donating for the printing of Quran, continuous charity, or donating a small amount for maintaining orphanages. These are just a few options among many others. By donating and contributing even the smallest amount of money, the act of charity will remain continuous for you indefinitely. Also, under Ways to Give there’s a Donate Now tab, in which you can read the donation procedure. Help the underprivileged, and think of how many lives you could save with just a few clicks.
Click to read more: http://productivemuslim.com/dr-abdul-rahman-al-sumait-a-legendary-productive-muslim/#ixzz2dekjRWIW
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OD Strategy for Islamic Organizations – Mirza Yawar Baig
Source: http://www.yawarbaig.org/yawarbaig/articles/68-od-strategy-for-islamic-organizations
Contradictions between the Corporate model of Organization building and basic Qur’anic principles of Da’awa and what to do about it.
Mirza Yawar Baig
All praise and thanks are due only to Allah alone and peace and salutations on our Master Muhammad, the last and final messenger of Allah.
قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ إِذْ قَالُوا لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَاء مِنكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْ وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةُ وَالْبَغْضَاء أَبَدًا حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ إِلَّا قَوْلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ لَأَسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ وَمَا أَمْلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِن شَيْءٍ رَّبَّنَا عَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ
Mumtahina 60:4. 4. Indeed there has been an excellent example for you in Ibrahim (Abraham) and those with him, when they said to their people: “Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allah, we have rejected you, and there has started between us and you, hostility and hatred for ever, until you believe in Allah Alone,” except the saying of Ibrahim (Abraham) to his father: “Verily, I will ask for forgiveness (from Allah) for you, but I have no power to do anything for you before Allah . Our Rabb! In You (Alone) we put our trust, and to You (Alone) we turn in repentance, and to You (Alone) is (our) final Return.
As you are all aware I live in two incarnations simultaneously – as a corporate consultant and leadership development expert with a global clientele, author of several books on the subject and having trained more than 200,000 managers, administrators, clergy, teachers, scientists, engineers and students worldwide and still counting; and as a Da’aee of Islam. While appreciating and being deeply grateful for all the honour and love that is bestowed upon my by people as a result of the Grace of my Rabb, I don’t accept all the titles that I am normally given when I speak at Islamic gatherings as I don’t consider myself worthy of any of them.
I begin this paper with this introduction to convince you that you must take me seriously. What I am going to say must be seen for what it is – a practitioner speaking. Not someone who has read a few books or someone who is an academic teaching either corporate or theological theory – but as someone who has read more than a few books, has written several books himself and who teaches and has practiced his teachings for more than 27 years and who is consulted (for very good money الحمد لله ) by global corporations, business families and entrepreneurs worldwide. So when I say something it is not merely theory. It is theory in practice.
It is the learning that I acquired by practicing that theory in multiple situations and reflection on it and an understanding emerging from it – in the light of the Qur’an and Sunnah, Seerah and Islamic history – all of which I have also had the privilege to study in my other incarnation. So if I tell you about a stream, it is there and the water is good to drink. But of course to drink or not is your choice. Of horses and water – if you see what I mean.
There are five principle differences and contradictions between corporate theory and the work of Da’awa of Islam which make it a very unsuitable model to use. I don’t mean using tools of measurement and so on. I mean the whole philosophy of Organization Development that is being used by most modern Da’awa organizations in the West. These are:
1.Seeing is believing versus Belief in the Unseen
2.Source of power is wealth versus Source of power is Allah.
3.All those in my work are Competitors versus all those in my work are Partners
4.Inviting towards self; versus inviting towards Allah
5.Accumulation of wealth versus Baraka Read more…
Rights of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
This video talks about rights of the Prophet (pbuh) in light of the recent slanders.
What rights does the Prophet have upon us? Love, Obedience and Defending him.
What happens to those who insult him?
Guidance – An Islamic Perspective
I attended a class this morning on Islamic Psychology at Islamic Online University [IOU] that dealt with the topic of how Allah influences human beings through guidance. So, I thought I might share some of the Quranic ayat that were discussed, so that we all can ponder upon them to broaden our understanding on the topic.
The definition of “guidance” given by Webster dictionary is:
1 the act or process of guiding
2 a : the direction provided by a guide
b : advice on vocational or educational problems given to students
However, the customary meaning / haqeeqah shariah means that certain words take a certain definition from an Islamic point of view. For instance, the word “kafir” linguistically meant “who is ungrateful” before Quran was revealed. However, from an Islamic context, it has been used to refer to a disbeliever. Another example is salah. The word’s original meaning, prior to islam, is any dua. After Islam, it specifically refers to the pillar of Islam: salah / namaz and not dua. Another example is “zakat” which originally meant purification and growth, and islamically it is referred to the “poor rate” (and by giving zakath, we achieve purification and growth, by disbelieving, the disbeliever is extremly ungrateful to Allah etc.) [Based on notes from Dr. Riaz Ansary – Tafseer 101 IOU]
So from this point of view, although all these people think they are in guidance, Allah has defined guidance as the hidayah given by Him, through Islam (Quran & Sunnah) to the current generation and the hidayah given through other prophets to previous generation (2:285, Surah Anbiyah etc) .
Now, are the people who think they are guided,but are following false religions – They are in nothing but delusion.
“It almost bursts with rage. Every time a company is thrown into it, its keepers ask them, “Did there not come to you a warner?” [Quran 67:8]
“They will say,” Yes, a warner had come to us, but we denied and said, ‘ Allah has not sent down anything. You are not but in great error.’ “” [Quran 67:9]
Now, let us look at some translations / interpretation of the meaning of a few Quranic ayat’s that talk about guidance.
“O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered.” [8:24]
[Who say], “Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower. [Quran 3:8]
“Mankind was [of] one religion [before their deviation]; then Allah sent the prophets as bringers of good tidings and warners and sent down with them the Scripture in truth to judge between the people concerning that in which they differed. And none differed over the Scripture except those who were given it – after the clear proofs came to them – out of jealous animosity among themselves. And Allah guided those who believed to the truth concerning that over which they had differed, by His permission. And Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path” [Quran 2:213]
“And Allah invites to the Home of Peace and guides whom He wills to a straight path” [Quran 10:25]
“It is that of which Allah gives good tidings to His servants who believe and do righteous deeds. Say, [O Muhammad], “I do not ask you for this message any payment [but] only good will through kinship.” And whoever commits a good deed – We will increase for him good therein. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Appreciative.” [Quran 42:23]
“So whoever Allah wants to guide – He expands his breast to [contain] Islam; and whoever He wants to misguide – He makes his breast tight and constricted as though he were climbing into the sky. Thus does Allah place defilement upon those who do not believe.” [Quran 6:125]
According to the ayat above, Allah expands the hearts to contain Islam. The hard hearts cannot contain Islam / accept Islam. This is why we see some people who might be knowledgeable about Islam (kuffar professors on Islam) but they are disbelievers.
The professor mentioned that Allah Azzawajal is “Al Adl” The Most Just. Due to His Justice & Mercy,
– He would not guide anybody who is not deserving of hidayah
– Nor would he let go astray anyone who deserves to be guided
– Individual needs to take initiative to seek guidance and Allah facilitates by guiding.
Who does Allah guide?
– Individual who seeks Allah & attempts to follow His way
– Effort to understand, to believe, to gain knowledge and to obey
– Initially not complete, yearning leads to assistance from Allah (this is apparent from stories of converts such as Yusuf Estes, Joshua Evans etc.)
“And those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.” [Quran 29:69]
“So those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him – He will admit them to mercy from Himself and bounty and guide them to Himself on a straight path.” [Quran 4:175]
I would highly recommend the professor’s book: “Islamic Perspective on Psychology”: https://www.iiph.com.sa/iiph-Psychology_from_the_Islamic_Perspective-p476.html For more information on Dr. Bilal Philips’ initiative on Islamic Online University, please visit: http://www.islamiconlineuniversity.com/ There are free diploma courses available as well as a low-cost tuition free B.A. in Islamic Studies. Please spread the word.
A Letter from a Christian to Muslim Women
As received via e-mail
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A Letter from a Christian to Muslim Women
Between the Israeli assault on Lebanon and the Zionist “war on terror,” the Muslim world is now center stage in every American home. I see the carnage, death and destruction that have befallen Lebanon, but I also see something else: I see you.
I can’t help but notice that almost every woman I see is carrying a baby or has children around her. I see that though they are dressed modestly, their beauty still shines through. But it’s not just outer beauty that I notice. I also notice that I feel something strange inside me: I feel envy. I feel terrible for the horrible experiences and war crimes that the Lebanese people have suffered, being targeted by our common enemy.
But I can’t help but admire your strength, your beauty, your modesty, and most of all, your happiness. Yes, it’s strange, but it occurred to me that even under constant bombardment, you still seemed happier than we are, because you were still living the natural lives of women. The way women have always lived since the beginning of time. It used to be that way in the West until the 1960s, when we were bombarded by the same enemy. Only we were not bombarded with actual munitions, but with subtle trickery and moral corruption.
Through Temptation
They bombarded us Americans from Hollywood, instead of from fighter jets or with our own American-made tanks. They would like to bomb you in this way too, after they’ve finished bombing the infrastructure of your countries. I do not want this to happen to you. You will feel degraded, just like we do. You can avoid this kind of bombing if you will kindly listen to those of us who have already suffered serious casualties from their evil influence. Because everything you see coming out of Hollywood is a pack of lies, a distortion of reality, smoke and mirrors. They present casual sex as harmless recreation because they aim to destroy the moral fabric of the societies into which they beam their poisonous programming. I beg you not to drink their poison. There is no antidote for it once you have consumed it. You may recover partially, but you will never be the same. Better to avoid the poison altogether than to try to heal from the damage it causes.
They will try to tempt you with their titillating movies and music videos, falsely portraying us American women as happy and satisfied, proud of dressing like prostitutes, and content without families. Most of us are not happy, trust me. Millions of us are on anti-depressant medication, hate our jobs, and cry at night over the men who told us they loved us, then greedily used us and walked away. They would like to destroy your families and convince you to have fewer children. They do this by presenting marriage as a form of slavery, motherhood as a curse, and being modest and pure as old-fashioned. They want you to cheapen yourself and lose your faith. They are like the Serpent tempting Eve with the apple. Don’t bite.
Self-Value
I see you as precious gems, pure gold, or the “pearl of great value” spoken of in the Bible (Matthew 13: 45). All women are pearls of great value, but some of us have been deceived into doubting the value of our purity. Jesus said: “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you” (Matthew 7: 6). Our pearls are priceless, but they convince us that they’re cheap. But trust me; there is no substitute for being able to look in the mirror and seeing purity, innocence and self-respect staring back at you.
The fashions coming out of the Western sewer are designed to make you believe that your most valuable asset is your sexuality. But your beautiful dresses and veils are actually sexier than any Western fashion, because they cloak you in mystery and show self-respect and confidence. A woman’s sexuality should be guarded from unworthy eyes, since it should be your gift to the man who loves and respects you enough to marry you. And since your men are still manly warriors, they deserve no less than your best. Our men don’t even want purity anymore. They don’t recognize the pearl of great value, opting for the flashy rhinestone instead. Only to leave her too!
Your most valuable assets are your inner beauty, your innocence, and everything that makes you who you are. But I notice that some Muslim women push the limit and try to be as Western as possible, even while wearing a veil (with some of their hair showing). Why imitate women who already regret, or will soon regret, their lost virtue? There is no compensation for that loss. You are flawless diamonds. Don’t let them trick you into becoming rhinestones. Because everything you see in the fashion magazines and on Western television is a lie. It is Satan’s trap. It is fool’s gold.
A Woman’s Heart
I’ll let you in on a little secret, just in case you’re curious: pre-marital sex is not even that great. We gave our bodies to the men we were in love with, believing that that was the way to make them love us and want to marry us, just as we had seen on television growing up. But without the security of marriage and the sure knowledge that he will always stay with us, it’s not even enjoyable! That’s the irony. It was just a waste. It leaves you in tears.
Speaking as one woman to another, I believe that you understand that already. Because only a woman can truly understand what’s in another woman’s heart. We really are all alike. Our race, religion or nationalities do not matter. A woman’s heart is the same everywhere. We love. That’s what we do best. We nurture our families and give comfort and strength to the men we love. But we American women have been fooled into believing that we are happiest having careers, our own homes in which to live alone, and freedom to give our love away to whomever we choose.
That is not freedom. And that is not love. Only in the safe haven of marriage can a woman’s body and heart be safe to love. Don’t settle for anything less. It’s not worth it. You won’t even like it and you’ll like yourself even less afterwards. Then he’ll leave you.
Self-Denial
Sin never pays. It always cheats you. Even though I have reclaimed my honor, there’s still no substitute for having never been dishonored in the first place. We Western women have been brainwashed into thinking that you Muslim women are oppressed. But truly, we are the ones who are oppressed; slaves to fashions that degrade us, obsessed with our weight, begging for love from men who do not want to grow up. Deep down inside, we know that we have been cheated.
We secretly admire and envy you, although some of us will not admit it. Please do not look down on us or think that we like things the way they are. It’s not our fault. Most of us did not have fathers to protect us when we were young because our families have been destroyed. You know who is behind this plot.
Don’t be fooled, my sisters. Don’t let them get you too. Stay innocent and pure. We Christian women need to see what life is really supposed to be like for women. We need you to set the example for us, because we are lost. Hold onto your purity.
Remember: you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. So guard your “toothpaste” carefully! I hope you receive this advice in the spirit in which it is intended: the spirit of friendship, respect, and admiration.
From your Christian sister with love.
By Joanna Francis – Writer, Journalist – USA
* This article is republished with the kind permission of the author. The original can be found on Crescent and the Cross. Joanna Francis is a writer and journalist. She manages her own blog.
Top 10 Reasons – People don’t follow Islam
“Islam began as something strange, and it shall return to being something strange, so give glad tidings to the strangers.”
Today there are many barriers that distract many born-Muslims from learning and implementing the way of life prescribed by our Creator, as well as from the true message of Islam reaching the ears of Non-Muslims. This short essay will look at some of these barriers.
From the inception of mass communication such as radio and television, those in power have utilized these powerful tools to sway public opinion to suit their interests. During the Cold War era, the “Russian” was the evil bad guy. Once USSR collapsed, and the attention was turned to the Muslim world, to preemptively stop the dormant Ummah from rising. With the retaliation by some in the Ummah to the unfair political policies of the US, the media attack on Muslims raised to a whole new level. Muslims started being portrayed as violent, blood thirsty, ancient “sharia” law following, woman oppressors among other stereoptypes. This implanted bias prevented many non-Muslims from being receptive to the message of Islam. All these media attacks, however, also have contributed to the rise in interest in studying Islam and many have accepted it as a result.
And when those who disbelieve plot against thee (O Muhammad) to wound thee fatally, or to kill thee or to drive thee forth; they plot, but Allah (also) plotteth; andAllah is the best of plotters. [Quran 8:30]
The capitalistic materialistic ideology has infected the majority of the world in this day and age. The essence of this secularism is to separate God Almighty from our lives and focus on accumulating as much wealth as possible. So, man has become lost in pursuit of “material” happiness which in reality brings only grief in this world and the next. As Allah says:
“Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” [ Quran 13:28]
Even though one may have the fanciest of cars and grandest of houses, he may be constantly worried about “protecting” his wealth, warding of lawsuits etc. This obsession with the duniya distracts people from “seeking God” and finding their true purpose in life. It also distracts Muslims from the implementing their deen and finding true contentment in their hearts.
“Allah extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]. And they rejoice in the worldly life, while the worldly life is not, compared to the Hereafter, except [brief] enjoyment.” [Quran 13:26]
Satan constantly finds new ways to divert mankind from fulfilling his purpose:
And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. [Quran 51:56]
One of the biggest distractions today is popular entertainment. Be it music, addiction to the “idiot box” commonly known as the tv, movies, theater, internet and so on. Hours can fly by before one realizes how much time just got wasted. Additionally, these movies, songs, advertisements are used to subconsciously program people and shapes their values and attitudes towards elders, God, religion, opposite sex and so on. The breakdown of family values and promulgation of promiscuity, rise of atheism etc. can be easily attributed to the negative social engineering utilizing these mediums. Man is either obsessed with this “entertainment” or his heart is filled with the light of divine guidance which his actions reflect.
“Allah has not made for a man two hearts in his interior…” [Quran 33:4]
Shaitan has been deceiving man since he had deceived Adam AS into eating the apple. He makes the immoral attractive by his lies until man desires it. We can see this deception in action today as the worst of deeds in the sight of Allah is called by “acceptable names” such as pooja (shirk), banks, time value of money (riba), common law / same sex marriage ( sodomy), sex-workers (prostitutes) making love (fahisha/zina), democracy (shirk), Feminism and so on. On the other hand, Shaitan is busy helping rebrand Islam with negative names such as Terrorists, Fundamentalists, and backward. This prevents people from recognizing the state of ignorance and heedless they are swimming in and when the boat of Islam comes to save them, they don’t get on it and choose to drown in their jahiliyah.
With this rebranding comes indulgence in desires such as lusts, women, overeating and so on. When one indulges in their desires, the heart becomes averse to the light of Al Quran, the guiding light towards eternal happiness.
Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah ? Then will you not be reminded? [Quran 45:23]
Althought our Ummah is about 1.5 billion Muslims strong, however, a big majority of that number cannot be classified as truly practicing Muslims with the correct understanding of Islamic belief or Aqeedah. They have indulged in numerous evils and injustices which has led to the aversion of some Non-Muslims towards studying or accepting Islam. This behavior is in sharp contrast to our salaf, with whom people were impressed with their principles and actions and were attracted to Islam as a result. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) prophesized:
“The People will soon summon one another to attack you as people when eating invite others to share their food.” Someone asked, “Will that be because of our small numbers at that time?” He replied, “No, you will be numerous at that time: but you will be froth and scum like that carried down by a torrent (of water), and Allah will take the fear of you from the breasts (hearts) of your enemy and cast al-wahn into your hearts.” Someone asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what is al-wahn?” He replied, “Love of the world and dislike of death.” [An authentic hadith recorded by Abu Dawud and Ahmad]
Looking at some of the environmental factors that impede a “Muslim” from submitting to his creator, we can identify three major influences: Parents, Community and Education System. These three factors have tremendous influence on a person.
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said ”Every child is born on Fitrah, then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian or a Magian”,
Similarly even ignorant Muslim parents who fail to give a Islamic foundation in their child’s life eventually turn out to be one of the key reasons that distance him from his deen in his later years. Additionally, if the child is raised in an “Non-Muslim” community, his connection with Islam would be further severed. He will begin to subconsciously look up to the pagan culture and look down upon the beauty of Tawheed. He would even try to hide his Muslim identity to fit in with the community. The final sharpening of the knife before the spiritual “slaughter” is when the parents send him to a Non-Islamic school where the child looks up to his teachers as the source of intellectual authority and corruption in belief, shirk, evolution, loss of moral values – free-mixing, pre-marital relations etc. can be easily injected in the child’s mind. His Non-Muslim friends would further compound the problem. Hence, the prophetic warning: “A person is likely to follow the faith of his friend, so look whom you befriend.” (Abu Dawood and at-Tirmithi)
Lastly, one of the major factors preventing the Dawah in todays world, is the absence of a truly Islamic State or Kilafha that is responsible for cleaning up its own society from shirk and other evils, implementing sharia, making it easy to do acts of ibadah and make it difficult to commit sins. In essence, this “Islamic Government” like the glory days of the Ummah, is responsible for providing an ideal environment for Islam to flourish within its boundaries and to remove obstacles in dawah outside her borders using physical and intellectual jihad as ordained by Allah Azzawajal:
“Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.” [Quran 2:216]
“And remember when you were few and oppressed in the land, fearing that people might abduct you, but He sheltered you, supported you with His victory, and provided you with good things – that you might be grateful.” [Quran 8:26]
How to give a Shahadah in 10 Mins! (Presentation By Kamal El Mekki)
Download this excellent presentation to hone your dawah skills.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): A Mercy to Mankind (Powerpoint)
Muhammad pbuh & His Message – Mercy to Mankind (PPT)
Click on the link to download a presentation on the life of the most remarkable man to have walked the planet. This presentation is created by Dr. AbdulAzeez AbdurRaheem, from http://www.understandquran.com
What Does Islam Stand For? (Powerpoint)
An Excellent presentation on Islam, directed an a Non-Muslim audience. Please forward to friends, family and collegues. Feel free to set up seminars where you can go through this presentation to shed light on the true teachings of Islam.
This is prepared by a prominent Da’ee here, Khalid Dosarry.
“How can you believe in something unseen when you cannot prove its existence?”
“Isn’t Islam mythical as Muslims believe in Angels and Demons?” “Why do you believe in a God whom you cannot see?” “People in the old times believed in God because they lack scientific knowledge or rational thinking.” These questions and similar thoughts might leave some Muslims perplexed or might be holding back a rational person who feels that he would have to become “irrational” to believe in God. Is this really the case? A simple study of these misconceptions will help us shine the light on these questions as the Quran is described by Allah (Arabic for The One God) as Nur or Light that banishes darkness. The basic litmus test is, “Is Quran the word of God Almighty?” If we provide sufficient evidence for this, then all the false arguments will be baseless. Let us test the Quran in the light of Modern Science, Logic and Probability, as well as look at the open challenge in the Quran to Humanity as Allah says:
“Do they not consider the Qur’an (with care)? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy” [Quran Surat Al-Nisa’a 4:82]
Dr. Gary Miller says that “One of the well known scientific principles is the principle of finding mistakes or looking for mistakes in a theory until it’s proved to be right (Falsification Test). What’s amazing is that the Holy Qur’an asks Muslims and non-Muslims to try to find mistakes in this book and it tells them that they will never find any”.[1]
If we look in the realms of science, there are numerous scientific facts mentioned in the Quran: around 1000 of the 6000 verses.[2] One would assume that a Book from 14 Centuries ago is bound to have innumerable scientific inaccuracies. Let us see if this is the case.
“ Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of Creation), before We clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?” [“Al-Anbiya:30]
The Quran talks about the creation of the Universe, confirming the concept of modern day Big Bang Theory that the Universe was a primitive atom before it exploded and kept expanding. In another instance:
“He has let loose the two seas meeting each other. Between them is a barrier which none of them can transgress.” [Quran 55:19-20]
Here the fact that fresh water and salt water seas don’t mix is referenced which had perplexed the early Quran day commentators whereas modern day Oceanographers are able to explain this phenomenon.
When the Quran was revealed, the people thought that the Earth was flat. However in the Quran, the word, dahaahaa is used to in reference to the Earth, which means an ostrich egg, which aptly explains the shape of our planet; a fact inconceivable 1400 years ago.[3]
“And after that He spread the Earth.” [Quran 79:30]
Now these are few examples from the 100’s of such verses present in the Quran. From a logic point of view, Dr. Zakir Naik analyzes that if we take any 3 facts mentioned in the Quran and try to see if it possible for them to randomly be true? Let us take the instance that at the time people held the view that the Earth was flat. Quran revealed, as discussed earlier, that it is oval shaped. Let us assume there are about 30 possibilities (hexagonal, spherical, pentagonal etc.). Then the possibility of it being a right guess is 1/30. Now, another fact mentioned in the Quran is that all living things are created from water. There are whole myriad of things that we can assume we are created from, so let us assume 10,000 possibilities. So the probability of being the right guess is 1/10,000. Another scientific example in the Quran is the barrier between the seas, which have scientific evidence pointing to the barriers between the salt and fresh water bodies in the Mediterranean. There are two options here – barrier or no barrier, so the probability is ½. Now the combined probability of all three facts accurately mentioned being guesses is 1/30 x 1/10000 x ½ = 0.00017% which is practically impossible. Now that is only for three facts, and if we apply this formula to all the scientific facts mentioned in the Quran, confirmed by modern science, it would be beyond human minds to comprehend the impossibility of it. [4]
So, we have provided proof that the source of the Quran is of Divine origin and scientifically speaking, if all the facts mentioned in the Quran for which scientific evidence exists today are correct, then it takes common sense to note that other facts mentioned for which science has not discovered yet has to be true too. Just because we don’t know does not make it wrong. People 1400 years ago did not know that the Earth was oval shaped nor was Universe created from the Big Bang nor the Moon reflected light. That is why, we Muslims believe in a God we cannot see and His Angels, and Jinns, although we cannot see as the Quran has provided enough evidence for mankind that it is from a divine source.
[3] Dr. Zakir Naik, The Quran and Modern Science – Compatible or Incompatible?
ILM RUSH 
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