New service provider

Friends and Family,

I am changing this blog service provider and switching to  "wordpress". From this day forward, please  visit my blog at www.mercytoallmankind.wordpress.com and you will be updated with my latest posts on our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)


Regards,

Samar

Why do we love the Prophet Muhammad PBUH and why do we send him blessings?

  

In the Quran, God mentions that God and His angels continue to send blessings on Prophet Muhammad (the final Messenger PBUH) and He commanded mankind to also send blessings upon him. It is basically a commandment from God to send abundant blessings on our Prophet (PBUH) day and night. It does not require much time and nor does it take much effort. It merely requires pure intention and 4 little words. “Allah humma salli ala Muhammad” (Arabic for “Oh Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad PBUH”.)

When we send blessings upon our Prophet PBUH, we are actually following an act that God Himself has stated in the Quran that He and His angels do upon Muhammad PBUH continuously. When we ask God to bless our Prophet PBUH, we not only fulfill God’s command but are also administering a God-like quality within us. Since Muhammad PBUH is so beloved to God according to the Quran, Allah rewards us and asks us all to follow Him in His Way. This reward is multiplied by ten times according to the sayings of our Prophet PBUH.

It is not that Prophet Muhammad PBUH needs our blessings as he was free of sin and always obeyed God’s Order and knew that He had earned God’s Divine Pleasure; but the essence behind this beautiful prayer is to build a loving and an unbreakable bond between us and him(PBUH). To know Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and to study his life is part of our faith as Muslims. The Quran repeatedly mentions the he was sent as a ‘mercy to all of creation.’ Muhammad’s (PBUH) mission was solely to make sure that all of creation had believed in the fact that mankind was meant to worship the One Supreme Lord who is the Master of the Universe and Master of The Day of Judgement. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) himself received revelations over the course of 23 years from God through Angel Gabriel and God had made him memorize His Divine Words into his heart.  These Words are now compiled in a book-form called the ‘Quran’. The Quran is a ‘recitation’ of God’s own Words that God promised He would preserve till the End of Times.

When we send blessings upon Muhammad (PBUH) through asking God, we send him our love and connect with him in order to follow him in his footsteps to please God.  This act of ours is actually our response to his love for his nation. Often people think that this "nation"(mankind) is just for the Muslims alone. This is not the case, Muhammad (PBUH) loved, cried, worried, fought and prayed for the guidance of everyone whom God created. It is unfortunate that not all creation believed in him except for those who we now know who became Muslims (believers). Muslims are those people who surrender their will to Allah (the same One God that all monotheistic religions adhere to). What identifies a Muslim from a Non-Muslim is the Declaration of Faith(Shahada) which is:

“La ila ha illa Allah, Muhammad an Rasool Allah” (There is no God but the One God and Muhammad is the messenger of God.)

There is a saying of our Prophet PBUH that if we were to send one prayer of blessing upon our Prophet PBUH that God will send us blessings equal to 10 times more and raise our ranks and omit 10 of our sins. Why wouldn’t we want to love our teacher and our role model? If Muhammad PBUH spent his entire life to show us the right way we can only benefit by loving him and following him in order to be loved by God. Having faith in God is akin to having faith in Muhammad PBUH and his message. Loving and following our beloved Prophet PBUH is our right and our ticket to success. What are we waiting for? So you may ask how one can attain the love of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH?:

 What do you do when you fall in love? You spend every moment of your days and nights wanting to know about your person, you talk about them, you want to learn about them, you start behaving like them and you start liking what they like and you start hating what they hate. So imagine falling in love with the one that God is pleased with.  Follow God’s command and send blessings upon Muhammad PBUH  and read about his life and try best to follow in his path. Love will follow us and that is a gift from God!

In my own experience I cannot imagine a day without prayer, a day without remembering God, or a day without the fear of losing my connection with Him. I owe my faith, my sanity, my devotion, my prayers to my teacher who taught me how to live in order to win God’s Divine pleasure.  Without Muhammad PBUH mankind would be lost.  He loved us before we even knew him. How self-less is that?

May God bless all of the collective Prophets and may God bless Muhammad PBUH.

“Allah humma salli ala Muhamad”

                                Peace and Blessings be upon him

Hajj: according to the Sunnah (Prophet Muhammad’s way) and the tremendous blessings in it

The biggest take that I have learned from my recent Hajj (Muslim Pilgrimage) experience is not to cut corners in life and to be patient and follow things through in its entirety without missing the essence and blessings of that experience.

Hajj is a journey of a lifetime that our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) took about 1433 years ago. Every single Muslim that performs Hajj is fulfilling the 5^th pillar of Islam and following in his footsteps. However, many people do not realize the importance of Hajj and are not always mindful of sticking as close to the Sunnah (the way of the Prophet pbuh) as possible.

In our experience, many of the scholars amongst us were not fully knowledgeable about the optimal way of performing Hajj and found legal ‘loop holes’ in order to make things easier. These ‘loop holes’ or ‘easy ways out’ don’t necessarily invalidate the Hajj experience but what it does is that it takes the blessings and optimal rewards away from one’s experience. The object of Hajj is to be on our best behavior with humility and patience and to do as our Prophet (pbuh) taught us to do.

Since we had conflicting scholars amongst us in our group we chose to stick close to our sister Alia who had studied the Hajj and had compiled a book consisting of all of the rites for Hajj that only adhered to the exact footsteps of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).  Despite the fact that the Sunnah way is a bit more challenging and difficult, somehow miraculously we had noticed that God had opened up our path and made things easier for us. At times it seemed impossible to maneuver with ease whilst amongst 4 million other pilgrims, but truly by the blessings of our Prophet’s (pbuh) teachings and guidance, things became easy and paths opened up.  In addition to the ease that we experienced after the difficulty we were also rewarded with angelic people around us who not only took care of us but also became our friends. We had the pleasure of meeting a direct descendent of our Prophet (pbuh) who was one of our scholars who had lead us in the way our Prophet(pbuh) would have performed Hajj. We had such an amazing experience learning from him that it seemed that the entire experience was to receive the gift of this beautiful soul in our lives. It really does boil down to having that belief in our Teacher (pbuh) and having complete faith in God’s (Allah’s) will.

As Muslims, I feel this is a reminder to not only follow God’s instructions and commandments but to follow them in the way that our Prophet did for the optimal benefits for ourselves. It should be no surprise for us why God Chose Muhammad (pbuh) after all he was His most beloved Messenger.

I really feel that the Muslims and Non-Muslims who do not know or do not follow Prophet Muhammad are at a loss. According to the Quran, Muhammad was sent to us in order to teach us the Oneness of God and this was for all of humanity and for all times. Other Prophets like Moses, Jesus, Joseph, Abraham, Noah and David etc. were all sent to spread God’s message but they were limited only to their own nations. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was sent to guide all of mankind for eternity. He must be studied and he must be followed it can only bring goodness and tremendous blessings.

Gods says in the Quran, chapter 33 verse 56:

Verily, God and His angels bless the Prophet: [hence,] O you who have attained to faith, bless him and give yourselves up [to his guidance] in utter self-surrender!

Do not Despair!

 Many of us have great visions and come up with creative ideas to help the underprivileged people of the world but often feel that we cannot reach our goals because we know we don’t possess the means to attain them.

Our Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: 

‘Sadaqah,’ (voluntary charity) is prescribed for every person every day the sun rises.’ 

One of his companions asked him ‘O Messenger of Allah, from what do we give sadaqah if we do not possess property?’ 

He (pbuh) said:

“The doors of charity (sadaqah) are takbir of ‘Allah hu Akbar’ (praising God’s Greatness), Subhan’Allah (glorifying God), ‘Alhamdolilah’ (praising the One and only God), ‘La ila ha illa La’ (stating that there is no God but God) (Allah), ‘astaghfir’ullah’ (seeking God’s forgiveness), enjoining good, forbidding evil, removing thorns, bones and stones from the paths of people, guiding the blind, listening to the deaf and dumb until you understand them, guiding a person to his object of need if you know where it is, hurrying with the strength of your legs to one in sorrow who is appealing for help, and supporting for the weak with the support of your arms. These are all the doors of 'Sadaqah' (Ahmad) (source prophetic sayings.)

In other words, one does not need to have financial resources to earn the reward of this kind of charity (sadaqah). There are many deeds that qualify as sadaqah with God Almighty in addition to those listed above.

The following ordinary courtesies are also sadaqah if we do them with the intention of pleasing God Almighty.

·      To administer justice between two people is sadaqah. 
·      To assist a man upon his mount so that he may ride it is sadaqah. 
·      To place his luggage on the animal (mode of transport) is sadaqah. 
·      A good word is sadaqah. 
·      Every step taken toward prayer is sadaqah. 
·      Your smile for your brother (mankind) is sadaqah. 
·      Planting anything from which a person, an animal or anything eats is sadaqah. 

There are numerous things one can do in order to attain God’s Pleasure in helping His creation. Lets try to follow the example of our Prophet (pbuh) and do as many acts of goodness as we can. We will never despair!

 

Prophet Muhammad's(pbuh) Farewell Sermon after Hajj

We are nearing the month of Hajj (Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca.)

The Hajj is the 5^th pillar of Islam and is mandatory for all of those Muslims who can afford to go and are in good health.  Hajj is in the lunar month of Dhul Hijjah which happens to fall towards the end of October this year. My family and I, with the Grace of God Almighty have been invited this year to perform the Hajj following in the footsteps of our Prophet Muhammad(pbuh).

As I prepare for this journey of a lifetime I cannot help but to ponder over how grateful I am to be a part of the Nation of Muhammad (pbuh) and how after nearly 1500 years his tradition still goes on. Prophet Muhammad’s mission as God’s Messenger was achieved after 23 hard years of persecution, patience, steadfastness, and perseverance. He was able to bring belief in the Oneness of God throughout the entire Arabian Peninsula and beyond. Many of the rituals and invocations of Hajj can be traced back to Adam (pbuh) and Abraham (pbuh), the two forefathers of this monotheistic faith. When Islam spread to Mecca in the last year of his life, nearly 600 years after Jesus(pbuh), Muhammad (pbuh) was 63 years old and he had performed his first and last Hajj which he concluded with his famous “Farewell Sermon” to the new Muslims of his time. 

 Today as I read his sermon I can not help but feel sad and yet happy at the same time. Sad, that we no longer have him amongst us and that many of the leaders of this world have failed to benefit from his legacy. The happiness comes from knowing that I belong to his Nation which brings me the hope of a better world. Just MAYBE one day we can dream of a day we can be united under one world, one people and one GOD. Listen to his final pearls of wisdom as they apply to us even today.

Muhammad (pbuh) after praising, and thanking God (Allah) had said:

“O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and TAKE THESE WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds. ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah has Judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn ‘Abd’al Muttalib (Prophet’s uncle) shall henceforth be waived…

Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah’s trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship ALLAH, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.

All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

Remember, one day you will appear before ALLAH and answer your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, NO PROPHET OR APOSTLE WILL COME AFTER ME AND NO NEW FAITH WILL BE BORN. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the QURAN and my example, the SUNNAH and if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O ALLAH, that I have conveyed your message to your people”.

(Reference: See Al-Bukhari, Hadith 1623, 1626, 6361) Sahih of Imam Muslim also refers to this sermon in Hadith number 98. Imam al-Tirmidhi has mentioned this sermon in Hadith nos. 1628, 2046, 2085. Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal has given us the longest and perhaps the most complete version of this sermon in his Masnud, Hadith no. 19774.)

Peaceful response: DUBAI STYLE!!

I am loving the many PEACEFUL responses around the globe after the viewing of the offensive movie on Youtube regarding Muhammad (pbuh). Not only were 1.8 billion Muslim's sentiments around the globe hurt by this movie but many Non-Muslims also spoke up in defense of Muhammad (pbuh) and Islam. Watch this video made by Abeer Ali from Dubai:

It’s a wonderful, wonderful world? —Mehr Tarar

An article by renowned author Mehr Tarar from Daily Times, Pakistan written on Sept 21st, 2012

VIEW: It’s a wonderful, wonderful world? —Mehr Tarar

Anyone who lashes out in violence will undo what our Prophet (PBUH) stood for. Enraged, losing perspective, you do only bad things 


Mohammad. The name that is unarguably the most popular name in the world. It is the name that is used by millions as the prefix or simply as the first name. It is a name that is taken more than any other is on any given day, in any part of the world. It is a name that is so special despite its widespread usage that it makes ordinary people feel blessed to just be able to use it. It is the most favoured name for babies born in the UK today, despite the presence of real life princes in a land that is not even hugely populated by those who profess the faith that this name originated from. Mohammad. Add Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH), Sallah Alahe Va Aalle Hee Vasalam, and you have the name of the last prophet of Allah. Mohammad (PBUH), from Arabia, was endowed with the blessing of being the last messenger of Allah, the divine Word of whose encapsulation as the Quran became the last Divine word revealed to mankind, in the form of Islam. Mohammad (PBUH), the prophet, went on to become one of the most influential men in the history of the world (through his preaching and the spread of Islam during his lifetime). Today, almost 1,500 years later, the same holds true. That is the unparalleled stature of Mohammad (PBUH), the prophet of Muslims, who being the last one to deliver the divine word to human beings became the prophet for the whole world. He was God’s man, and all who believed in God could never refute that. They still do not.
As a Muslim, I am angry today. The latest act of calculated malice shown towards my religion and my Prophet (PBUH) is unbearable for me. To me, like most who follow Islam, this is a clear humiliation of one of the fundamentals of my faith. Islam begins with the first Kalima that captures the very essence of what it is all about; that there is One God and Mohammad (PBUH) is His Prophet. Without the acceptance of the basic, the rest becomes redundant. For me, this is all there is to it. The rest may vary; the interpretations of the Message may be myriad; the form in which it is understood and perpetrated may be numerous, and the manifestations of the espoused faith many. Two things are eternal. Two things are irrefutably (to Muslims) consistent. Two things have withstood the test of time due to their sheer veracity (for Muslims). Two things have been there since the birth of Islam and they will be until the world ceases to exist. There is no God but Allah and Mohammad (PBUH) is His Prophet. Period. Not because it is the rigidity ingrained in people who follow it, not because its proponents are blind devotees of an unseen power, and not because those who call themselves Muslims are starry-eyed disciples of an Arab who lived many centuries ago; it is because of all Allah preached through Mohammad (PBUH) and sent through His book, the Quran. It is the encapsulation of all these factors that cement the edifice of what I believe in. For me, it is everything. Ergo, I am angry. For me, Allah’ s word is not for you, me, or 10, or 10,000 or 10 million people. In whatever form, it is for the whole world. Ergo, I am angry. The Prophet (PBUH) stood as Allah’s Messenger for the entire population of the world, not for some who revered him in Arabia and the neighbouring countries. He was/is for everyone. Ergo, I am angry. Notwithstanding how any detractor of Islam and the Prophet (PBUH) may interpret his life and teachings, some things defy criticism. The Prophet (PBUH) believed, practised and preached the universal message of brotherhood, compassion, empathy, forgiveness, kindness, generosity of spirit, moral, social and interpersonal values and the value of life. There was no one Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) hated and there was no one he preached should be hated. Ergo, I am angry. The unassuming man, who through the principles he espoused before prophethood, lived every minute of his life setting an example for all who followed him and those who did not, thus rising to the level of being the most extraordinary human being history has/had seen. It was because of his influence as the Messenger of Allah for everyone who lived and would live. He was/is not just for my fellow Muslims and me. Ergo, I am angry.
I did not see the 13-minute trailer of that film. I did not read about it. I have not named it even once since it appeared. Despite my anger, it does not exist for me. Not belittling anyone else’s reaction, but to me those 13 minutes do not matter. My decision to treat it as non-existent is not in contradiction with my anger. Anything said about my religion and my prophet (PBUH) and my holy book will be unbearable to me in principle. In reality, I consider it irrelevant. To me, my Prophet (PBUH) stands so much higher than any other being that any act to even attempt to denigrate him is almost laughable. Some psychopath, in some seedy setting in California, hires a few people, writes a few lines, directs a few shoddy scenes, edits a few frames and releases it on the Internet. That has the power to target Islam? The very idea is ludicrous. Some anti-Muslim individual/individuals add a few lip-synched lines and release it in some Muslim country and Muslims in reaction go insane with rage and wreak havoc — in their own lands. The very idea behind it is unimaginable to me. To protest is every human being’s right. I tell my son and my niece and nephew who are like my own children to protest the wrong. To speak up against injustice is of paramount importance. To do something about an unfair act — without violence — is something I believe in and practice. This video, nonetheless, does not warrant a violent act in reaction. It is simply because the stature of our Prophet (PBUH) is beyond it and most importantly, because he taught us not to. Anyone who lashes out in violence will undo what our Prophet (PBUH) stood for. Enraged, losing perspective, you do only bad things. I do not Google for my articles; I do not need examples to substantiate my narrative. I write when things pain me. The result of bad acts is, without fail, what haunts you forever. Innocent people cannot be harmed for the acts of some you may never even get a chance to be face to face with. Violence darkens it all. Try explaining it to the families of Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Glenn Doherty, Tyrone Woods (Navy SEALs) and Sean Smith (information manager at the US Libyan embassy). Rest in peace.
Protest. Stop watching the video. Flag/report any objectionable stuff you find on the Internet. Imagine millions of Muslims hitting one button and making the content disappear into cyber oblivion. Imagine a million people in every Muslim country — and there are 51 of them (where the dominant faith is Islam) standing together, with lit candles, protesting solidly and quietly, telling the world it is not okay to denigrate the fundamentals of their religion. Imagine every head of a Muslim country, in unison, petitioning at the UN that the intended denigration of our Prophet (PBUH) — our spiritual father figure — is not acceptable, under any condition. Imagine all Muslims, all 1.6 billion of them, in one voice, telling the whole world: enough. Some individuals must be warned. Your freedom of speech in a world where people kill, pillage, burn, rape and destroy life and property is dangerous. When your act will hurt the very sensibilities I live for, it is time you took a step backwards and thought hard. What is it you are hoping to gain here? Islam will remain intact but some of its followers, in their fury, for their love, will cause mayhem. That is human nature. Is that what you want?
Someone, somewhere, as I write this, will be planning an act whose sole purpose is to inflict misery on people. I am aware of this painful reality. I do not have the power to change that. Neither do you. The more than seven billion people of the world will always be paying the price of evil perpetrated by some. That is a fact. There is nothing we can do about it. And ergo, I pray, may Allah have mercy on His world.

The writer is an Assistant Editor at Daily Times. She tweets at @MehrTarar and can be reached at mehrt2000@gmail.com

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\09\21\story_21-9-2012_pg3_5

Response to the horrible video on our Prophet (pbuh)

Please watch this amazing and talented brother who has written one of the best 'spoken words' rap video that I have ever come across. I have already watched this over a dozen times as it just makes my heart SO happy! May God bless him for his peaceful efforts to teach people about who Muhammad is(pbuh). I hope we can all love and respect each other for our beliefs, the similarities and the differences. There is NO compulsion in religion but as civilized societies it is our duty to respect one another and only then can we have hope of a more peaceful world. I would also encourage you to like the page http://www.facebook.com/talkislam on facebook and learn more.

Hoping to bridge the gaps of understanding amongst all of humanity as did Muhammad(peace and blessings upon him)

ohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDqnRqTVtCo

Time for some positive news!

Among the many negative things that happen in the world, we cannot deny that they are all a part of God’s plan. Though it may be a difficult thing to go through sometimes you see the silver lining at the end. I am very proud of the Muslim organization called Celebrate Mercy. For those who do not know, this is an organization that has been established to celebrate the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) life and legacy. It is an educational tool provided for us to help spread his message of peace and belief in One God.

I am very proud as a Muslim to say that this organization is collecting letters of condolences for the family of the slain Chris Stevens who was an American Ambassador to Libya. Within 72 hours of sending this request to followers, almost 5000 people have sent letters to this website and they have already gotten some recognition on CNN international news and BBC online radio. This kind of positive response from Muslims is very encouraging but not enough. I urge everyone to send a small note of condolences to the Stevens family to show (no matter what faith you are) that the loss of human life is a tragic loss.  Our Prophet (pbuh) always built bridges of understanding amongst all races and creeds and we should all aspire to follow his good example. 

Please send a small note to www.celebratemercy.com/Stevens

If you do not have time please cut and paste this following message:

Dear Family and loved ones of Chris Stevens,

We wanted to sincerely give our warmest condolences on behalf of the Muslim community all over the world. We are deeply saddened for your loss as Stephens was a friend of Libya and loved the Middle Eastern region. We condemn his killing and the vast majority of the Muslim community around the world also condemns it. This violent act goes against the teachings of our Prophet Muhammad(pbuh). We hope that God gives you hope and patience in this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Your name here

Seeking for true knowledge

The instigators of hate and people that are reactionary are both ignorant fools and come from two sides of the same coin; neither of them is of benefit to any society. When we see this in abundance amongst people around us, it may make one feel hopeless that change can never come. But because believers strive to trust in God and His plan, they hope to understand things better. We may not be able to change people but the one thing that is in our own hands is what we can do with ourselves to make the world a better place for our own little communities.

We pray to God to guide us to the True Knowledge that He would want us to know. We go back to our teachers and we try to learn from their example. Our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was not afraid to bring the message of Truth to this world and his words of wisdom have helped many who have been in dire need of it.

I would like to share these pearls of wisdom that I have come across in recent times and I hope that we can all benefit from it. He (pbuh) said when asked about knowledge:

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) on Knowledge and Learning: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) once entered a mosque where there were a group of people surrounding a man. "Who is that?", inquited the Prophet. He was told, "He is a very learned man." The Prophet asked, "What is a learned man?" They told him, "He is the most learned of men regarding Arab geneologies, past episodes, the days of the pre-Islamic times and Arabic poetry." The Prophet said, "That is knowledge whose ignorance does not harm one nor is its possession of any benefit to one." Then the Prophet declared, "Verily, knowledge consists of these three: the firm sign, the just duty, and the establish praxis. All else is superfluous."One who proceeds on a path in the pursuit of knowledge, God makes him proceed therewith on a path to the Paradise. And, verily, the angels spread their wings for the seekers of knowledge out of delight. Verily, every creature of the heaven and the earth asks forgiveness for the seeker of knowledge, even the fish in the sea. The merit of the learned over the devout is like the merit of the moon over the stars on a full-moon night. The learned are the heirs of the prophets, for the prophets did not leave behind a legacy of wealth but that of knowledge. So whoever partakes of it derives a plenteous benefit.

I believe the challenge for today is now finding the truth as it is sometimes hard to decipher right from wrong when we hear the news. All we can really do is to sincerely make intention and go out and seek the truth. Are you with me?

What would the prophet have done?

Muslims all over the world try to live their lives emulating and following the superior example of our beloved Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings be upon him).  But some Muslims fail to study his life and the legacy that he left behind.  In light of the recent cruel events of the killing of the American Embassador to Libya, which was supposedly a reaction to the pathetic Youtube video of a ludicrous film on our Prophet(pbuh) of Islam; I am heartbroken at both the senseless makers of this useless movie and the heedless assassinator who committed the reactionary crime.

If a Muslim were to truly love Muhammad (pbuh) and follow his example then he or she would NEVER EVER react in such a thoughtless manner as did the killer. Our Prophet (pbuh) was sent to us as God’s Mercy and with that Divine mercy he was able to deliver the message of Islam, which means peace and submission to the will of God. No matter how much he was provoked, ridiculed, persecuted, stoned, made fun of, disrespected, or hated he never EVER reacted in an evil or revengeful manner. He won over the love of the non-Muslims around him through his unbreakable mercy towards creation and his love and devotion to God. Many people have the misconception that Islam was spread through the sword. This is absolutely false! Every single time the Prophet lead a war for his nation he did it in self-defense to protect the people that believed in One God. He never instigated a war from his own free will.

If you are not a Muslim and you are reading this please know and believe me when I say this that if the Prophet (pbuh) was here amongst us he would not have reacted to the youtube film in a vengeful way. He would have shown his disapproval through the intellectual path of reason and understanding. He would have protested by writing letters to the proper authorities by inviting them to meet him and get to know him. If the opponents were dangerous then he would just avoid them but would pray for their guidance. He wanted everyone to believe that he was sent by God to bring faith into this world.

I am appalled at the idiotic people that are out there who find pleasure in making movies to defame and disrespect the beloved and honored Prophets of such great religions. Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon them all) have come from the same God. For heavens sake!! That same time and effort that they put into this movie is such stupidity, they have not ridiculed our Messenger but they have shamed themselves and shown to the world their hate, ignorance, ugliness and intolerance. As my Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would have said and done, I sincerely pray for the better guidance to the makers of such garbage movies. I condemn all of the murderers of their senseless crimes and ask God for his proper judgement towards them. I pray that God guides people to truly learn and seek knowledge about Muhammad’s (pbuh) life and look into the reasons why this religion is one of the fastest growing ones of all time. Only then will they know why he is so beloved to us.

What does 911 mean to you?

It’s been 11 years since the anniversary of the horrible events of 9/11/2001. The memories of that day will always be etched in our hearts forever. I will never forget the day-to-day feelings and thoughts and discussions that were happening in and around us, in the news and around the globe.

It was a time when intolerance was becoming more apparent amongst individuals and there was a heightened sense of curiosity for anyone that looked slightly different.  Threats, increased security, acts of hatred and ignorance were on the horizon and this created a great amount of terror in the air. On the other hand some people experienced the most profound displays of love, affection and protection from our neighbors and random strangers.

I will never forget the day when our family went to offer our Friday prayers just a few days after 9/11 had happened. Our Mosque had received threatening calls by random strangers to bomb and destroy our place of worship. Many Muslims decided not to come to pray that week but our family was one of the few that went ahead despite the looming threats on our head.  Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) has related in a Hadith Qudsi (records containing the Word from God) “When my servant takes one step towards Me, I take ten steps towards him. When my servant comes walking towards Me, I come running towards him.” All I could think of were these words of God as we were pleasantly surprised when we had arrived at the mosque. The most generous group of Methodist Christians had come to surround our Mosque while the prayers were in session. They came all the way from the East Coast to protect their fellow Muslim Americans from the threats of terrorism that were being targeted at Muslim places of Worship. These beautiful people left the comfort of their homes on a rainy Friday afternoon to protect their fellow people even though they knew that our security was under threat. They became our shield and risked their own lives to allow us to pray in peace. At that point I knew God came running toward us, He had sent His angels.

As Muslims, we were in a tough place, on one hand we mourned the loss of the legendary twin towers in NY and the 3000+ innocent victims that were in them, while on the other hand we the “Muslims” were being viewed as the enemy who became the ‘perpetrators’ of the heinous crime.   The sad thing is that whomever spearheaded the crime whether it is Al-Qaida, Osama Bin Ladin or the Devil himself; I can say one thing with certainty the criminals were not Muslim. If Osama did this in the name of Islam then he most definitely is not a real Muslim. It completely goes against the grain of Islam and the word of God. Anyone that kills and takes matters in their own hands without due cause is disobeying God. Unfortunately, the criminal’s unforgettable attack not only attacked US soil but it also attacked Islam. Islam means ‘peace’ and ‘submitting to the will of God’. Whomever was responsible for 9/11 was the enemy of humanity and someone who is not sane or humane.

I just pray that we make an effort to get to know each other around the globe and truly understand people. Hoping we can be more accepting and tolerant of each others’ differences. I’d like to leave you with a quote from the Quran chapter 49:13:

“O men! Behold, We have created you all out of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another. Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him. Behold God is all-knowing, all-aware.”

May all the innocent victim’s souls Rest in Peace Eternally amen(ameen).

Poem on Muhammad (pbuh)by Saadia Wasim

Muhammad like Adam was Innocent and Pure

He was a True Spirit-Of-God , for sure….

Muhammad like Noah, built an Ark of Salvation

For people of all times, true to the Religion…..

Muhammad like Abraham was Certain and Assured

He was blessed by Almighty, rescued and secured…

Muhammad like Jonah, survived in Whale

And never let the message of God go stale….

Muhammad like Lut warned the transgressors

He called upon preserving the ‘values’ for successors

Muhammad like Joseph was Handsome and Unique

He was Honest and Truthfull,called ‘Ameen’ and ‘Sadeeq’

Muhammad like David was Wise and Blessed

He never let the Call of Justise , be suppressed…

Muhammad was like Moses,Mighty and Strong

He freed his people from those doing Wrongs

Muhammad like John Baptized our Souls

He encourage every body …to play a role…..

Muhammad like Jesus,was Humble and Meek

He offered Simple Truth, for everyone who seeks…

Muhammad is Quran is called the ‘Seal Of Prophets’

A title like a Diamond ..which has many facets..

Muhammad is the "Last Of the Prophets" Allah sent

And Quran is the "Last of the Messages" Allah meant..

Muhammad is an Example for Muslims to follow

Muhammad is a Torch of True Light that glows…

Muhammad was a standard,Muhammad was Genuine

Muhammad was Divine, but Muhammad was a Human…!

My letter to Bashar:

Bashar Al-Assad,

You have the privilege to be the Ruler of a Nation called Syria that has so much history and beauty. Yet you claim to be a Muslim and you rule with an Iron thumb? Where is your Islam and where is your humanity? Are you not from the Ummah of Rasul Allah (nation of Muhammad pbuh) Where does your ideology come from and where do you get your authority from? Are you from the Ummah of Pharoah or Hitler? Are they your heroes? Have you not seen the end of those that opposed God and His people?

You oppress!

You suppress!

You depress!

You Torture!

You kill!

And you are okay with this?

Don’t forget Al- Assad you will not be resurrected under the umbrella of our Prophet(pbuh), You will have your day and the Lord will have no Mercy as He is Al- Adl (Just) and His Divine Justice will prevail.

So do what you do but remember the day will come when the souls of the 30,000 innocent victims will surround you and suffocate your neck and the burning of your mortal frame will reject you and complain to God for what you made it do.

We Must Show Gratitude!

We must show gratitude to all of our teachers and masters who have passed on their infinite wisdom down to us. We are a people that have been trapped in a time where the lines of good and evil are blurred by mankind’s own desire to want in this world. We must look beyond this world and its deception and aspire to be elevated from our lower selves to a higher state in order to honor those who led us righteously in the past. We owe thanks to all of our Prophets, scholars, mentors and teachers.

·      We thank Adam (pbuh) for teaching us how to repent in front of our Lord and turning only to Him.

·      We thank Enoch (Idris pbuh) for truthfulness and teaching us how to write.

·      We thank Noah (pbuh) for giving us guidance with an excellent speech.

·      We thank Abraham (pbuh) how to have faith in the Oneness of God. He was the forefather to the Jews, Christians and Muslims.

·      We thank Lot (pbuh) for teaching us how to be righteous while living in the midst of the unlawful.

·      We thank Jacob (Yacub pbuh) for teaching us patience and trusting in God in the face of suffering.

·      We thank Job (Ayub pbuh) for also teaching us the ultimate patience while experiencing severe pain.

·      We thank Moses (pbuh) for teaching us God’s law and abiding by it with faith.

·      We thank David (pbuh) for teaching us how to praise our God.

·      We thank Solomon (pbuh) for his wisdom and spiritual insight.

·      We thank Jonah (Yunus pbuh) how to glorify God and ask for repentence.

·      We thank Jesus (Isa pbuh) for teaching enlightenment and compassion for humanity.

·      We thank Mother Mary (Maryam pbuh) for being an example of courage, piety and innocence.

·      We thank Buddha (pbuh) for teaching enlightenment, awakening and serving humanity.

·      We thank Krishna for teaching us devotion to the one Supreme Being and to be dutiful to Him.

·      We thank Guru Nanak (pbuh) for teaching us peace, compassion, righteousness and belief in one God.

·      We thank Muhammad (pbuh) for being a mercy to all of mankind and bringing with him God’s Word to spread the Oneness of God and to only submit to Him.

The Quran states about Muhammad in verse 33:40 which refers him to be the last in the line of all of the prophets that came.

“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah, and the seal of the Prophets and God has full knowledge of all things.”

And last but not least we thank God for sending us good guidance along the way.

Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) teachings and sayings.

“Non-Muslims may find it a useful introduction to both Islamic faith and practice. Throughout these sayings, the focus is on illustrating the Prophets(pbuh) guidelines for leading life as individuals and communities. Some of his teachings are inevitably specific to the Muslim community, such as those that deal with the articles of Islamic faith and the Hereafter. Strikingly enough, most of his teachings are marked by a broad, general outlook, asking Muslims to lead their lives as part of a wider community of men and women, whom, irrespective of their faith, are all servants and creatures of the One True God. Equally valid and relevant is the Prophet’s wisdom for non-Muslims as well.  Any reader who is not of the Islamic faith will be struck by the Prophet’s (pbuh) universal message and his sincere, genuine concern for the welfare and happiness of humanity at large.”

--Abdur Raheem Kidwai

    July 2009

Prophet’s (pbuh) selected sayings:

·      “ God! Purify my heart of hypocrisy, my actions of pretence, my tongue of lies, and my eyes of deception. For You know well the deception of the eye and all that is concealed in the heart.”

·      “Avoid suspicion , for suspicion is often baseless. Do not spy on each other. Do not probe into the affairs of others. Nor indulge in worldliness or jealousy. Do not bear the grudges against each other. Nor betray anyone. Rather lead your lives as servants of God and live as brothers.”

·      “In both your private and public life you should always fear God. Piety should inform your conduct. Your good deeds will help in getting your sins forgiven. Treat people well.”

·      “Anyone who has these three traits is definitely a hypocrite: 1. He tells a lie whenever he says something: 2. He does not keep his word whenever he makes a promise; and 3. He cheats when a trust is placed in his care.”

·      “Follow the middle path. Taking up what is beyond your capacity will only bring shame upon you.”

·      “Faith in God guides humanity to give up all that is vain and trivial.”

·      “Anyone who curses others is cursed himself.”

·      “Wealth does not consist in abundant provision and plenty of goods. A truly rich person is content, enjoying peace of mind.”

·      “Do not treat any good deed lightly. It is part of good manners to receive your brother or friend warmly. The same holds true for doing them a favor, no matter how small it may be.”

·      “Fear the appearance of such eloquent orators in your midst whose speech will be marked by profundity and high morals yet their deeds will reek of evil and wickedness.”

·      “Do not be like those who are good only to those who are kind to them. Do not wrong him who wrongs you. You should be kind even to those hostile towards you. You should not follow them in their wrongdoing.”

·      “Charity does not decrease one’s wealth. Nor does humility lower ones prestige. If one acts humbly for God’s sake, then God will certainly raise one’s rank.”

John Lennon quoted..

Did you know?

God Almighty said, “And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds”

Chapter 21:107 Quran

The Prophet Muhammad, (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent to us by God as a mercy to mankind; believers, non-believers, hypocrites, men, women, children, animals and all of His creation. There are numerous stories and examples in history of his love and kindness, justice and compassion, honesty and the infusion of dignity to people around him.  I truly wish that he was an entity known by all today. He not only showed his mercy to the people of his time but he often cried for the people that were to come after him. His love for humanity extended through time and he prayed to God for our salvation.

In the early years of his Prophethood, Muhammad (pbuh) was severely persecuted and treated with cruelty by his opponents in Mecca. This never diminished his resolve or his compassion towards the ignorant men of his time.  His companions felt for him and asked the Prophet (pbuh) to curse the enemies at hand but the Prophet (pbuh) never cursed them. Infact, he would do the opposite and always pray for their guidance. Once when the Prophet (pbuh) was in the city of Taif to call people to Islam, his opponents had brutally stoned him to the point that he was bleeding and in great pain. At this point the angel Gabriel had asked the Prophet (pbuh) for whatever he wished for and they said that if he wanted they could crush the area between the two mountains and finish off those people. The Prophet in his infinite wisdom instead asked for no such revenge but prayed. “Oh my Lord, guide my people along the true path as they are ignorant about the truth.” He knew that maybe one day true believers would come out of this very town that had abused him and he did not want to hurt them. How merciful and forward thinking was he?

Muhammad’s (pbuh) mission was to bring people in touch with the reality that all men and women, be they from different race, creed, caste, or culture etc. were actually like each other’s blood brothers. He said, “You are all Adam’s offspring and Adam was born of clay.” His vision and hope for us was to see people as our spiritual brothers and sisters which in turn would promote love, peace and tolerance between one another in order to establish a peaceful world.

My hope is that we will read about the life of this beautiful man and how he spread love and fought for what is right and established a nation that believed in one God in a matter of 23 years. Today we have over a billion and half Muslims because of the sacrifices of this one merciful man. Lets share his mercy!

http://asadullahali.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/the_quran.pdf