Lowering the Gaze

When such images become prevalent in a society, what is deemed pornographic changes drastically. The very standard of modesty, which should be a defining characteristic of Muslim dress and behavior, will become degraded. The Islamic standard must be upheld. The true believer fears Allah's judgement and knows that no act will go unaccounted for and that even his own eyes will bear witness against him on the Day of Judgement. Allah (swt) says: "Until, when they reach it (Hell-Fire) their hearing and eyes and skin will testify against them as to what they used to do." Rasoolullah (saws) warned us that there is a zinaa of the eyes just as there is a zinaa of the private parts.

The Islamic solution to living in a society where pornographic images are so visible is to lower one's gaze.

Allah (swt) says: "Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well aquainted with all they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof… "

The scholars of tafseer say that this means that both men and woman are obliged to direct their sight away from that which is haram and that there is no harm in looking at that which is halal (such as viewing one's spouse while they are uncovered).

In regard to these verses Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) says: "So He (Allah) put purity after lowering of the gaze and protecting of the private parts. For this reason lowering the gaze away from the prohibited things warrants three great benefits. The first of them is the sweetness of Imaan and the pleasure that comes from it, which is more sweet and pleasing than that which he diverted his eyes away from for Allah's sake. Verily, whoever abandons a thing for Allah's sake, He (swt) compensates him with better than it…The second benefit is a light in the heart and quality of intuition… and the third benefit is the strength of the heart and steadfastness and courage. So Allah (swt) would give him, by His strength, the ability of wisdom and substantiation, and the devil would flee from him as it has been mentioned in the saying, "Whoever fears his whims, the devil would race out of his shadow."

Indeed, the opposite is also true. This is because the eyes are the most direct path to the heart. One who allows his whims to overwhelm him and indulges his eyes in the viewing of haram things has weakened his heart, corrupted his soul, and invited shaytan to control him.

Stop watching PORN

  Pornography is defined in the English language as an indecent form of art or literature. Islam also views it as indecent and terms it as faahisha in the Quran.
  Allah says (what means): "Say: The things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are: shameful deeds whether open or secret…"
  Faahishah is translated as "shameful deeds" because it refers to every bad deed that is noticeably ugly to human beings. In many places in the Quran, Allah (swt) refers to zinaa, adultery and fornication as a faahishah. In another verse, Allah (swt) refers to the marrying of one's father's wife also as being a faahishah because, like adultery, anyone with a pure nature will clearly see it as hideous. Allah (swt) also calls the crime of the people of Lut (as), homosexuality, a faahishah. Likewise to view pictures of nudity, sexual suggestion, intimacy between two people, or a person of the opposite gender who is improperly covered (Islamically) is also an ugly sin to anyone who wishes to adhere to piety.

Music is Haram

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim (Rahimullah) said, "Of the tricks of the enemy of Allah, Satan, that he uses to trap those who do not enjoy much intelligence, knowledge or sincerity in religion, are Mukaa' and Tasdiyah. These people of ignorance listen to and use musical instruments that are prohibited and which lead the hearts to abandoning the Qur'aan. These hearts are indulging in sin and disobedience of Allah. Music, then, is Satan's Qur'aan and the barrier between one and Allah. It is the way to sodomy and adultery. With it, the lover finds what he seeks and dreams of sinful love. Satan has trapped the weak hearts in the love of singing and made it beautiful to them. Satan reveals to his agents' fake proofs that they use as evidence to the beauty of singing. These people accept Satan's revelation and, as a consequence, abandon the Qur'aan. When you witness them while listening, you will find them silent in humbleness, sitting idle and their hearts are concentrating and totally enjoying music and singing. Their hearts will feel closer to music, as if they were drunk. They dance and move in a suggestive manner, like faggots and whores. And why not? They are drunk with the pleasure of listening to music and singing and act accordingly. For other than Allah, and for Satan, there are hearts that are being broken by sin, and fortunes that are being spent for other than Allah's Pleasure. They spend their lives in joyful fun and make a mockery of their religion. Instruments of the devil are sweeter to their ears than the Qur'aan. If one of them listens to the Qur'aan from beginning to end, it will have little effect or excitement on him. If Satan's Qur'aan is being performed and heard, they feel joy in their hearts and one can see it in their eyes. Their feet dance, their hands clap, their breathing intensifies and the rest of their bodies feel joy. O you who are trapped in this sin, you who have sold your share of Allah to Satan, what a losing deal! Why not feels this joy when you listen to the Qur'aan? Why not feel pleasure and comfort when the Glorious Qur'aan is recited? But, everyone seeks what he feels is suitable for him, and ends up with what is really suitable for him." [Ighathat Al-Lahfan].

Masturbation is Haram

Excessive masturbation can lead to symptoms like:

• Hair loss
• Abnormal hair growth in arm pits, arms, legs
• Body odor 
• Memory loss
• Feeling weak

The harmful effects of masturbation include discharge of semen when you think about girl, reduction in penis size, tapering of penis in the base, reduced erection size, reduced amount of orgasm and worst of all, premature ejaculation. Masturbation also causes blindness, heart attacks, brain damage and other health problems.  


So masturbation is not harms your health and that's why it is haram, and please stop watching porn!! 

Dua-e-Qunoot

Transliteration of Dua-e-Qunoot:


"Allah humma inna nasta-eenoka wa nastaghfiruka wa nu'minu bika wa natawakkalu alaika wa nusni alaikal khair, wa nashkuruka wala nakfuruka wa nakhla-oo wa natruku mai yafjuruka, Allah humma iyyaka na'budu wa laka nusalli wa nasjudu wa ilaika nas aaa wa nahfizu wa narju rahma taka wa nakhshaa azaabaka inna azaabaka bil kuffari mulhikun"


Translation of Dua-e-Qunoot:


"O' Allah! We implore You for help and beg forgiveness of You and believe in You and rely on You and extol You and we are thankful to You and are not ungrateful to You and we alienate and forsake those who disobey You. O' Allah! You alone do we worship and for You do we pray and prostrate and we betake to please You and present ourselves for the service in Your cause and we hope for Your mercy and fear Your chastisement. Undoubtedly, Your tormen is going to overtake infidels"

Dua-e-Kunoot is recited in the third rakat of Witr (Witar) Salaah after Isha Prayer

Things that are Haram

• PORN
• MASTURBATION
• Alcohol 

• Bacon (pig meat)

• Cholesterol (A type of fat always of animal origin, it should be suspected till the source is known, If extracted from Zabiha animal, it is halal, if not it becomes haram)

• Diglyceride (Emulsifier , if of animal origin it should be suspected till the animal source is known and if of plant origin, it is automatically halal)

• Gelatin (Usually of animal origin, mostly from hog (pig) if gelatin sources are from plants than it is halal) 

• Glycerol,Glycerine,Glyceryl (It could be of animal , plant or synthetic origin, if animal source is used it is haram)

• Hormones (Usually animal hormones are used for human beings. One has to find the source before passing judgement)

• Lard (Fat from the swine, particularly found in the abdominal cavity. This is totally haram for Muslims)
• Pepsin (A digestive enzyme of the gastric juices usually extracted from hog's stomach. Usually not labelled) 

• Rennin,Rennet(A protein enzyme used in the preparation of cheeses for curdling the milk. Usually not labeled)

• E120 (Contains insects)
• E904 (Contains insects) 

Islam on Pornography

There is no room for anyone to say pornography is not Haram. It’s absolutely Haram, notes Shaykh Muhammad Nur Abdullah. He is the Imam of the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis in Missouri.

“If someone is looking at someone committing Zina (sex outside of marriage) whether it is movies or pictures or the actual thing, it is all Haram,” he adds. Some of the proofs he gives for the prohibition of pornography in Islam include verses 30 and 31 of chapter 24 (Noor) of the Qur’an, as well as Ahadith that say what leads to Haram is Haram and that Zina is committed by the eye and the hand, even before a sexual encounter takes place.

He has openly discussed the problem of the Internet, pornography and Muslim youth in his Khutbahs. On a day to day level, he says he gets at least two cases daily of young Muslims, boys and girls, who come to the mosque and speak to him personally about this problem.

Dremali says the teenagers feel guilty, but they cannot stop looking at this material. They need a cure, they have become addicted.

“The person who looks at these things will always have Shaytan in his mind because he wants to commit these [actions],” he says. “Shaytan never takes the person immediately to commit adultery (he does it in steps).”

Dremali also gives a clear example of the role the Internet plays in being one of the steps leading to sex outside of marriage.

“The hand commits adultery by touching Haram and the person using the keyboard and using the mouse to look at these pictures, he or she is committing adultery,” he warns

“Unfortunately there are a lot of Muslim youth who are using pornography on the [Internet], and they basically use the Internet only for that purpose,” notes Taha Ghayyur, 19, who is National Coordinator of Young Muslims Canada.

Too often, though, parents are willing to bury their heads in the sand when the issue of pornography and their children comes up. “How do you know your kids don’t know about it?” asks Dremali.

The easy access to pornography on television (no longer reserved to just the very late night hours), on the magazine stands and the Internet makes it almost impossible to avoid, even if one’s intentions are clear.

In the case of the Internet, sometimes accompanying links or windows to pornographic websites or WebPages will suddenly open up, against the wishes of the surfer.

This however, does not mean parents should automatically assume the worst about their children.

Shaykh Nur Abdullah stresses the importance of openly talking to children about the problem, especially if they have been caught looking at such material. If parents don’t do this “then we are turning our face away from the problem,” he says.

“[the] Internet is good and bad,” says Dremali. “Allah gave us the brains to think where is the good way and where is the bad way. According to your choice Allah will judge you.

Don't follow Satan

At several places in the Quran, God warns us not to follow the steps of Satan: "He will incite you for shameful things (fuhsha) and encourage you to do universally accepted wrong things (al-munkar) Quran 24:21

The True Religion: Which is the True Religion of God?

Each person is born in a circumstance which is not of his own choosing.  The religion of his family or the ideology of the state is thrust upon him from the very beginning of his existence in this world.  By the time he reaches his teens, he is usually fully brain-washed into believing that the beliefs of his particular society are the correct beliefs that everyone should have.  However, when some people mature and are exposed to other belief-systems, they begin to question the validity of their own beliefs.  The seekers of truth often reach a point of confusion upon realizing that each and every religion, sect, ideology and philosophy claims to be the one and only correct way for man.  Indeed, they all encourage people to do good.  So, which one is right?  They cannot all be right, since each claims all others are wrong.  Then how does the seeker of truth choose the right way?

God gave us all minds and intellects to enable us to make this crucial decision.  It is the most important decision in the life of a human being.  Upon it depends his future.  Consequently, each and every one of us must examine dispassionately the evidence presented, and choose what appears to be right until further evidence arises.

Like every other religion or philosophy, Islam also claims to be the one and only true way to God.  In this respect it is no different from other systems.  This booklet intends to provide some evidence for the validity of that claim.  However, it must always be kept in mind that one can only determine the true path by putting aside emotions and prejudices, which often blind us to reality.  Then, and only then, will we be able to use our God-given intelligence and make a rational and correct decision.

There are several arguments which may be advanced to support Islam’s claim to be the true religion of God.  The following are only three of the most obvious.  The first argument is based on the divine origin of the names of the religion and the comprehensiveness of its meaning.  The second deals with the unique and uncomplicated teachings concerning the relationship between God, man, and creation.  The third argument derives from the fact that Islam is universally attainable by all men at all times.  These are the three basic components of what logic and reason dictate necessary for a religion to be considered the true religion of God.  The following pages will develop these concepts in some detail.

The True Religion: The Religion’s Name

The first thing that one should know and clearly understand about Islam, is what the word “Islam” itself means.  The Arabic word “Islam” means the submission or surrender of one’s will to the only true God, known in Arabic as “Allah”.  One who submits his will to God is termed in Arabic a “Muslim”.  The religion of Islam is not named after a person or a people, nor was it decided by a later generation of man, as in the case of Christianity which was named after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Gautama Buddha, Confucianism after Confucius, Marxism after Karl Marx, Judaism after the tribe of Judah and Hinduism after the Hindus.  Islam (submission to the will of God) is the religion which was given to Adam, the first man and the first prophet of God, and it was the religion of all the prophets sent by Allah to mankind.  Further, its name was chosen by God Himself, and clearly mentioned in the final scripture which He revealed to man.  In that final revelation, called in Arabic the Quran, Allah states the following:

“…This day have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion…” (Quran 5:3)

“If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to God), never will it be accepted of him.” (Quran 3:85)

Hence, Islam does not claim to be a new religion brought by Prophet Mohammed into Arabia in the seventh century, but rather to be a re-expression in its final form of the true religion of Almighty God, Allah, as it was originally revealed to Adam and subsequent prophets.

At this point, we might comment briefly on two other religions that claim to be the true path.  Nowhere in the Bible will you find God revealing to Prophet Moses’ people or their descendants that their religion is called Judaism, or to the followers of Christ that their religion is called Christianity.  In other words, the names “Judaism” and “Christianity” had no divine origin or approval.  It was not until long after his departure that the name Christianity was given to Jesus’ religion.

What, then, was Jesus’ religion in actual fact, as distinct from its name?  His religion was reflected in his teachings, which he urged his followers to accept as guiding principles in their relationship with God.  In Islam, Jesus is a prophet sent by Allah, and his Arabic name is Eesaa.  Like the prophets before him, he called upon the people to surrender their will to the will of God (which is what Islam stands for).  For example, in the New Testament it is stated that Jesus taught his followers to pray to God as follows:

“Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Luke 1 1:2/Matthew 6:9-10)

This concept was emphasized by Jesus in a number of his statements recorded in the Gospels.  He taught, for example, that only those who submitted would inherit paradise.

“None of those who call me ‘Lord’ will enter the kingdom of God, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

Jesus also pointed out that he himself submitted to the will of God.

“I cannot do anything of myself.  I judge as I hear and my judgment is honest because I am not seeking my own will but the will of Him who sent me.” (John 5:30)

There are many reports in the Gospels which show that Jesus made it clear to his followers that he was not the one true God.  For example, when speaking about the final Hour, he said:

“No-one knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, not the son, but only the Father.” (Mark 13:32)

Thus Jesus, like the prophets before him and the one who came after him, taught the religion of Islam: submission to the will of the one true God.

The True Religion: God and Creation

Since the total submission of one’s will to God represents the essence of worship, the basic message of God’s divine religion, Islam, is the worship of God alone.  It also requires the avoidance of worship directed to any person, place or thing other than God.  Since everything other than God, the creator of all the things, is God’s creation, it may be said that Islam, in essence, calls man away from worship of creation and invites him to worship only his Creator.  He is the only one deserving of man’s worship, because it is only by His will that prayers are answered.

Accordingly, if a man prays to a tree and his prayers are answered, it is not the tree which answers his prayers, but God, who allows the circumstances prayed for to take place.  One might say, “That is obvious.”  However, to tree-worshippers, it might not be so.  Similarly, prayers to Jesus, Buddha, or Krishna or Saint Christopher, or Saint Jude or even to Muhammad are not answered by them, but are answered by God.  Jesus did not tell his followers to worship him, but to worship God, as the Quran states:

“And behold!  God will say: ‘O Jesus, the son of Mary!  Did you say to men, worship me and my mother as gods besides God?’  He will say: ‘Glory to you, I could never say what I had no right (to say)...’” (Quran 5:116)

Nor did Jesus worship himself when he worshipped, but rather he worshipped God.  And Jesus was reported in the Gospels to have said:

“It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’” (Luke 4:8)

This basic principle is contained in the opening chapter of the Quran, known as Surah al- Faatihah, verse 4:

“You alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help.” (Quran 1:5)

Elsewhere, in the final book of revelation, the Quran, God also said:

“And you Lord says: ‘Call on Me and I will answer your (prayer).’” (Quran 40:60)

It is worth emphasizing that the basic message of Islam (namely, the worship of God alone) also proclaims that God and His creation are distinctly different entities.  God is neither equal to His creation nor a part of it, nor is His creation equal to Him or a part of Him.

This might seem obvious, but man’s worship of creation instead of the Creator is to a large degree based on ignorance, or neglect, of this concept.  It is the belief that the essence of God is everywhere in His creation or that His divine being is or was present in some parts of His creation, which has provided justification for the worship of God’s creation and naming it the worship of God.  However, the message of Islam, as brought by the prophets of God, is to worship only God and to avoid the worship of His creation either directly or indirectly.

In the Quran God clearly states:

“For we assuredly sent amongst every people a prophet, with the command worship God and avoid false Gods…” (Quran 16:36)

When idol worshippers are questioned as to why they bow down to idols created by men, the invariable reply is that they are not actually worshipping the stone image, but God, who is present within it.  They claim that the stone idol is only a focal point for God’s essence and is not in itself God!  One who has accepted the concept of God being present in any way within His creation will be obliged to accept this argument for idolatry.  Whereas, one who understands the basic message of Islam and its implications would never agree to idolatry no matter how it is rationalized.

Those who have claimed divinity for themselves down through the ages have often based their claims on the mistaken belief that God is present in man.  Taking one step further, they claim that God is more present in them than in the rest of us, and that other humans should therefore submit to them and worship them as God in person or as God concentrated within their persons.  Similarly, those who have asserted the godhood of others after their deaths have found fertile ground among those who accept the false belief of God’s presence in man.

It should be abundantly clear by now that one who has grasped the basic message of Islam and its implications could never agree to worship another human being under any circumstance.  God’s religion, in essence, is a clear call to the worship of the Creator and the rejection of creation-worship in any form.  This is the meaning of the motto of Islam:

“Laa Ilaaha illaa Allah” (There is no God but God)

The sincere declaration of this phrase and the acceptance of prophethood automatically bring one within the fold of Islam, and sincere belief in it guarantees one Paradise.  Thus, the final Prophet of Islam, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him is reported to have said:

“Anyone who says: ‘There is no God but God’ and dies holding that (belief) will enter paradise.”

Belief in this declaration of faith requires that one submit his/her will to God in the way taught by the prophets of God.  It also requires the believer to give up the worship of false gods.

The True Religion: The Message of False Religions

There are so many sects, cults, religions, philosophies, and movements in the world, all of which claim to be the right way or the only true path of God.  How can one determine which one is correct or whether, in fact, all are correct?  One method by which the answer can be found is to clear away the superficial differences in the teachings of the various claimants to the ultimate truth, and identifies the central object of worship upon which they call, directly or indirectly.  False religions all have in common one basic concept with regard to God: they either claim that all men are gods, or that specific men were God, or that nature is God, or that God is a figment of man’s imagination.

Thus, it may be stated that the basic message of false religion is that God may be worshipped in the form of His creation.  False religions invite man to the worship of creation by calling the creation or some aspect of it God.  For example, Prophet Jesus invited his followers to worship God, but those who claim to be Jesus followers today call people to worship Jesus, claiming that he was God.

Buddha was a reformer who introduced a number of humanistic principles in the religion of India.  He did not claim to be God, nor did he suggest to his followers that he be an object of worship.  Yet today most Buddhists who are to be found outside of India have taken him to be God and they prostrate themselves to idols made in their perception of his likeness.

By using the principle of identifying the object of worship, we can easily detect false religions and the contrived nature of their origin.  As God said in the Quran:

“You do not worship besides Him but only names which you have named, you and your forefathers, for which Allah has sent down no authority: the command belongs only to Allah: He has commanded that you worship Him; that is the right religion, but most men do not understand.” (Quran 12:40)

It may be argued that all religions teach good things, so why should it matter which one we follow?  The reply is that all false religions teach the greatest evil the worship of creation.  Creation-worship is the greatest sin that man can commit because it contradicts the very purpose of his creation.  Man was created to worship God alone as Allah has explicitly stated in the Quran:

“I have only created jinns and men, that they may worship Me.” (Quran 51:56)

Consequently, the worship of creation, which is the essence of idolatry is the only unforgivable sin.  One who dies in this state of idolatry, has sealed his fate in the next life.  This is not an opinion, but a revealed fact stated by God in his final revelation to man:

“Verily Allah will not forgive the joining of partners with Him, but He may forgive (sins) less than that for whomsoever He wishes...” (Quran 4:48, 4:116)

The True Religion: Universality of God’s Religions

Since the consequences of following a false religion are so grave, the true religion of God must have been universally understandable and universally attainable in the past, and it must continue eternally to be understandable and attainable throughout the entire world.  In other words, the true religion of God cannot be confined to any one people, place, or period of time.  Nor is it logical that such a religion should impose conditions that have nothing to do with the relationship of man with God, such as baptism, or belief in man as a savior, or an intermediary.  Within the central principle of Islam and its definition (the surrender of one’s will to God) lie the roots of Islam’s universality.  Whenever man comes to the realization that God is one and distinct from His creation, and submits himself to God, he becomes a Muslim in body and spirit and is eligible for paradise.

Consequently, anyone at any time in the most remote regions of the world can become Muslim, a follower of God’s religion, Islam, by merely rejecting the worship of creation and turning to God alone.  It should be noted, however, that in order to actually submit to God’s will, one must continually choose between right and wrong.  Indeed, man is endowed by God with the power not only to distinguish right from wrong but also to choose between them.  These God-given powers carry with them an important responsibility, namely, that man is answerable to God for the choices he makes.  It follows, then, that man should try his utmost to do good and avoid evil.  These concepts are expressed in the final revelation as follows:

“Verily, those who believe (in the Quran), and those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Christians, and the Sabians – any of these who believe in Allah and the Last Day and work righteousness shall have their reward with their Lord.  They will not be overcome by fear or grief.” (Quran 2:62)

If, for whatever reason, they fail to accept the final message after it has been clearly explained to them, they will be in grave danger.  The last Prophet said:

“Whoever among the Christians and Jews hear of me but does not affirm his belief in what I brought and dies in this state will be among the inhabitants of Hell.” (Saheeh Muslim Vol.1 P.91 No, 284)

The True Religion: Recognition of God

The question which arises here is: How can all people be expected to believe in the one true God, given their varying backgrounds, societies and cultures?  For people to be held responsible for worshipping the one true God, they all need to have access to knowledge of Him.  The final revelation teaches that all human beings have the recognition of the one true God imprinted on their souls as a part of their very nature with which they are created.

In the seventh chapter of the Quran (al-A`raaf, verses 172-173), God explained that when He created Adam, He caused all of Adam’s descendants to come into existence and He took a pledge from them saying:

“‘Am I not your Lord ?’

…to which they all replied:

‘Yes, we testify to it.’

God then explained why He had all of mankind bear witness that He is their creator and the only true God worthy of worship.  He said:

‘That was in case you (mankind) should say on the day of Resurrection, ‘Verily we were unaware of all this.’” (Quran 7:172)

That is to say, we cannot claim on that day that we had no idea that God was our God and that no one told us that we were only supposed to worship God alone.  God went on to further explain that:

“It was also in case you should say, ‘Certainly it was our ancestors who made partners (with God) and we are only their descendants; will you then destroy us for what those liars did?’” (Quran 7:173)

Thus, every child is born with a natural belief in God and an in-born inclination to worship Him alone.  This in-born belief and inclination is called in Arabic the “Fitrah”.

The Prophet Muhammad reported that God said:

“I created my servants in the right religion, but devils made them go astray.” (Saheeh Muslim)

The Prophet also said:

“Each child is born in a state of Fitrah.  Then his parents make him a Jew, Christian or a Zoroastrian.” (Saheeh al-Bukhari)

If the child were left alone, he would worship God in his own way, but all children are affected by the environment.  So, just as the child submits to the physical laws, which God has imposed on nature, in the same way, his soul also submits naturally to the fact that God is his Lord and Creator.  But, if his parents try to make him follow a different path, the child is not strong enough in the early stages of his life to resist or oppose the will of his parents.  In such cases, the religion which the child follows, is one of custom and upbringing, and God does not hold him to account or punish him for his religion up to a certain stage of his life.

The True Religion: The Signs of God

Throughout people’s lives, from childhood until the time they die, signs of the one and only true God are shown to them in all regions of the earth and in their own souls, until it becomes clear that there is only one true God (Allah).  God says in the Quran:

“We will show them our signs in the furthest regions (of the earth) and in their souls, until it becomes clear to them that this is the truth…” (Quran 41:53)

The following is an example of God revealing by a sign to one man the error of his idol-worship.  In the south-eastern region of the Amazon jungle in Brazil, South America, a primitive tribe erected a new hut to house their man-idol Skwatch, representing the supreme God of all creation.  The following day a young man entered the hut to pay homage to the God, and while he was in prostration to what he had been taught was his Creator and Sustainer, a mangy old flea-ridden dog slunk into the hut.  The young man looked up in time to see the dog lift his hind leg and pass urine on the idol.

Outraged, the youth chased the dog out of the temple; but when his rage died down, he realized that the idol could not be the Lord of the Universe.  God must be elsewhere, he concluded.  As strange as it may seem, the dog urinating on the idol was a sign from God for that young man.  This sign contained the divine message that what he was worshipping was false.  It liberated him from slavishly following his traditionally learned worship of a false god.  As a result, this man was given a choice: either to seek the true God or to continue in the error of his ways.

God mentions Prophet Abraham’s quest for God as an example of how those who follow His signs will be rightly guided:

“So also did we show Abraham the power and the Laws of the heavens and the earth that he might (with understanding) have certitude.

When the night covered him over, he saw a star.  He said: ‘This is my Lord.’  But when it set, he said: ‘I love not those that set.’

When he saw the moon rising in splendor, he said: ‘This is my Lord.’  But when the moon set, he said: ‘Unless my Lord guides me, I shall surely be among those who go astray.’

When he saw the rising sun in splendor, he said: ‘This is my Lord, this is the greatest (of all).’  But when the sun set, he said: ‘O my people!  I am indeed free from your (guilt) of giving partners to God.

For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to God.” (Quran 6:75-79)

As was mentioned earlier, prophets have been sent to every nation and tribe to support man’s natural belief in God and man’s in-born inclination to worship Him, as well as to reinforce the divine truth in the daily signs revealed by God.  Although much of these prophets’ teachings became distorted, portions revealing their God-inspired messages have remained untainted and have served to guide mankind in the choice between right and wrong.  The influence of God-inspired messages down through the ages can be seen in the Ten Commandments of Judaism’s Torah, which were later adopted into Christianity’s teachings, as well as in the existence of laws against murder, stealing and adultery in most societies throughout the ancient and modern world.

As a result of God’s signs to mankind through the ages, combined with His revelation through His prophets, all mankind has been given a chance to recognize the one only true God.

Consequently, every soul will be held accountable for its belief in God and its acceptance of the true religion of God, namely Islam, which means total submission to the will of God.

The True Religion: Conclusion

The preceding presentation has demonstrated that the name of the religion of Islam expresses Islam’s most central principle, submission to God, and that the name “Islam” was chosen not by man, but by God, according to the holy scriptures of Islam.  It has also been shown that Islam alone teaches the uniqueness of God and His attributes and enjoins the worship of God alone without intermediaries.  Finally, due to the divinely instilled inclination of man to worship God and the signs revealed by God throughout the ages to each individual, Islam may be achieved by all men at all times.

In short, the significance of the name Islam (submission to God), Islam’s fundamental acknowledgment of the uniqueness of God, and Islam’s accessibility to all mankind at all times, convincingly support Islam’s claim that, from the beginning of time, in whatever language it was expressed, Islam alone has been, and will be, the true religion of God.

In conclusion, we ask God, the exalted, to keep us on the right path to which He has guided us, and to bestow on us His Blessings and Mercy, for He is indeed the Most Merciful.  Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and Peace and Blessings be on Prophet Muhammad and on all the prophets of God and their righteous followers.

The Truth is One (part 1 of 2)

Often when discussing religion, one hears the statement that none has the right to judge anyone else’s beliefs, or that religion is a person’s private matter and we can not say that it is wrong or right.  Throughout history, societies have based their laws and ethics upon “absolute truths” which they deem to be “right”, and this is either a result of an exterior text regarded as supreme, or of the trait found in the innate nature of humans that causes them to see certain things as good and others as evil.  Humans, to a limited scale, can see certain things as good and evil.  For example, all humans, left to their natural state without perversion of the mind, will see feces and urine as filthy.  Also, certain deeds, like stealing, killing and lying are also known to be evil, while truth, sincerity, and honor are seen to be lofty.  This is a result of a trait that was created in all humans, but as mentioned above, this sense is limited.

If one says that they do not have the right to judge other’s beliefs or actions, they are, in fact, contradicting themselves.  If you were to ask many of these people whether killing infants or suicide is correct and acceptable, they will naturally answer that it is not.  But when we look into certain societies, such as some religions found in Central America, infanticide was seen to be a way to draw near to their gods.  Also today, in Hindu religion, it is praiseworthy for a wife to kill herself after the death of her husband.  If they truly believe that religion is something left to the individual and that none have the right to interfere or judge them, then this would necessitate allowing that killing babies is something which is correct to those who believe it is praiseworthy, and that people have no right to judge them.

If we were to bring this issue to an individual level, we would see that each person has their individual perception of good and evil, whether this perception is based upon religion, law, culture, or individual contemplation.  One might believe that it is perfectly acceptable to commit adultery while another might think it to be wrong.  One might believe that it is permissible for them to indulge in narcotics since it is their own body, and others might believe it to be a crime.  None would be able to say that anything is right or wrong, and all people would be left to their own devices to believe and practice what they perceive as “correct.”

If we were to implement this belief in society, we would have a community based upon anarchy, where no laws could be legislated nor executed, for law is based upon the principle that certain things are to be good and others are evil.  If one were to say that there are certain truths agreed to by all humans which can be used to legislate laws, this statement is true to a certain limit, as we stated that all humans do naturally have a trait to know right from wrong in a limited sense.  But as seen, this trait many times becomes perverted through environmental, psychological, or religious factors, in that certain acts which were at one time seen as evil and immoral are later seen as sound and acceptable, and some things which do not accord to human nature are seen to be the keys to salvation.  This can be clearly observed in democratic societies which base their laws on the majority.  We see that many things which were considered to be outright absurd or immoral are now socially acceptable, to the extent that if one holds a different opinion in regards to the issue, they are seen as outcasts.

For this reason, humans cannot be left to their own accords to legislate what is correct and incorrect.  Even in societies of the same religion which have instituted the separation of religion and state, although they are in agreement to those things which they maintained from their religion, they differ greatly in regards to what is deemed correct and incorrect in their societies.  What is considered as the legal age of consent to sex in France is considered rape in America.  While abortion is legal in one country, it is a crime in another, and when homosexuality is seen as a valid way of life in one society, it is seen as a grave sin in another.

So if we now say that the truth is absolute and one and is not relative to each individual and society, then the next question is what are the morals which make truth manifest and who is to decide them?  What are the laws which should be implemented in society?  Should they be decided by lawyers and judges who have reached a level of “legal enlightenment”, politicians who usually make decisions for their own benefit or the benefit of their own countries, or philosophers which have come to know the universal truths through their own contemplation?  As seen earlier, humans cannot be left to decide these issues, lest there be catastrophic results, as seen today in many societies ridden with numerous ills.  The only One who has the right to legislate right and wrong is the One who created us and knows what is best for us, and that is God Almighty.  It is God who created the world and it is God who set the scales of justice.  It is God who is perfect and it is God who has no faults whatsoever.

Most of our discussion has dealt with the issues of belief which deal with morality and deeds, but what is even more important is those beliefs which deal with God, and this will be discussed in the following article.

The Truth is One (part 2 of 2)

Those who believe that the truth is relative and that all beliefs are correct deem that it is not possible to say that a person’s beliefs are wrong, because religion to them is a purely individual belief.  The falsehood of this statement is quite apparent and we do not need to delve into great detail to prove it.  If one religion believes that Jesus was a false prophet, another maintains he is God, and yet another that he was a human specially chosen to be a prophet, how can they all be true?  Jesus, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, must inevitably be one of the three things mentioned above, and all three statements cannot be correct.  Therefore, as only one of these statements can be correct, whichever is established as true determines that  the others must then be considered as false.

This does not, however, mean that a person does not have the right to believe as they wish, as this is a right that God has invested to all humans.  But at the same time, it does not mean that one must take the other extreme and say that they are all correct, and that one does not have the right to form a judgment about them.  Also, giving a person the right to believe what he wishes does not necessitate that they have right to openly practice or publicize these beliefs, for laws implemented in society always look at the effects of actions at the greater societal level and whether those actions are advantageous or harmful to the society at large.

From what we have discussed, we can unequivocally come to the conclusion that all the religions found today in the world are either all false, or that there exists one among them which is the comprehensive Truth; for although various religions do contain similarities, they also have fundamental differences. 

If we were to say that no religion in the world today is correct, then this would entail believing that God is unjust because He left us to wander about on earth in sin and transgression without showing us the right way to do things, and this is impossible for a Just God.  Therefore the only logical conclusion is that there is One True Religion, which contains guidance in all spheres of life, religious, moral, societal, and individual.

How do we know what this one true religion is?  It is upon each and every human to investigate this matter.  Humans were created to fulfill a great purpose, not just to eat, sleep and go about finding their daily sustenance and satiate their desires.  In order to fulfill this purpose, one must try to find what their purpose is, and this can only be done by investigation.  If one believes that there is a God, and that God must not have left humans to wander in misguidance, then they must search for the religion and way of life which God revealed.  Furthermore, this religion would not be hidden or hard for humans to find or understand, for that would defeat the purpose of guidance.  Also, the religion must contain the same message throughout time, since we mentioned that everything returns to one absolute truth.  Also, this religion cannot contain any falsities or contradictions, for falseness or contradiction in one matter of the religion proves the falsity of the religion as a whole, since we would then doubt the integrity of its texts.

There is no other religion which fulfills the conditions mentioned above except for religion of Islam, the religion which is accordance to human nature, the religion which has been preached by all prophets since the dawn of man.  Other religions found today, such as Christianity and Judaism, are the remnants of the religion brought by the prophets in their time, which was Islam. However, over time, they have been altered and lost, and what is left today of these religions is a mix of truth and falsehood.  The only religion which has been preserved and preaches the same message brought by all prophets is the religion of Islam, the one true religion, which rules all sphere’s of humans’ lives, religious, political, societal, and individual, and it is upon all humans to investigate this religion, to ascertain its truth, and to follow it.

A Description of Hellfire: An Introduction

Islam teaches that Hell is a real place prepared by God for those who do not believe in Him, rebel against His laws, and reject His messengers.  Hell is an actual place, not a mere state of mind or a spiritual entity.  The horrors, pain, anguish, and punishment are all real, but different in nature than their earthly counterparts.  Hell is the ultimate humiliation and loss, and nothing is worse than it:

“Our Lord!  Surely, whom You admit to the Fire, indeed You have disgraced him, and never will the wrongdoers find any helpers.” (Quran 3:192)

“Know they not that whoever opposes God and His Messenger (Muhammad), certainly for him will be the Fire of Hell to abide therein?  That is the extreme disgrace.” (Quran 9:63)

The Names of Hell

Hell Fire has different names in Islamic texts.  Each name gives a separate description.  Some of its names are:

Jaheem – fire -  because of its blazing fire.

Jahannam - Hell - because of the depth of its pit.

Ladthaa - blazing fire - because of its flames.

Sa’eer - blazing flame - because it is kindled and ignited.

Saqar - because of the intensity of its heat.

Hatamah - broken pieces or debris - because it breaks and crushes everything that is thrown into it.

Haawiyah - chasm or abyss - because the one who is thrown into it is thrown from top to bottom

Paradise and Hell Presently Exist and are Eternal

Hell exists at the present time and will continue to exist forever.  It will never die down, and its inhabitants will remain in it forever.  No one will come out of Hell except sinful believers who believed in the Oneness of God in this life and believed in the specific prophet sent to them (before the coming of Muhammad).  The polytheists and unbelievers will reside in it forever.  This belief has been held from classical times and is based on clear verses of the Quran and confirmed reports from the Prophet of Islam.  The Quran speaks of Hell in the past tense and states that it has already been created:

“And fear the Fire which is prepared for the disbelievers.” (Quran 3:131)

The Prophet of Islam said:

“When any of you dies, he is shown his position (in the Hereafter) morning and evening.  If he is one of the people of Paradise, he is shown the place of the people of Paradise.  If he is one of the people of Hell, he is shown the place of people of Hell.  He is told, ‘this is your position, until God resurrects you on the Day of Resurrection.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

In another report, the Prophet said:

“Surely, the soul of a believer is a bird hanging on the trees of Paradise, until God returns it to his body on the Day of Resurrection.” (Muwatta of Malik)

These texts make it clear that Hell and Paradise exist, and that souls may enter them before the Day of Resurrection.  Speaking of Hell’s eternity, God says:

“They will long to leave the Fire, but never will they leave there from; and theirs will be a lasting torment.” (Quran 5:37)

“…And they will never leave of the Fire.” (Quran 2:167)

“Surely, those who disbelieve and did wrong; God will not forgive them, nor will He guide them to any way except the way of Hell, to dwell therein forever.” (Quran 4:168-169)

“Surely, God has cursed the disbelievers, and has prepared for them a flaming Fire wherein they will abide for ever.” (Quran 33:64)

“And whosoever disobeys God and His Messenger, then surely, for him is the fire of Hell, he shall dwell therein forever.” (Quran 72:23)

The Keepers of Hell

Mighty and stern angels stand over Hell who never disobey God.  They do precisely as ordered.  God says:

“O you who believe, save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is men and stones over which are (appointed) angels, stern and severe, who flinch not (from executing) the commands they receive from God, but do (precisely what) they are commanded.” (Quran 66:6)

They are nineteen keepers of Hell as God says:

“Soon I will cast him into Hell Fire.  And what will explain to you what is Hellfire?  Nothing does it allow to endure, and nothing does it leave alone!  Darkening and changing the color of man!  Over it are nineteen (angels as keepers of Hell).” (Quran 74:26-30)

One should not think that the inhabitants of Hell will be able to overcome the keepers of Hell because there are just nineteen of them.  Everyone of them has the strength to subdue all humanity by himself.  These angels are called the Guards of Hell by God in the Quran:

“And those in the Fire will say to the Guards of Hell, ‘Call upon your Lord to lighten for us the torment for a day!’” (Quran 40:49)

The name of the chief angel guarding over Hell is Malik, as mentioned in the Quran:

“Surely, the disbelievers will be in the torment of Hell to abide therein forever.  (The torment) will not be lightened for them, and they will be plunged into destruction with deep regrets, sorrows and in despair therein.  We wronged them not, but they were the wrongdoers.  And they will cry: ‘O Malik! Let your Lord make an end of us’ He will say: ‘Surely, you shall abide forever.’  Indeed We have brought the truth to you, but most of you have a hatred for the truth” (Quran 43:74-78)