Pages

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Stories about various Americans, converting to Islam and going to Hajj

If untruths are being to about a thing, and those who are telling these untruths are known liars, then that thing must be the truth, right? It's common knowledge... Islam has been attacked from outside and within but despite these attacks, Islam is still on the rise, every day and it affects people from all walks of life. Here, converts to Islam talk of how Islam came to them and their journey to Hajj

Bonus Video:

A American Gay converted to Islam

PROPHET MUHAMMAD(PBUH) IN JEWISH SCRIPTURES (THE OLD TESTAMENT)

1) Muhammad (pbuh) prophesised in the book of Deuteronomy: a) God Almighty speaks to Moses in Book of Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse 18: "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." b) Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is like Moses (pbuh): i) Both had a father and a mother. ii) Both were married and had children. iii) Both were accepted as Prophets by their people in their lifetime. iv) Both besides being Prophets were also kings i.e. they could inflict capital punishment. v) Both brought new laws and new regulations for their people. vi) Both died a natural death. c) Muhammad (pbuh) is from among the brethren of Moses (pbuh). Arabs are brethren of Jews. Abraham (pbuh) had two sons: Ishmail and Isaac. The Arabs are the descendants of Ishmail (pbuh) and the Jews are the descendants of Isaac (pbuh). d) Words in the mouth: Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was unlettered and whatever revelations he received from God Almighty he repeated it verbatim. Deuteronomy (18:18): "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." 2) Muhammad (pbuh) is prophesised in the book of Isaiah: It is mentioned in the book of Isaiah chapter 29 verse 12: "And the book is delivered to him that is not learned saying, ‘Read this, I pray thee’; and he saith, ‘I am not learned’. "When Archangel Gabriel commanded Muhammad (pbuh) by saying ‘Iqra’, he replied "I am not learned". 3) Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is mentioned by name in the Song of Solomon chapter 5 verse 16: "Hikko Mamittakim we kullo Muhammadim Zehdoodeh wa Zehrace Bayna Jerusalem." "His mouth is most sweet: ye, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughter of Jerusalem." All the prophecies mentioned in the Old Testament regarding Muhammad (pbuh) besides applying to the Jews also hold good for the Christians (H Q. 61:6)

Jesus will return

Jesus will return The Qur'an explicitly declares the return of Jesus (pbuh) to earth. Many verses contain explicit statements regarding this matter. The proofs revealed in the Qur'an take this form: When Allah said, "'Isa, I will take you back and raise you up to Me and purify you of those who are disbelievers. And I will place the people who follow you above those who are disbelievers until the Day of Rising. Then you will all return to Me, and I will judge between you regarding the things about which you differed. (The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 3, Verse 55) The statement in the verse, "And I will place the people who follow you above those who are disbelievers until the Day of Rising" is important. Here, there is reference to a group strictly adhering to Jesus (pbuh) and who will be kept above the disbelievers until the Day of Judgement. Well, who are these adherents, then? Are they the disciples who lived in the time of Jesus or are they the Christians of today? Before he was raised up to Allah, the followers of Jesus (pbuh) were few. After his ascension, the essence of the religion degenerated rapidly. Furthermore, the people known as the disciples faced serious pressure throughout their lives. During the succeeding two centuries, having no political power, those Christians having faith in Jesus (pbuh) were also oppressed. In this case, it is not possible to say that early Christians or their successors during these periods were physically superior to the disbelievers in the world. We might logically think that this verse does not refer to them. When we look at the Christians of today, on the other hand, we notice that the essence of Christianity has changed a lot and it is quite different from what Jesus (pbuh) originally brought to mankind. Christians embraced the perverted belief that suggests that Jesus (pbuh) is the son of God and similarly held the doctrine of the trinity (The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit). In this case, it is flawed to accept the Christians of today as the adherents of Jesus (pbuh). In many verses of the Qur'an Allah states that those having faith in the trinity certainly are disbelievers: Those who say that the Messiah, son of Maryam, is the third of three are disbelievers. There is no god but One God. (The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 5, Verse 73) In this case, the commentary of the statement, "And I will place the people who follow you above those who are disbelievers until the Day of Rising" is as follows: first, it is said that these people are the Muslims who are the only true followers of the authentic teachings of Jesus (pbuh); second, it is said that these people are the Christians, whether or not they hold idolatrous beliefs, and that could be seen to be confirmed by the dominant position that nominal Christians hold on the earth today. However, both positions will be unified by the arrival of Jesus (pbuh), since he will abolish the jizyah, meaning that he will not accept that Christians and Jews live with any other religion than Islam, and so will unite all the believers as Muslims. The Prophet and last Messenger of Allah (pbuh), has also given the glad tidings of the return of Jesus (pbuh). The scholars of hadith (reports and traditions on the sayings and doings of the Prophet Muhammad) say that the hadiths on this subject, in which Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will descend amongst people as a leader before the Day of Judgement have reached the status of mutawatir. That means that they have been narrated by so many people from each generation from such a large group of the Companions that there can be no possible doubt of their authenticity. For example: Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said, "By the One in Whose hand is my self, definitely the son of Maryam will soon descend among you as a just judge, and he will break the cross, kill the pig and abolish the jizyah, and wealth will be so abundant that no one will accept it, until a single prostration will be better than the world and everything in it. (Sahih al-Bukhari) Jabir ibn 'Abdullah said, "I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying, 'A party of my ummah will never stop fighting for the truth victoriously until the Day of Rising.' He said, 'Then 'Isa ibn Maryam, peace be upon him, will descend and their amir will say, "Come and lead us in prayer," but he will say, "No! some of you are amirs over others," as Allah's showing honour to this ummah.'" (Sahih Muslim) Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'There is no prophet between me and him, that is, 'Isa, peace be upon him. He will descend (to the earth). When you see him, recognise him: a man of medium height, reddish fair, wearing two light yellow garments, looking as if drops were falling down from his head though it will not be wet. He will fight the people for the cause of Islam. He will break the cross, kill the pig, and abolish the jizyah. Allah will cause to perish all religions except Islam. He will destroy the Dajjal and will live on the earth for forty years and then he will die. The Muslims will pray over him.'" (Abu Dawud) (2) Earlier in this section, we analysed verses 157-158 of The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 4. Just after these verses Allah states the following in The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 4, Verse 159: There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies; and on the Day of Rising he will be a witness against them. (The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 4, Verse: 159) The statement above "who will not believe in him before he dies" is important. The Arabic text of this sentence reads: Wa-in min ahli'l- kitabi illa la yuminanna bihi qabla mawtihi. Some scholars stated that the "him/it" in this verse is used for the Qur'an and thus made the following interpretation: There will be no one from the people of the Book who will not have faith in the Qur'an before he (a person from the people of the Book) dies. Nevertheless, in verses 157 and 158, which are the two verses preceding this verse, the same "him" is undoubtedly used for Jesus (pbuh). The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 4, Verse 157: And (on account of) their saying, "We killed the Messiah, 'Isa son of Maryam, Messenger of Allah." They did not kill him and they did not crucify him but it was made to seem so to them. Those who argue about him are in doubt about it. They have no real knowledge of it, just conjecture. But they certainly did not kill him. The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 4, Verse 158: Allah raised him up to Himself. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. Just after these verses in The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 4, Verse 159, there is no evidence indicating that "him" is used to imply someone other than Jesus (pbuh). The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 4, Verse 159: There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies; and on the Day of Rising he will be a witness against them. In the Qur'an, Allah informs us that on the Day of Judgement, the "tongues and hands and feet will testify against them about what they were doing" (The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 24, Verse 24 and The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 36, Verse 65). From The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 41, Verses 20-23, we learn that "hearing, sight and skin will testify against us." In none of the verses however, is there reference to "the Qur'an as a witness". If we accept that the "him" or "it" in the first sentence refers to the Qur'an – though grammatically or logically we have no evidence whatsoever – then we should also accept that the "he" in the second statement also refers to the Qur'an. To accept this however, there should be an explicit verse confirming this view. However, the commentator Ibn Juzayy does not mention the possibility of the Qur'an being the "him" referred to, and Ibn Juzayy transmitted the views of all the major commentators in his work. When we refer to the Qur'an, we see that when the same personal pronoun is used for the Qur'an, there is generally mention of the Qur'an before and after that specific verse as in the cases of The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 27, Verse 77 and The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 42, Verse 192-196. The verse straightforwardly defines that People of the Book will have faith in Jesus (pbuh) and that he (Jesus (pbuh)) will be a witness against them. The second point is about the interpretation of the expression "before he dies." Some think this is "having faith in Jesus (pbuh) before their own death." According to this interpretation everyone from the people of the Book will definitely believe in Jesus (pbuh) before he/she faces their own death. In Jesus' time however, Jews who are defined as the people of the Book not only did not have faith in Jesus but also attempted to kill him. On the other hand, it would be unreasonable to say that Jews and Christians who lived and died after the time of Jesus had faith – the type of faith described in the Qur'an – in him. To conclude, when we make a careful evaluation of the verse, we arrive at the following conclusion: Before Jesus' (pbuh) death, all the People of the Book will have faith in him. (Tafsir of Omer Nasuhi Bilmen) In its real sense, the verse reveals plain facts, which are: Firstly, it is evident that the verse refers to the future because there is mention of the death of Jesus (pbuh). Yet, Jesus (pbuh) did not die but was raised up to the presence of Allah. Jesus (pbuh) will come to earth again, he will live for a specified time and then die. Secondly, all the people of the Book will have faith in him. This is an event which has yet not occurred, but which will definitely happen in the future. Consequently, by the expression "before he dies", there is a reference to Jesus (pbuh) . The People of the Book will see him, know him and obey him while he is alive. Meanwhile, Jesus (pbuh) will bear witness against them on the Last Day. Allah surely knows best. (3) That Jesus (pbuh) will come back to earth towards the end of time is related in another verse in The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 43, Verse 61. Starting from The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 43, Verse 57, there is reference to Jesus (pbuh): When an example is made of the son of Maryam ('Isa) your people laugh uproariously. They retort, "Who is better then, our gods or him?" They only say this to you for argument's sake. They are indeed a disputatious people. He is only a slave on whom We bestowed Our blessing and whom We made an example for the tribe of Israel. If We wished, We could appoint angels in exchange for you to succeed you on the earth. (The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 43, Verses 57-60) Just after these verses, Allah declares that Jesus (pbuh) is a sign of the Day of Judgement. He is a Sign of the Hour. Have no doubt about it. But follow me. This is a straight path. (The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 43, Verse 61) Ibn Juzayy says that the first meaning of this verse is that Jesus (pbuh) is a sign or a precondition of the Last Hour. We can say that this verse is a clear indication that Jesus (pbuh) will come back to earth at the end times. That is because Jesus (pbuh) lived approximately six centuries before the revelation of the Qur'an. Consequently, we cannot interpret his first coming as a sign of the Day of Judgement. What this verse actually indicates is that Jesus (pbuh) will come back to earth towards the end of time, that is to say, during the last period of time before the Day of Judgement and this will be a sign for the Day of Judgement. Allah surely knows the best. The Arabic of the verse "He is a Sign of the Hour" is Innahu la 'ilmun li's- sa'ati… Some people interpret the pronoun hu (he) in this verse as the Qur'an. However, the preceding verses explicitly indicate that Jesus (pbuh) is mentioned in the verse: "He is only a slave on whom We bestowed Our blessing and whom We made an example for the tribe of Israel." (Prof. Suleyman Ates, Yuce Kur'an'in Cagdas Tefsiri (The Contemporary Tafsir of the Holy Qur'an) , vol. 6, p. 4281) Those who cite this pronoun as referring to the Qur'an go on to quote the next part of the verse "Have no doubt about it. But follow me" as evidence. However, the verses preceding this one refer totally to Jesus (pbuh). For this reason, it appears that the pronoun hu is linked to those preceding verses and also refers to Jesus (pbuh). In fact, great Islamic scholars declare that to be the case, based on the use of the pronoun both in the Qur'an and in the hadith. Muhammad Hamdi Yazir of Elmali offers the following explanation in his commentary: The statement in the verse, "He is a sign of the hour" is an indication that the Hour will come and the dead will be resurrected and stand up. Jesus, both with his return to earth and his miracle of resurrecting the dead and also with his prophesying the rise of the dead is a sign of the Hour. It is also reported in the hadith that he is a sign of the Last Day.

The Seven Earths

earth_layer.jpg The Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad is the second revealed source of Islam. Like the Quran, it contains scientific information unavailable 1400 years ago. From these miracles is the “seven” earths, mentioned by the Prophet in several of his sayings. From them are the following two: Hadith 1 It was narrated on the authority of Abu Salamah that a dispute arose between him and some other people (about a piece of land). When he told Aisha (the Prophet’s wife) about it, she said, ‘O Abu Salamah! Avoid taking the land unjustly, for the Prophet said: “Whoever usurps even one span of land of somebody, its depth through the seven earths will be collared to his neck.” (Saheeh Al- Bukhari, ‘Book of Oppression.’) Hadith 2 Salim narrated on the authority of his father that the Prophet said: “Whoever takes a piece of land of others unjustly, he will sink down the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, ‘Book of Oppression.’) The aforementioned hadith prohibits oppression in general, especially the taking of a piece of land belonging to others unjustly. What might the seven earths refer to? Studies in geology have proven that the earth is composed of seven zones, identified from the inner to the outer layers as follows: (1) The Solid Inner Core of Earth: 1.7% of the Earth’s mass; depth of 5,150 - 6,370 kilometers (3,219 - 3,981 miles) The inner core is solid and unattached to the mantle, suspended in the molten outer core. It is believed to have solidified as a result of pressure-freezing which occurs to most liquids when temperature decreases or pressure increases. (2) The Liquid Outer core: 30.8% of Earth’s mass; depth of 2,890 - 5,150 kilometers (1,806 - 3,219 miles) The outer core is a hot, electrically conducting liquid within which convective motion occurs. This conductive layer combines with Earth’s rotation to create a dynamo effect that maintains a system of electrical currents known as the Earth’s magnetic field. It is also responsible for the subtle jerking of Earth’s rotation. This layer is not as dense as pure molten iron, which indicates the presence of lighter elements. Scientists suspect that about 10% of the layer is composed of sulfur and/or oxygen because these elements are abundant in the cosmos and dissolve readily in molten iron. (3) The “D” Layer: 3% of Earth’s mass; depth of 2,700 - 2,890 kilometers (1,688 - 1,806 miles) This layer is 200 to 300 kilometers (125 to 188 miles) thick and represents about 4% of the mantle-crust mass. Although it is often identified as part of the lower mantle, seismic discontinuities suggest the “D” layer might differ chemically from the lower mantle lying above it. Scientists theorize that the material either dissolved in the core, or was able to sink through the mantle but not into the core because of its density. (4) Lower Mantle: 49.2% of Earth’s mass; depth of 650 - 2,890 kilometers (406 -1,806 miles) The lower mantle contains 72.9% of the mantle-crust mass and is probably composed mainly of silicon, magnesium, and oxygen. It probably also contains some iron, calcium, and aluminum. Scientists make these deductions by assuming the Earth has a similar abundance and proportion of cosmic elements as found in the Sun and primitive meteorites. (5) Middle Mantle (Transition region): 7.5% of Earth’s mass; depth of 400 - 650 kilometers (250-406 miles) The transition region or mesosphere (for middle mantle), sometimes called the fertile layer, contains 11.1% of the mantle-crust mass and is the source of basaltic magmas. It also contains calcium, aluminum, and garnet, which is a complex aluminum- bearing silicate mineral. This layer is dense when cold because of the garnet. It is buoyant when hot because these minerals melt easily to form basalt which can then rise through the upper layers as magma. (6) Upper Mantle: 10.3% of Earth’s mass; depth of 10 - 400 kilometers (6 - 250 miles) The upper mantle contains 15.3% of the mantle-crust mass. Fragments have been excavated for our observation by eroded mountain belts and volcanic eruptions. Olivine (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 and pyroxene (Mg,Fe)SiO3 have been the primary minerals found in this way. These and other minerals are refractory and crystalline at high temperatures; therefore, most settle out of rising magma, either forming new material or never leaving the mantle. Part of the upper mantle called the asthenosphere might be partially molten. (7) Lithosphere Oceanic crust: 0.099% of Earth’s mass; depth of 0-10 kilometers (0 - 6 miles) The rigid, outermost layer of the Earth comprising the crust and upper mantle is called the lithosphere. The oceanic crust contains 0.147% of the mantle- crust mass. The majority of the Earth’s crust was made through volcanic activity. The oceanic ridge system, a 40,000- kilometer (25,000 mile) network of volcanoes, generates new oceanic crust at the rate of 17 km3 per year, covering the ocean floor with basalt. Hawaii and Iceland are two examples of the accumulation of basalt piles. The continental crust contains 0.554% of the mantle-crust mass. This is the outer part of the Earth composed essentially of crystalline rocks. These are low- density buoyant minerals dominated mostly by quartz (SiO2) and feldspars (metal- poor silicates). The crust (both oceanic and continental) is the surface of the Earth; as such, it is the coldest part of our planet. Because cold rocks deform slowly, we refer to this rigid outer shell as the lithosphere (the rocky or strong layer). Conclusion The layers of the earth coincide with the above mentioned hadith of the Prophet. The miracle is in two matters: (1) The expression of the hadith, ‘He will sink down the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection,’ indicates the stratification of these “earths” around one center. (2) The accuracy with which the Prophet of Islam referred to the seven inner layers of earth. The only way for a desert dweller to have known these facts 1400 years ago is through revelation from God. References Beatty, J. K. and A. Chaikin, eds. The New Solar System. Massachusetts: Sky Publishing, 3rd Edition, 1990. Press, Frank and Raymond Siever. Earth. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1986. Seeds, Michael A. Horizons. Belmont, California: Wadsworth, 1995. El-Najjar, Zaghloul. Treasures In The Sunnah: A Scientific Approach: Cairo, Al-Falah Foundation, 2004.

Saturday, January 31, 2015

The story of a monster and the insignificant bugs

It is peaceful to be able to let go of some memories. But a mother of a deceased son never finds that bliss. ‘Sadness engraves its mark’ in her every little gestures; the way she sits, the way she her voice sounds so mild, the way she absentmindedly strokes on the sofa. The poet Shamsur Rahman once wrote “in our verandas and our doorframes, in our chairs, tables, and mattresses, sadness has imprinted its melancholy.” 7 months ago when Tauki’s battered dead body was found in the muddy water of Shitalakkha River this house became engulfed in sorrow from that day. Tauki’s house is still a dark place. Narayanganj is a dark place. Tauki’s father Rafiur Rabbi is rresponsible for this. He never let anyone, from the Prime Minister to the people of Naraynganj, forget that an innocent boy was murdered. Tauki would have been 18 on last Saturday. Many people would have come to the house like today. But today I, Kaiyum Chowdhury, Ashok Karmokar, Jahid Mostafa, and the rest of us were there with profound sadness. Suddenly a boy entered the room with a tray in his hand. I was startled. For a moment I thought I was seeing Tauki; the same adorable face, the same innocent look in his eyes! The boy was Tauki’s younger brother Saki. There was a painting competition to be held at the Shahid Minar in memory of Tauki. “Why don’t you come too?” Tauki’s father was saying to his wife. “I don’t want to” she replied. Tauki’s mother Rownak Rehana’s voice sounded soft, pure and there was a calm that people get from weeping so much. “I can feel him standing beside me if I go” She said. She continued in an undertone “he used to go with me everywhere…” She absentmindedly swept her hand back and forth on the sofa as if her son was lying there and she was ruffling his hair fondly. Saki was sitting beside her. No one could say anything in reply. At one corner in the room Tauki’s old computer sat lifeless and mute. Only the flowers his friends left in the morning seemed to be talking with Tauki’s picture. The Czech novelist Milan Kundera once wrote that ‘people struggle against power, memory struggle against oblivion.’ Memory is like a candle, when the light extinguishes it leaves behind wax. The memory burns things like that. Tauki’s father is fighting against oblivion. He wants the country to remember the assailant of his son. He wants justice. He is putting him against extremely powerful people. He is putting himself against his own instinct too. People naturally want to move out of the mourning period and move on. But Rafiur Rabbi and Rownak Rehana are keeping the fight alive even if that means reopening the wound every day. They are doing it in the hope that one day the government will respond, in the hope that one day, may be one day, the whispers and mutters will explode into screams and roars of protest. They are doing it in the hope that the mafia Godfathers of Narayanganj will fall one day. In the Hollywood movie Desperado the hero avenged the death of his lover by destroying the killer godfathers. Rafiur Rabbi wants justice for his son. He is now desperate. He is standing against a powerful adversary, who has enormous wealth, power, and most of all the blessings of the highest people of the state. Rabbi is an ordinary man but he is putting up an extraordinary fight. What did Rabbi do? He built up a movement against the corruption and crimes in the city. He was also an organizer and leader of the National Resources Preservation Committee, the Ganajagaran Mancha, and Narayanganj Shangskritik Jot. The ‘renowned’ Osman family felt threatened by his activities. Rabbi says they killed his son to punish him. But he could not be beaten. Whoever can stand longer in the battlefield wins the battle. Let’s see who remains standing at the end of the day. Desperado means desperate in Spanish. Rafiur is now desperate. Since the day they found the distorted body of Tauki in the river he became the grief of all mothers, the fire of vengeance in all fathers and inspiration for protest for many brothers. Rabbi brought his strife to the forefront and made this a national issue. Kaiyum Choudhury was saying this, in a fruitless consolation to Tauki’s mother “we share your burden too”. A young school teacher told us that all students in his school know who killed Tauki. Rabbi told us that “People wanted to destroy the torture camp of the alleged murderer Shamim Osman’s nephew Ajmeri Osman. But we want justice, not vengeance.” Shamim Osman’s brother Nasim Osman MP wants to stamp people like Rabbi under his feet like insects. Last Sunday he warned in a public meeting “No one has survived going against us. We will have more power in the future. The insects, the ants and cockroaches that are still running around thinking they can do something to us, will get stamped under our feet. None of them will win against us.” (Prothom Alo, 7 October). In the country of 12 Bhuiyas many new Bhuiyas have sprouted recently. They think they own the state and they are the kings. If we cannot stop these people now we have very dark time ahead of us. Many other godfathers like the Osmans have the hidden desire of treading down on the ‘insects’. They think people are insects that you can obliterate when needed. But it is important what the Prime Minister thinks. The Prime Minister replied to the allegations about Osman put to her by saying “Shamim is important for the party too.” (Prothom Alo, 12 September, 2013). The movement against Tauki’s murderers is also the movement against other murderous godfathers. The country is being smothered by these criminals. The Mafias are sucking the country dry. These people took the life of bright young boy who was an artist, a poet, who thought “What I will be, no one has ever thought of.” This fight of monsters against humans is the most relevant human struggle right now. But much of it gets lost in the cacophony of fight for the power. The big political parties have become a sanctuary for these monsters. The people must help themselves and not look to these corrupt powers for solution. In 1955 an African America woman created a huge movement by protesting against his son’s murder. We are all supporting Rafiur Rabbi. But if the culprits are not brought to justice they will destroy Rafiur’s whole family, who they think as bugs that can be trodden upon without consequences. If Rabbi loses this battle against the monsters then it will be the defeat of Bangladesh itself. It will be the defeat of humanity. And if he does lose will we still have hope for our country?

Friday, January 30, 2015

1 February The World Hijab Day!

WHD-Slider2-660x330.jpgslider-660x330.png1422613693.jpg A day in the life of a Hijabi: On February 1st, 2015, we invite both Muslim (non-hijabi) and Non-Muslim women to participate in an worldwide event by wearing Hijab for a day(wherever you're at). This is our 3rd annual World Hijab Day. More info:

Founder:Nazma Khan "World Hijab Day is not an act of worship but rather an effective way to create global awareness of the issue that is being attacked unfairly. It has achieved some great success already. Alhamdulillah.”-Mufti Ismail Menk Read more on World Hijab day:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-hijabday
Our missionis to have 10 Million participants on February 1st, 2015 worldwide, insha'Allah (God willing)! Our goal is to foster global religious tolerance through Hijab awareness. It is only through working together we can achieve our goal. Please invite your friends/family to be part of this great cause.

Bible's Scientific Errors (with videos)

based on a live debate between Dr. Zakir Naik (a physician & a scholar on Islam) & Dr. William Campbell (a physician & a scholar on Christianity) Dr. Zakir Naik says: First, we deal with Astronomy. The Bible speaks about the creation of the universe. In the beginning, 1st Book, Book of Genesis, 1st Ch., it is mentioned - It says… ‘Almighty God created the Heavens and the Earth, in six days and talks about a evening and a morning, referring to a 24 - hour day. Today scientists tell us, that the universe cannot be created in a 24 hour period of six days. Qur’an too speaks about six ‘ayyams’. The Arabic word singular is ‘yaum’ plural is ‘ayyam’. It can either mean a day of 24 hours, or it is a very long period, an ‘yaum’, an epoch. Scientists say we have no objection in agreeing that the universe - it could have been created in 6 very long periods. Point No.2 - Bible says in Genesis Ch. No. 1 Verses No. 3 and 5,…‘Light was created on the first day.’ Genesis, Ch., 1 Verses, 14 to 19… ‘The cause of light - stars and the sun, etc. was created on the fourth day’. How can the cause of light be created on the 4th day - later than the light which came into existence on the first day? - It is unscientific. Point No.3 - Further, the, Bible says Genesis, Ch. 1, Verses 9 to 13… ‘Earth was created on the 3rd day. How can you have a night and day without the earth ? The day depends upon the rotation of the Earth Without the earth created, how can you have a night and day? Point No..4 - Genesis, Ch. No. 1 Verses 9 to 13 says… ‘Earth was created on the third day.’ Genesis Ch. No. 1 Verses 14 to 19 says…‘The Sun and the Moon were created on the fourth day.’ Today science tells us… ‘Earth is part of the parent body… the sun.’ It cannot come into existence before the sun – It is unscientific. Point No. 5 - The Bible says in Genesis, Ch. No.1, Verse No. 11 to 13…‘The vegetation, the herbs the shrubs, the trees - they were created on the 3rd day And the Sun, Genesis, Ch. No. 1, Verses. 14 to 19, was created on the 4th day. How can the vegetation come into existence without sunlight, and how can they survive without sunlight ? Point No.6 - The Bible says in Genesis, Ch. 1, Verses No.16, that…‘God created two lights the greater light, the Sun to rule the day, and the lesser light the Moon, to rule the night. The actual translation, if you go to the Hebrew text, it is ‘lamps’…‘Lamps having lights of its own.’ And that you will come to know better, if you read both the Verses – Genesis, Ch. No.1, Verse. 16, as well as 17. Verse No.17 says…‘And Almighty God placed them in the firmament, to give light to the earth… To give light to the earth.’ Indicating, that Sun and the Moon has its own light - which is in contradiction with established scientific knowledge that we have. There are certain people who try and reconciliate, and say that the six days mentioned in the Bible, it actually refers to epocs - like the Qur’an long periods - not six, 24 hour day. It is illogical - you read in the Bible, evening, morning - It clearly states 24 hours, it indicates. But even if I use the concordance approach - no problem. I agree with your illogical argument - Yet they will only be able to solve the 1st scientific error of 6 days creation, and second, of first day ‘light’ and 3rd day ‘earth.’ The remaining four, yet they cannot solve. Some further say that… ‘If it is a 24-hour period, why cannot the vegetables survive for one 24 hour day without sunlight?’ I say ‘Fine - If you say that the vegetables were created before the sun, and can survive for one 24-hour day, I have got no objection. But you cannot say the days mentioned are 24 hours as well as epochs - You cannot have the cake and eat it, both. If you say it is long period, you solve Point No.1 and 3, the remaining 4 are yet there. If you say the days are 24 hours day, you solve only Point No.5 - the remaining 5 are yet there - It becomes unscientific. I leave it to Dr. William Campbell, whether he wants to say… ‘It is long period’, and say that there are only 4 scientific errors - or say… ‘It is a 24 hour day’, and say there is only 5 scientific errors in the creation of the universe. Point No. 7 - Regarding the concept of Earth, there are various Scientists who have described… ‘How will the world end.’ Hypothesis - Some may be right, some may be wrong. But either the world will perish or the world will live forever. Both cannot take place simultaneously – It is unscientific. But this is exactly what the Bible says. It is mentioned in the Bible, in the book of Hebrews, Ch. No.1 Verses No.10 and 11, and the book of Psalms, Ch. No.102, Verse No.25 and 26, that…‘Almighty God created the Heavens and the Earth, and they will perish.’ Exactly opposite is mentioned in the book of Ecclesiastics, Ch. No.1, Verse No.4, and the book of Psalms, Ch. No.78, Verse No.69, that… ‘The earth will abide forever.’ I leave it to Dr. William Campbell to choose which of the two Verses are unscientific - the first pair or the second pair. One has to be unscientific - Both cannot take place. The world cannot abide forever as well as perish – It is unscientific. Point No. 8 - Regarding ‘the Heavens’, the Bible says in Job, Ch. 26, Verse 11, that…‘The pillars of the Heaven will tremble.’ Qur’an says in Surah Luqman, Ch. 31, Verse No.10, that…‘The Heavens are without any pillars - Don`t you see? Don’t you see the Heavens are without any pillars? - Bible says heaven have got pillars. Point No. 9 - Not only do the Heavens have got pillars - Bible says in the first book of Samuel, Ch. No.2 Verses No.8, as well as the book of Job Ch. No.9, Verse No.6, and the book of Psalms Ch. No.75, Verse No.3, that… ‘Even the earth have got pillars.’ Point No. 10 - In the field of ‘Diet and Nutrition’ lets analyse, what does the Bible say. The Bible says in the book of Genesis, Ch. No.1, Verse No.29, that… ‘God has given you all the herbs bearing seeds, the trees bearing fruits - those that bear seed, as meat for you.’ New International Version says… ‘The seed bearing plants, and the trees bearing fruits bearing seeds are food for you, all of them.’ Today, even a layman knows that there are several poisonous plants like wild berries, stritchi, datura, plants containing alkaloid, polyander, bacaipoid - that which if you ingest, if you eat there are high possibilities you may die. How come the Creator of the universe and the human beings, does not know, that if you have these plants, you will die. I hope Dr. William Campbell does not give these vegetarian diet to his patients. Point No. 11 - The Bible has a scientific test how to identify a true believer. It is mentioned in the Gospel of Mark, Ch. No.16, Verse No.17 and 18 - It says that… ‘There will be signs for true believers and among the signs - In my name they shall cast out devils, they shall speak foreign tongues, new tongues, they shall take up serpents - And if they drink deadly poison, they shall not be harmed - And when they place their hand over the sick, they shall be cured.’ This is a scientific test - In scientific terminology, it is known as the ‘confirmatory test’ for a true Christian believer. In the past 10 years of my life, I have personally interacted with thousands of Christians, including missionaries - I have not come across a single Christian, who has passed this confirmatory test of the Bible. I have not come across a single Christian who took poison - I have not come across any who took poison, and who has not died. And in scientific terminology, this is also called as the ‘falsification test’ That means if a false person tries and does this test… takes poison, he will die. And a false person will not dare attempt this test - If you are not a true Christian believer, you will not dare attempt this test. Because you try and attempt the falsification test, you will fail. So a person who is not a true Christian believer, will never attempt this test. I have read the book ‘The Qur’an and the Bible in the light of history and science’ written by Dr. William Campbell. And I assume - that he is a true Christian believer, and at least I would like him to confirm to me about the falsification test. Please be rest assured… Please be rest assured, I will not ask Dr. William Campbell to have deadly poison - Because I don’t want to jeopardize the debate. What I’ll do - I will only ask him to speak in foreign tongues… In new languages. And as many of you may be aware that India is a land, which has more than 1000 languages and dialects. Only thing I request him is, to say these 3 words… ‘One hundred rupees’, in the 17 official languages. There are only 17 official languages in India and to make it easier for Dr. William Campbell, I have got a ‘One hundred-rupee note.’ And this has all the 17 languages mentioned here. Besides English and Hindi, I will help him. I give him a beginning –‘Ek sav rupaiya, In Hindi. The remaining 15 languages are here - I request him to read. I know the test says… ‘They will speak foreign languages on their own, without the help of reading’ - but I want to make the test easier, I want to see someone passing the test - I’ve not seen any one. So if he cannot say it on his own, or from his memory, at least read it. I don’t mind I’ll accept it. And I would request the chairperson to give it to Dr. William Campbell. He has his rebuttal - 15 languages, ‘Ek sav rupaiya’… 3 words only. What does the Bible say regarding ‘Hydrology’? Bible says in Genesis, Ch. No.9, Verse No.13 to 17, that… ‘After God, at the time of Noah submerged the world by flood, and after the flood’ subsided, He said… ‘I put up a rainbow in the sky as a promise to the humankind never to submerge the world again, by water. To the unscientific person it may be quite good… ‘Oh rainbow is a sign of Almighty God, never to submerge the world by flood again.’ But today we know very well, that rainbow is due to the refraction of sunlight, with rain or mist. Surely there must have been thousands of rainbows before the time of Noah, peace be upon him. To say it was not there before Noah’s time you have to assume that the law of refraction did not exist - which is unscientific.’ Point No. 12 - In the field of medicine, the Bible says in the book of Leveticus, Ch. No.14, Verse No.49 to 53 - it gives a novel way for disinfecting a house from plague of leprosy… disinfecting a house from plague of leprosy. It says that… ‘Take two birds, kill one bird, take wood, scale it - and the other living bird, dip it in water… and under running water - later on sprinkle the house 7 times with it. Sprinkle the house with blood to disinfect against plague of leprosy? You know blood is a good media of germs, bacteria, as well as toxin - I hope Dr. William Campbell does not use this method of disinfecting the OT, the operation theatre. Point No. 13 - It is mentioned in the book of Leveticus, Ch. No.12, Verse No.1 to 5, and we know medically, that after a mother gives birth to a child, the post-partal period, it is unhygienic. To say it is ‘unclean’, Religiously - I have got no objection. But Leviticus, Ch. No.12 Verse No.1 to 5, says that… ‘After a woman gives birth to a male child, she will be unclean for 7 days, and the period of uncleanliness will continue for 33 days more. If she gives birth to a female child, she will be unclean for two weeks, and the period of uncleanliness will continue for 66 days. In short, if a woman gives birth to a male child… ‘a son’, she is unclean for 40 days. If she gives birth to a female child… ‘a daughter’, she is unclean for 80 days. I would like Dr. William Campbell to explain to me scientifically, how come a woman remains unclean for double the period, if she gives birth to a female child, as compared to a male child. Point No. 14 - The Bible also has a very good test for adultery - How to come to know a woman has committed adultery. In the book of Numbers, Ch. no.5 Verse No..11 to 31, I’ll just say in brief, it says that… ‘The priest should take holy water in a vessel, take dust from the floor, and put it into the vessel - And that is the bitter water ‘And after cursing it, give it to the woman And if the woman has committed adultery, after she drinks it, the curse will enter her body, the stomach will swell, the thigh will rot, and she shall be cursed by the people. If the woman has not committed adultery, she will remain clean and she will bear the seed. A novel method of identifying whether a woman has committed adultery or not. You know today in the world, there are thousands of cases pending in different parts of the world, in different courts of law - only on the assumption that someone has alleged that a woman has committed adultery. I had read in the newspapers, and I came to know from the media, that the President of this great country Mr. Bill Clinton, he was involved in a sex scandal about 2 years back. I wonder, that why did not the American court use this ‘bitter water test’ for adultery? He would have gone scot-free immediately. Why did not the Christian missionaries of this great country, specially those who are in the medical field like my respected Dr. William Campbell, use this bitter water test to bail out their President, immediately. Point No. 15 - ‘Mathematics’ is a branch, which is closely associated with science, with which you can solve problems, etc. There are thousands of contradictions in the Bible - hundreds deal with mathematics, and I’ll first touch on few of them. It is mentioned in Ezra, Ch. No.2, Verse No.1, and Nehemiah, Ch. No.7, Verse No.6, the context that… ‘When the people returned from exile, from Babylon, when king Nebucheldeser of Babylon, when he released the men from Israel, they came back from captivity’ - and the list of the people are given. The list is given in Ezra, Ch. No.2, Verse No.2 to 63, and Nehemiah Ch. No.7, Verse No.7 up to 65; the list is given with the names as well as number of people released. In these 60 Verses there are no less than 18 times - the name is exactly the same but the number is different. There are no less than 18 contradictions in less than 60 Verses, of these two Chapters. This is the list - I don’t have time to run through the list - There are no less than 18 different contradictions in less than 60 Verses. Point No. 16 - Further it is mentioned in Ezra, Ch. No.2 Verse No.64 that… ‘The total congregation, if you add up… if you add up, it comes to 42,360.’ And if you read in Nehemiah, Ch. No.7, Verse No.66, there also the total is the same 42,360. But if you add up all these verses - which I had to do my homework - this is the list of Ezra… this is the list of Nehemiah. Ezra Ch. No 2, Nehemiah Ch. No 7 - If you add up - I had to do my homework…if you add up, Ezra Ch. No. 2 - It does not come to 42,360 - it comes to 29,818. And if you add up Nehemiah, Ch. No. 7, even then it does not come to 42,360 - It comes to 31,089. The author of the Bible, presumed to be ‘Almighty God’, does not know simple addition. If you give this problem, even to a person who has passed elementary school, he will be able to get the right answer. If you add up all the 60 Verses, it is so easy. Almighty God did not know adding – Nauzubillah… if we presume, that this is the word of God. Point No. 17 - Further, if we read, in Ezra Ch. No. 2, Verse No. 65, it says… There were 200 singing men and women - Nehemiah Ch. No. 7, Verse No. 67…‘There were 245 singing men and women.’ Were they 200 - or were they 245 singing men and women? Context is the same - A mathematical contradiction. Point No. 18 - It is mentioned in the 2nd Kings, Ch. No 24, Verse No 8, that…‘Jehoiachin was 18 years old, when he began to reign Jerusalem, and he reigned for 3 months and 10 days. 2nd Chronicles, Ch. No 36, Verse No 9, says that…‘Jehoiachin was 8 years old when he began to reign and he reigned for 3 months, 10 days. Was Jehoiachin 18 years when he began to reign, or was he 8 years old? Point No. 19 - Did he reign for 3 months, or did he reign for 3 months 10 days? Point No. 20 - Further, it is mentioned in the 1st Kings, Ch. No 7, Verse No 26, that…‘In Solomon’s temple, in his molten sea, he had 2000 baths. In 2nd Chronicles, Ch. No 4, Verse No 5, he had 3000 baths. Did he have 2000 baths or did he have 3000 baths? – That, I leave it upon Dr. William Campbell to decide which is correct. There is a clear-cut mathematical contradiction. Point No. 21 - Furthermore. it is mentioned in the First Kings, Ch. No. 15, Verse No. 33, that… ‘Basha, he died in the 26th year of reign of Asa.’ And 2nd Chronicles Ch. No 16, Verse No 1, says that…‘Basha invaded Judah in the 36th years of the reign of Asa.’ How can Basha invade 10 years after his death? - It is unscientific. (Point No. 22 - Almighty God - He said, “I put up a rainbow in the sky, as a promise to the human kind, never to submerge the world again by water”.) To make it easier for Dr. William Campbell, to answer the points I have raised, I will just mention them in brief . The points that I mentioned : The first point was that -‘The creation of the Earth and the Heaven - the universe was in six, 24- hour days. Point No. 2 - Light was then before the source of light. Point No. 3 - Day came into existence before creation of Earth. Point No. 4 - Earth came into existence before Sun. Point No. 5 - Vegetation came into existence, before sunlight Point No. 6 - Light of the Moon is its own light. Point No. 7 - The earth - Will it perish or will it abide forever? Point No. 8 - The heavens have got pillars. Point No. 9 - The earth has got pillars. Point No. 10 - God said… ‘You can have all plants and all vegetation, including the poisonous plants?’ Point No. 11 - The scientific test the falsification test, of Mark, Ch. No. 16, Verse No. 17 and 18. Point No. 13 - Using blood to disinfect the house, against plague of leprosy. Point No. 12 - A woman remains unclean for double the period, if she gives birth to a daughter, as compared to a son. Point No. 14 – How do you find out the bitter water test for adultery? Point No. 15 - Eighteen different contradictions in less than 60 Verses of Ezra, Ch. 2, and Nehemiah, Ch. 7. I did not count them as 18 different - I counted them only as one. Point No. 16 - The total is different is both the chapters. Point No. 17 - Are there 200 singing men and women, or are there 245 singing men and women? Point No. 18 - Was Jehoiachin 18 years old, or was he 8 years old when he began to reign? Point No. 19 - Did he reign for 3 months, or 3 months 10 days. Point No. 20 - Did Solomon have 3000 baths, or 2000 baths?