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Web posted at: 5/23/2006 4:31:53


Source ::: REUTERS


LONDON • US President George W Bush has alienated Muslims around the world by using absolutist Christian rhetoric to discuss foreign policy issues, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says.


"I worked for two presidents who were men of faith, and they did not make their religious views part of American policy," she said, referring to Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, both Democrats and Christians.


"President Bush's certitude about what he believes in, and the division between good and evil, is, I think, different," said Albright, who has just published a book on religion and world affairs. "The absolute truth is what makes Bush so worrying to some of us."


Bush, a Republican, has openly acknowledged his Christian faith informs his decisions as president. He says, for example, that he prayed to God for guidance before invading Iraq.


Some Muslims have accused him of waging a crusade against Islam, comparable with those of the Middle Ages. The White House says it has nothing against Islam, but against those who commit terrorist atrocities in its name.


But Albright says Bush's religious absolutism has made US foreign policy "more rigid and more difficult for other countries to accept".


In her book, "The Mighty and the Almighty", Albright recalls how Bush, while he was governor of Texas, told Christians he believed God wanted him to be president.


She quotes from his speech to his party convention of 2004, when he told Republicans: "We have a calling from beyond the stars to stand for freedom".


"Some of his language is really quite over the top," Albright told Reuters on Sunday during a trip to London to promote her book. "When he says 'God is on our side', it's very different from (former US President Abraham) Lincoln saying 'We have to be on God's side'."


The 69-year-old, who worked for Carter in the late 1970s and was Clinton's secretary of state from 1997-2001, says the war in Iraq "may eventually rank among the worst foreign policy disasters in US history".


She describes it as arguably worse than the Vietnam War – not in terms of the number of people killed but because the Middle East is a more volatile region than southeast Asia.


She also bemoaned "the growing influence of Iran" in the region and warned sectarian violence between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims could escalate into an all-out "Arab-Persian conflict".


"We should not be contributing to what is a long historical struggle between the Sunni and Shia," she said.


Asked about her own beliefs, Albright said she had "a very confused religious background".


Born and raised a Roman Catholic in Czechoslovakia, Britain and then the United States, she converted to Anglicanism when she married and only later in life discovered she had Jewish roots.


It is this legacy which makes her wary of any religion which claims a monopoly on truth, she said.


These days, she describes herself as "an Episcopalian (US Anglican) with a Catholic background", recalling how she used to pray to the Virgin Mary as a child and still does.


"I know I believe in God but I have doubts, and doubt is part of faith," she said.

Bismillah:


Salam Christian Curious.


the following information is taken from


please CLICK HEREfor reading the entire book


In the Holy Quran, God speaks about the stages of man’s embryonic development:


We created man from an extract of clay. Then We made him as a drop in a place of settlement, firmly fixed. Then We made the drop into an alaqah (leech, suspended thing, and blood clot), then We made the alaqah into a mudghah (chewed substance)... 1 (Quran, 23:12-14)


Literally, the Arabic word alaqah has three meanings: (1) leech, (2) suspended thing, and (3) blood clot.


In comparing a leech to an embryo in the alaqah stage, we find similarity between the two2 as we can see in figure 1. Also, the embryo at this stage obtains nourishment from the blood of the mother, similar to the leech, which feeds on the blood of others.3





Figure 1: Drawings illustrating the similarities in appearance between a leech and a human embryo at the alaqah stage. (Leech drawing from Human Development as Described in the Quran and Sunnah, Moore and others, p. 37, modified from Integrated Principles of Zoology, Hickman and others. Embryo drawing from The Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 73.)



The second meaning of the word alaqah is “suspended thing.” This is what we can see in figures 2 and 3, the suspension of the embryo, during the alaqah stage, in the womb of the mother.





Figure 2: We can see in this diagram the suspension of an embryo during the alaqah stage in the womb (uterus) of the mother. (The Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 66.) (Click on the image to enlarge it.)






Figure 3: In this photomicrograph, we can see the suspension of an embryo (marked B) during the alaqah stage (about 15 days old) in the womb of the mother. The actual size of the embryo is about 0.6 mm. (The Developing Human, Moore, 3rd ed., p. 66, from Histology, Leeson and Leeson.)



The third meaning of the word alaqah is “blood clot.” We find that the external appearance of the embryo and its sacs during the alaqah stage is similar to that of a blood clot. This is due to the presence of relatively large amounts of blood present in the embryo during this stage4 (see figure 4). Also during this stage, the blood in the embryo does not circulate until the end of the third week.5 Thus, the embryo at this stage is like a clot of blood.





Figure 4: Diagram of the primitive cardiovascular system in an embryo during the alaqah stage. The external appearance of the embryo and its sacs is similar to that of a blood clot, due to the presence of relatively large amounts of blood present in the embryo. (The Developing Human, Moore, 5th ed., p. 65.) (Click on the image to enlarge it.)



So the three meanings of the word alaqah correspond accurately to the descriptions of the embryo at the alaqah stage.


The next stage mentioned in the verse is the mudghah stage. The Arabic word mudghah means “chewed substance.” If one were to take a piece of gum and chew it in his or her mouth and then compare it with an embryo at the mudghah stage, we would conclude that the embryo at the mudghah stage acquires the appearance of a chewed substance. This is because of the somites at the back of the embryo that “somewhat resemble teethmarks in a chewed substance.”6 (see figures 5 and 6).





Figure 5: Photograph of an embryo at the mudghah stage (28 days old). The embryo at this stage acquires the appearance of a chewed substance, because the somites at the back of the embryo somewhat resemble teeth marks in a chewed substance. The actual size of the embryo is 4 mm. (The Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 82, from Professor Hideo Nishimura, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.)






Figure 6: When comparing the appearance of an embryo at the mudghah stage with a piece of gum that has been chewed, we find similarity between the two.



A) Drawing of an embryo at the mudghah stage. We can see here the somites at the back of the embryo that look like teeth marks. (The Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 79.)


B) Photograph of a piece of gum that has been chewed.





How could Muhammad have possibly known all this 1400 years ago, when scientists have only recently discovered this using advanced equipment and powerful microscopes which did not exist at that time? Hamm and Leeuwenhoek were the first scientists to observe human sperm cells (spermatozoa) using an improved microscope in 1677 (more than 1000 years after Muhammad ). They mistakenly thought that the sperm cell contained a miniature preformed human being that grew when it was deposited in the female genital tract.7


Professor Emeritus Keith L. Moore8 is one of the world’s most prominent scientists in the fields of anatomy and embryology and is the author of the book entitled The Developing Human, which has been translated into eight languages. This book is a scientific reference work and was chosen by a special committee in the United States as the best book authored by one person. Dr. Keith Moore is Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. There, he was Associate Dean of Basic Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine and for 8 years was the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy. In 1984, he received the most distinguished award presented in the field of anatomy in Canada, the J.C.B. Grant Award from the Canadian Association of Anatomists. He has directed many international associations, such as the Canadian and American Association of Anatomists and the Council of the Union of Biological Sciences.


In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Professor Moore said: “It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Quran about human development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God, because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later. This proves to me that Muhammad must have been a messenger of God.” (To view the RealPlayer video of this comment Click here.


Consequently, Professor Moore was asked the following question: “Does this mean that you believe that the Quran is the word of God?” He replied: “I find no difficulty in accepting this.”


During one conference, Professor Moore stated: “....Because the staging of human embryos is complex, owing to the continuous process of change during development, it is proposed that a new system of classification could be developed using the terms mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah (what Muhammad said, did, or approved of). The proposed system is simple, comprehensive, and conforms with present embryological knowledge. The intensive studies of the Quran and hadeeth (reliably transmitted reports by the Prophet Muhammad’s companions of what he said, did, or approved of) in the last four years have revealed a system for classifying human embryos that is amazing since it was recorded in the seventh century A.D. Although Aristotle, the founder of the science of embryology, realized that chick embryos developed in stages from his studies of hen’s eggs in the fourth century B.C., he did not give any details about these stages. As far as it is known from the history of embryology, little was known about the staging and classification of human embryos until the twentieth century. For this reason, the descriptions of the human embryo in the Quran cannot be based on scientific knowledge in the seventh century. The only reasonable conclusion is: these descriptions were revealed to Muhammad from God. He could not have known such details because he was an illiterate man with absolutely no scientific training.”


CC, if you have any question or comments please do let me know.


i still have many things to say about this topic insha'Allah.


Salam


Wael.


TAKEN FROM:

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that


goes on inside people.


He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves. One is Evil. It


is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt,


resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.


The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility,


kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and


faith."


The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his


grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"


The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."


----------------


*** WISE ***


A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious


stone in a stream.


The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise


woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the


precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so


without hesitation.


The traveler left, rejoicing in his great fortune. He knew the stone


was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days


later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.


"I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable the stone is,


but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even


more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to


give me the stone."


-----------------


*** OLD is PRETTY***


An elderly woman and her little grandson, whose face was sprinkled


with bright freckles, spent the day at the zoo.


Lots of children were waiting in line to get their cheeks painted by


a local artist who was decorating them with tiger paws. You've got


so many freckles, there's no place to paint!" said a girl in the


line said to the little fella.


Embarrassed, the little boy dropped his head. His grandmother knelt


down next to him. "I love your freckles. When I was a little girl I


always wanted freckles," she said, while tracing her finger across


the child's cheek. Freckles are beautiful."


The boy looked up, "Really?"


Of course," said the grandmother. "Why... just name me one thing


that's prettier than freckles."


The little boy thought for a moment, peered intensely into his


grandma's face, and softly whispered, Wrinkles."

Bismillah:


is thre anyone able to open this file?


Salam


Wael

Bismillah:


SOURCE: www.amrkhaled.net


Selamun’ Aleykum,


Insha’ Allah my following story may be a lesson for some Muslims especially young generation spending their times in bars , discotec etc.


I am Muslim and in all my life I haven’t lost my creed and faith to ALLAH. Sometimes I continued praying , in some periods I stoped it, only going to Friday times. But I never lost my belief.


Since 2000 I ve been living in a bad way; drinking, having liaison (zin’a), not praying etc many bad things.


Sometimes I was reading Qur’an and praying but not continuously. At the end I got an infection from one woman. After relation I felt indication ,then it finished. That night I prayed (salah) to Allah and I thanked to him and I made Touwba. But after one day other indications started . I was in panic and shock. What I could do, how I explained to my family, my friends and all others. How I look at their faces , it was big shame for me. I thought to kill myself. Then I started praying all times and reading Qur’an everyday and night and praying Allah to show me the correct way to follow after that.


I know what you may think. I critized myself in the same way. Still I am doing. I was healty and have enough time and I didn’t do anything for Allah. Now I learnt I am going to die then started praying and following Allah’s way.As you know , like Fravoun’s story (old Egypt Kings) , his Towba when he was in the middle of Red sea.


I hate myself because Allah many times warned me in different ways, I couldn’t understand may be I didn’t want to understand because such a life was sweet and I couldn’t beat my nef’s.


I couldn’t stop it and he managed me and destroyed my life in this world and in other world (ah’rat). Still disturbing me and telling hey!! you have less time, enjoy your life and don’t care anything, why you turn your face to ALLAH. Such a things.


Yes I can do. Really if we don’t do your homeworks against to ALLAH, after sometime it is becoming diffucult to do it. Because your body and mind are not used to do it.


Even under this conditions still my nef’s is pushing me to live like that. But this time it will not be succesfull insha’Allah. May be I was late but Allah gave sometime to me to do something for him. Only problem is concentration which I am loosing time to time.


After panic and shock , still sometimes I am living but I started accept it. I accepted it because it was a lesson which Allah gave to me. It was hard but I deserved it. Everything is from ALLAH but I can not reproach to ALLAH because I chose this way and I deserved it. I couldn’t think and understand the messages.


Actually I don’t know how long I will live like this. Because this will take sometime 6 months sometime 10 years sometime more. In my life I always think that if I die, at the front of ALLAH how I will account for the life which I was living. Really it was always the first thing when I was thinking about die.


We are human who doesn’t want to understand the life is very thin and in any time can break. When we get the problem then we start thinking and asking questions to ourselves about the purpose of the life. Of course not all of us. At least me.


A friend of mine mentioned about your site and programs.


I read the campaigns and really I proud of with these nice people. My campaign may be ‘get your life meaning back’. If we look at many Muslim countries young generation loosing and spending their lifes in such a places.


What we can do for this, I don’t know but we have to try. Because mostly such a places are open because some economical and governmental reasons such as tourism incomes. Actually local authorities of these countries forbidden these places for their people but I know very well nobody care. It is diffucult make the authorities close them, because many foreign peoples are living in such a places.


But we can warn people during this campaign , at least we can drop one question mark in their brain. They have to know they are Muslim and they have to proud of this and they should follow Allah’s way otherwise they will loose meaning of the life.


As a result how we can make such a campaign start or can we do this or should we follow in some other way, I need advise. This is first thing and important for me.


Secondly I need advise for my personal situation. Sometime it is becoming diffucult to stand and thinking to kill myself. Because I can not make my family and mother and other friends to suffer my future which will be full with sickness. And also I can not stand them to deal with the problems which will be put front of them by other people living in the same society.


ALLAH save and help all Muslims.


your brother


A.T


<b>The Answer: الاجابة </b>


In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful. All praise and thanks are due to Allah and peace and blessings be upon his messenger.


Dear brother in islam,


I received your e-mail and Gazakom Allah Khayran for your precious trust.I endore Almighty Allah to enable me be of real help to you.


Dear brother,


Inspite of the deep grief I felt while reading your e-mail ,I still had an overwhelming sense of optimism.


Unlike what you might expect there were a lot of positive and promising items in your e-mail .


On top of these things is that you have never lost "creed and faith" ( these are your own words)in Almighty Allah even in the worst times when you were too weak to defeat your own "nef's" . One should never underestimate the blessing of IMAN even if he loses the will and strength to keep on the right track. So there is no point comparing yourself with Fer3oun, who refused all together to believe in Allah inspite of all the signs and mircales that God had sent him.He even wanted his people to worship him instead of Almighty Allah.


Second,the on and off return to Almighty Allah in the form of intermittant praying or reading Quran means that you never lost the desire deep inside to please Almighty Allah and gain the serenity of being of His party.


I agree with you that you should have responded to whatever signs or indications God may have sent you much earlier and not waited until such a grave sign might have happened. But let's look at the bright side of the issue. You could have passed away in a car accident while you were drunk or while you were committing adultry( zenna).Imagine facing Almighty Allah on such terms.Still Allah granted you a very precious chance of finding your real self again, making new choices and "getting the real meaning of your life back" ( again these are your own words).


Repenting to Almighty Allah is like being born again.To repent truely means to regret whatever you have done,stop doing it and take a firm decision never to go back again. I believe you have went through all these feelings and decisions.So cheer up , dear brother in islam, and be sure that whoever repents truely to Almighty Allah ,HE will convert all his wrong deeds(saeyat) into good deeds (hasanat).Our beloved prophet's (pbuh) compagnion "Omar ibn el Khattab" used to keep mentioning that he committed a great deal of bad things in Jahelia being sure that all this bad stuff is being converted to good deeds. So ,dear brother , make the utmost use of the time -whether long or short- that Almighty Allah has granted you.The rest of your life and your (a5era) isn't destroyed yet ,so NEVER give Iblees the opportunity to do this by having those wrongful thoughts of killing yourself.


Almighty Allah will help and support you and HE is capable of keeping any disgrace from your family insha'a Allah.Imagine the sadness and grief they will suffer if you committ this horrible deed.Have faith and hope ,dear brother.


One more issue was mostly highlighted in your e-mail that I found extremely positive, namely your sincere concern-inspite of your serious problem- to be of benefit to others and to pass to them your experience with all its meanings.This attitude reflects a soul that genuinely cares for others. This is something that Almighty Allah loves in his worshippers.


Dear brother,


I would be delighted if you keep in touch with me .I would appreciate if you send me your phone number in your coming e-mail ,so that I can get in personal touch with you.


I pray Almighty Allah to grant you the wisdom to do the right choices,the will to carry them out and the insight to see the mercy in your situation. May Almighty Allah postpone the onset of your illness as much as possible and grant you the courage and patience to overcome it.


Waiting to hear from you again .May Almighty Allah bless us all.


Your brother


Amr Khaled

In this area of study, a book called "The Prophecies of the Holy Qur'an," written by Q.I. Hingora, suggests 22 predictions in the Koran --as generally, among Koranic scholars, there are said to be 22 predictive prophecies in the Koran. (Note: A chapter in the Koran is called a "Sura"). Those 22 predictions are cited as being found in: Sura 2:23-24; 3:10,106,107,144; 5:70; 8:7; 9:14; 15:9,96; 24:55; 28:85; 30:2-4; 41:42; 48:16-21, 27, 28; 54:44-48; 56:1-56; and Sura 110:1-2.


--So, let's look at the first of those 22 predictions:


Sura (chapter) 2:23-24 states: "And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true. But if ye cannot -and of a surety ye cannot- then fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones, -which is prepared for those who reject Faith." ---Just like this passage from Sura 2 of the Koran, the Bible also has a good number of verses which are predictive in a similar way, such as the passage in Matthew 13:41-42 in which Jesus says, "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."


Now, both of the above passages (from Sura 2 and Matthew 13) are predictive, however, neither of them can be used today to determine whether either the Bible or the Koran are authored by God, because the fulfillment would occur at the time of the great judgment at the end of world history. ----Therefore, the above Quranic passage (as well as the Bible passage in Matthew) does not qualify as fulfilled predictive prophecy which would indicate that the Quran is truly inspired words from God, because it is a declaration of what Allah will ultimately do to people after they die, or after the end of world history, and it is not now verifiable from facts of history available today.


More Suras:


Similar to the above two passages (from Sura 2 and Matthew 13), out of the 22 Koranic predictions cited above, most of them declare the final destiny of non-believers (divine judgment and punishment) and/or the destiny of Muslim believers (divine reward and blessing) at the end of world history, in eternity...


...to be specific: Of the 22 predictions cited, the Koranic predictions of divine judgment and blessing at the end of history are found at: Sura 2:88-89; Sura 3:10, 106, 107, 144; Sura 8:7; Sura 9:14; Sura 28:85; Sura 48:16-21, 28; Sura 54:44-48; and Sura 56:1-56. --These Quranic verses have not yet happened in history; therefore, they do not qualify as fulfilled predictive prophecy, and they do not (yet) verify that Mohammed is a true prophet, nor that the Koran is truly from God.


--In the same manner, there are similar predictions from the Bible (concerning not-yet-fulfilled judgment and blessing) which also do not yet qualify as historically fulfilled predictive prophecy. Some of these not-yet-fulfilled prophecies are found at: Psa. 9:7-8; 9:9-10; 96:13; Ezek. 38:1-39; Zech. 14:1-21; Matt. 12:36-37; 13:43; 24:14,31; 25:41-16; Jn. 3:36; 5:28-29; 6:39-40; Rom. 2:5-8, 16; 8:18-25; 2Cor. 5:10; 1Thes. 4:14-17; 2Thes. 1:9-10; 2:8; Heb. 10:27; 11:13-16; Rev. 14:9-11; 20:10-15 and Rev. 21:1-22:5. ---These prophecies do not (yet) verify that these writers of the Bible are true, nor that the Bible is truly from God.


The problem is this: None of these sorts of passages from the Koran or the Bible are any more adequate than the passages cited from Matthew 13 and Sura 2, because they are not yet fulfilled. Even if they supposedly will be true, the fulfillment is future to us today, and therefore, they do not (yet) verify the divine origin of the book they are in --either the Bible or the Koran. Such verses (from both the Bible and the Koran) are inadequate for the purpose of proving authorship by God. They do not (yet) demonstrate the working of divine power to predict events ahead of time, so as to indicate a divine origin for the book they are in. In light of such passages we cannot assume that either Allah or YHWH may have the power to do any such thing as judge, punish or reward people, unless there is demonstrable evidence of divine power to prophetically predict the deeds of specific people in specific places during a specified time-frame (like the Bible prophecy of Jeremiah given above).


More Instances


Some people have said that predictive prophecy is found in Sura 5:70, which states: "We took the covenant of the Children of Israel and sent them apostles, every time, there came to them an apostle with what they themselves desired not - some (of these) they called impostors, and some they (go so far as to) slay." --- The problem here is: there is not even a future-tense verb in this sentence. It must be considered history, however there is no prediction in it. --- This passage is very similar to Matt. 24:37, where Jesus said: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." This Bible verse is also history, without prediction in it. ---Despite the clear similarities of these two verses from the Koran and the Bible, neither one of them is predictive, and thus, neither one is useful for our purposes in trying to demonstrate the presence of the power of God to predict future events, which would be evidence that the speaker is a true prophet or that book is from God.


Sura 15:9 says, "We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption)." --So, here we find a promise to guard the message of the Koran. This verse is fairly similar to the declaration of Jesus in Mat. 24:35, when he said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." --Despite the admittedly predictive nature of both of these passages, neither one can yet be said to be truly and completely fulfilled, since we have not yet reached the final consummation of history, where God finally confirms the eternal nature of his word --therefore neither passage can yet be said to be fulfilled, nor can they yet be cited as demonstrating the power of God to predict the future.


Going on, Sura 41:42 (which makes a statement about the Quran similar to Sura 15:9) says: "No falsehood can approach it from before or behind it: It is sent down by One Full of Wisdom, Worthy of all Praise." This statement is also not fulfilled predictive prophecy of a specific future event, but rather it is a theological assertion --and many such similar assertions are found in the Bible as well. But then, if the issue in these two verses is said to be the preservation of the writing from any corruption, both Christians and Muslims have a good deal to say about the supposed corruption of each other's books ---therefore (for the purposes of this article) we must "call it equal" for now, and we must let the present form of both books (as found in a major modern version, such as the NIV or NAS Bible) speak for themselves. If either the Bible or the Koran are actually corrupted words of God, then they would manifest even less of God's power to be accurate and true, and a corrupt text would be less able (or unable) to predict the future. --So, let's proceed.


Sura 15:96 is a warning against adopting another god besides Allah. Of course, this warning stands to reason, assuming the Quran's Allah is truly God. However, the Bible has virtually the same sort of statements about YHWH-God ---and neither statements in the Koran nor the Bible are predictive prophecy which shows the power of God to predict the future, so, we must go on.


Sura 24:55 says that Allah has promised to bless (with land? and inheritance?) those who believe, and to establish the authority of their religion and give them security and peace. --This "prediction" might seem to be fulfilled in some sense, but it is quite general, since it does not clearly or specifically name the person(s) who will be blessed nor the specific land-mass they will inherit: Is it every Muslim? What is the specific name of the land? How soon will they have peace and security, and how long will it last? --It is because of these unclear and non-specific qualities of this "prediction" in Sura 24, that therefore, it does not qualify as predictive prophecy which is specific enough that we can confirm it from history. --The Bible has many such promises as well.


--Besides, if you are just talking about the amount of land and wealth controlled by nations where a certain religious persuasion predominates, then Christianity comes out on top.


Sura 48:27 is thought to be a prediction that the "Prophet" (Mohammed) would enter the "Sacred Mosque" (the Ka'aba) to worship... however this "prediction" is conditional, using the phrase "if Allah wills." That is a very big "if." --Whatever the result, it is "if" Allah wills.


Thus, it wouldn't matter whether Mohammed did or did not enter the Mosque to worship, one could say this is "prediction" is fulfilled either way, because that could be said to be what Allah willed. This makes it a failsafe prediction. It can't fail. It can't be proven false either way.


Therefore, Sura 48:27 is not true predictive prophecy, since it can't fail and be shown to be false.


Sura 54:44-48 may be seen as a threatened militant action by one group of people against a group of "unbelievers," which some take to be the people of Quraish. If this happened in history, however, it would not be a prophecy, but an action which humans planned to do, and then carried out. This would be a self-fulfilling prediction (or threat), and not a predictive prophecy. If we can call it predictive prophecy when militant leaders give "pep-talks" to their followers (or "threats" to their foes), then most of the US Generals, who led troops to conquer Sadam Hussein's regime in Iraq in 2003, are "prophets." But they are not. ---There are probably more such declarations in the Quran, and there are similar human statements and threats in the Bible too, but such declarations are not necessarily predictive prophecy either book, ...so, we must go on.


Similarly, Sura 110:1-2 promises help and victory from Allah. --And again, this promise may be seen as being generally fulfilled in many lives, but it is too general because it does not name specific people or nations or time-frames; and the Bible also has many such promises which could be cited... but neither in the Koran nor in the Bible do such promises qualify as specifically predictive prophecy to demonstrate that they are truly from God

Bismillah:

Quote:Women in Islam Versus Women in the Judaeo-Christian Tradition
The Myth and The Reality


By: Sherif Abdel Azim, Ph.D.- Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada


PART 15 - THE VEIL ?


Finally, let us shed some light on what is considered in the West as the greatest symbol of women's oppression and servitude, the veil or the head cover. Is it true that there is no such thing as the veil in the Judaeo-Christian tradition? Let us set the record straight. According to Rabbi Dr. Menachem M. Brayer (Professor of Biblical Literature at Yeshiva University) in his book, The Jewish woman in Rabbinic literature, it was the custom of Jewish women to go out in public with a head covering which, sometimes, even covered the whole face leaving one eye free. 76 He quotes some famous ancient Rabbis saying, "It is not like the daughters of Israel to walk out with heads uncovered"
and "Cursed be the man who lets the hair of his wife be seen....a woman who exposes her hair for self-adornment brings poverty."
Rabbinic law forbids the recitation of blessings or prayers in the presence of a bareheaded married woman since uncovering the woman's hair is considered <b>"nudity". </b>
77 Dr. Brayer also mentions that "During the Tannaitic period the Jewish woman's failure to cover her head was considered an affront to her modesty. When her head was uncovered she might be fined four hundred zuzim for this offense." Dr. Brayer also explains that veil of the Jewish woman was not always considered a sign of modesty. Sometimes, the veil symbolized a state of distinction and luxury rather than modesty. The veil personified the dignity and superiority of noble women. It also represented a woman's inaccessibility as a sanctified possession of her husband. 78

Bismillah


as salam alykom


For those who are looking to find the truth, just follow up on this thread. Insh a Allah, I will dedicate the thread to compile testimonies of Non Muslims, not those who reverted.


http://www.cyberistan.org/islamic/Introl1.html#sarton2

Praise be to Allah, Owner of the kingdom, Creator of the Skies and Earth and what is within, prayer and peace be upon His Messenger Mohamed Ibn Abdullah, his household and companions, prayer and peace be on all the Prophets and Messengers.


I seek Allah’s close guidance to convey what I feel about the coming Ayah:


“<b>Verily, you (O Muhammad) will die and verily, they (too) will die.” (Quran 39:30)</b>



When you recite the above noble Ayah, and ponder about the situation that followed the death of the Messenger salla Allah a`lyhee wa sallam. Actually, if you contemplate on the last sermon he delivered during Haj, when he recited “This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (Quran 5:3),


only Abu Bakr realized the implication and cried. He realized that it is only a matter of time before the Messenger salla Allah a`lyhee wa sallam departs this world to the Hereafter. Again he cried when the Messenger, during his final illness after returning from the farewell Haj, was hardly able to go out for prayer, he suffered serious fever that he asked them to pour 7 buckets of water over him to be able to go out and pray. Then he gave them a number of advices including the importance to maintain salah. Then he told the gathering that there was a devotee of Allah Whom Allah Gave the choice between Dunia and the Hereafter and what Allah Has, and he chose what Allah Has. Again only Abu Bakr realized the implication that he was referring to himself, usually the companions used to maintain full silence when the Messenger salla Allah a`lyhee wa sallam spoke, but Abu Bakr couldn’t control himself and said we sacrifice ourselves for you O Messenger of Allah. They were surprised that he interrupted him.


But let us move and see how he behaved when the death occurred.


Aesha said: that he was leaning over her chest when she saw that his hand fell off and his head became heavy on her chest. She said I realized he passed away. She continued: I didn’t know what to do. I went outside the room to the Masjed where the companions were present and announced that the Messenger of Allah died three times. The whole gathering broke into tears, Ali Ibn Abi Taleb was standing up and fell seated due to the grave news, and Othman Ibn A`ffan became like a child waving his hands to the right and left. As for Omar, he draw out his sword and said: Messenger of Allah shall not die till Allah Eliminates the hypocrites, he kept warning one who says that he died to chop his head. When people were uncertain about the death of the Messenger, they went to Abu Bakr’s house to call him in. He came and uncovered his face, kissed him and made dua for him. Then he went out for people, he commanded Omar to sit down, he didn’t. He only stopped and sat down when Abu Bakr started talking saying after praising Allah, O people one who worshiped Mohamed, Mohamed is dead, and one who worshiped Allah, Allah Is Living Eternally and Does not dies, Allah Say: “Verily, you (O Muhammad) will die and verily, they (too) will die”


“Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? And he who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah, and Allah will give reward to those who are grateful.” (Quran 3:144)


People broke into crying. Omar said: Wallahi only when I heart Abu Bakr reciting it that I realized that this is the truth. I felt that my feet are unable to hold me up and fell to the floor. I realized that the Messenger of Allah died.


Just ponder on the situation and see how Abu Bakr, who was known of his very soft heart compared with Omar who was known of his strong heart and firm positions. At this grave serious situation, Abu Bakr Sobhan Allah was the only one who handled it as firmly and wisely as possible reminding the gathering with the Ayah for them to accept the calamity befell them. No wonder, Allah Inspired Omar may Allah Be pleased with all of them (this is my own viewpoint when looking deeply into this situation) to call the people and encourage them to accept Abu Bakr as Khalifah. Wallahu a`lam.

State Funded Muslim Schools


British schooling has been mis-educating and de-educating Muslim children for the last 50 years and for the first time the Muslim leadership openly declared that British school is a home of institutional racism where there is no place for foreign culture and languages. Institutional racism is depriving Muslim children of the chance to go to their own faith schools. It leads LEAs to reject or delay approval of Muslim schools. Policy makers like Mr. Graham Lane and others like him do not want to see even a single Muslim school in the United Kingdom. The British teachers have no respect for Islamic faith and Muslim community. Western education system can easily deprogram Muslim children and force them to adopt un-Islamic values. Let the Muslim parents decides how and where to educate their children. According to MORI social research institute on behalf of Bristol LEA, nine out of ten Muslim parents agreed with the model of an Islamic secondary school set up within the state system. I rejected British schooling for Muslim children in the early 70s.


A child who has English as a second language is seen as having a special need – not as having a skill to be lauded from the rooftops. Bilingual children think in different way. Language has a profound effect in shaping the ways people think and act. Certain concepts are embedded in words that do not translate. There are repertoires of phrases which exist in Arabic or Urdu because there is no English equivalent. State schools are slaughter houses and are not suitable for bilingual Muslim children. Muslim children in the UK may lose out when they join reception classes because the school’s values and language reflect those of the dominant native culture, rather than those of their home. Almost all recent research literature agrees that if you want children whose home language is not English to excel in English –medium schools, it is important to nurture and acknowledge that first language along side their English development. Cultivating bilingualism could and should promote pupil’s linguistic development. Muslim children need bilingual Muslim teachers as role models.


Taxpayers’ money spent on schools should be handed to parents as vouchers to be used for their children’s education as they wished. Funds may be given to parents to set up their own schools. Lady Uddin argues strongly for the benefits of faith-based schooling, rejecting claims made in reports on the 2001 riots in Oldham, Burnley and Bradford that polarised schooling contributed to community division. Culturally separate groups, communities and institutions do not have to be the causes of social instability. There are hundreds of state schools where Muslim pupils are in majority, all such schools may be designated as Muslim community schools to be managed and controlled by Muslim Educational Trust and Charities.


Iftikhar Ahmad


www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk