Living Islam (mission, prophet, marriage, faith, muslims)

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Faith: Is It Reason or Belief? Part Two

"I remember when I was considering getting married and convert… It was really difficult to face prejudice and misconceptions of what people had to say to me."

Meilna knew that choosing to become a Muslim wasn't the easiest thing to do, she feared the social outcast because of the belief. "You have to make a lot sacrifices and you have to face a lot of prejudice."

Click here to know what difficulties she had to face, and what sacrifices she had to make in order to become a Muslim.


http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1193049270603&pagename=Z one-English-Discover_Islam%2FDIELayout

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Hajj: Let Go!

... for a few days I came out of that trap and was able to let go—that was Hajj.

It was on the second day of the Hajj, while we were at `Arafah, that the transformation started.


It was a Friday and our group leader was giving a khutbah (sermon). He spoke about Hajar (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham, peace be upon him) and mother of Isma`il (Ishmael, peace be upon him). When her son was just an infant, Ibrahim left them in the desert in the place that would become the city of Makkah. She ran after Ibrahim and asked if this was from Allah. Had He ordered Ibrahim to do so? He just nodded and walked away, without even looking back. She declared that she would trust in Allah to provide for her.


The rest is history, as they say. While running back and forth between two hills to find water, the baby kicked the sand and the water of Zamzam sprung out of the ground. That water is still flowing today, and Hajar’s running between the hills is commemorated by the Hajj ritual known as Sa`i.


Now that woman had faith!

http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1154235123356&pagename=Z one-English-Discover_Islam%2FDIELayout

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A Universal Teacher of True Humanity
"So just how is it that a young, white, middle-class Christian-American man such as the present author and others like me could come to embrace an 'ancient' Arab figure as his ultimate role model and guide for living?

Muhammad (peace be upon him), as I began learning over eight years ago, represents all that is good about being human.

To Muslims, he is not the embodiment of greatness due to his worldly accomplishments, but rather because he represents the highest attainment of God-given human potential; a potential that lies dormant within us all.


In such wise, he not only represents human 'perfection' from the perspective of religion, but universally, he is a witness to human excellence wherever and whenever it is found."
Mahatma Gandhi once said:

I wanted to know the best of the life of one who holds today an undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind.... I became more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission…” (A statement published in Young India, 1924)



http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1193049178192&pagename=Z one-English-Discover_Islam%2FDIELayout

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Preparations Before Leaving for Hajj

Prerequisites of Hajj


Since Hajj is an act of worship, it must be performed in peace and with single-minded devotion. There are a number of simple, yet important things you can do to get in the right frame of mind for this unique experience. All of these are self-evident and are based on common sense. They are reiterated below for completeness of the discussion and as a reminder:

a. Your intention must be to perform Hajj solely for the sake of Allah. Considerations of pleasing or impressing others with your show of piety should never be a factor.

b. All Hajj expenses must be paid out of money obtained through lawful (halal) means. Money obtained through illegitimate or doubtful means is not acceptable.

c. All of your debts and financial obligations must be fully discharged before you start your journey and, where necessary, a written acknowledgement of the transaction obtained for future use.

d. You must make an honest effort to resolve your outstanding differences with others and seek forgiveness from those you may have hurt in any way in the past. This is based on specific instructions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and must be followed for the Hajj to be meaningful.

http://www.islamonline.net/English/hajj/Services/1425/02.shtml

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The Path to Paradise – Part 1

The pursuit of worldly gain is but a mirage

All worldly gains are left behind when you die, and that's why you should have Paradise as your goal, the everlasting abode of the believer.

How to apply this in your life? ...

http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1193049233670&pagename=Z one-English-Discover_Islam%2FDIELayout

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Tolerance in Islam

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned Muslims against wronging non-Muslim citizens or inflicting any harm against them, making it clear that the Prophet himself will stand against anyone who does so on the Day of Judgment.

During all stages of his mission, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was committed to these sublime principles, whether he was undergoing the persecution and humiliation of the Quraish in Makkah, establishing the Islamic state in Madinah, or being in the zenith of glory when he entered Makkah victorious, eight years after leaving it.

Before his immigration to Madinah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions suffered much; they were tortured, insulted, persecuted, and some of them were even killed. Amidst all these pains, Allah sent to him the angel of mountains, asking him permission to crush such oppressors with the two mountains of Makkah, but the Prophet’s response was amazing; although he had a real chance to avenge all the long years of sufferings, he opted for tolerance and forbearance, declaring his hope that their offspring may embrace Islam.

http://www.islamonline.net/English/In_Depth/ViolenceCausesAlternatives/Articles/topic02/2005/08/02.shtml

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The Muslim Belief in Good

Muslims believe that every event that happens to the believer has some sort of goodness in it. God states that even events that seem to be unfavorable may have a lot of good in them

[It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know.](Al-Baqarah 2:216)

Aware of this secret, believers seek goodness and beauty in every event. No seemingly adverse incident, hardship, or mischief ails or worries them. They maintain their composure, whether the experience is insignificant or a serious ordeal.

Sincere Muslims even see goodness and Divine purpose in the loss of all their hard earned possessions. They express gratitude to God for the gift of life.

They have faith that God may have protected them from committing an evil act or against too much attachment for possessions.

Accordingly, believers give their most inner thanks to Him because no loss in this world equals the loss in the hereafter. Loss in the hereafter means eternal and intolerable punishment, unless God wills otherwise.

Those who keep themselves occupied with the remembrance of the hereafter view every event as goodness and beauty leading to the hereafter.

The Muslim Belief in Good - Reading Islam.com