Are avatars not allowed here? If not, how come?

Hi, just thought I would introduce myself. I am from Trinidad. The population is about 25% islamic. I am looking for mature people to contribute to some topics at hand. Thanks for having me here. All the best.

Hi, I run a forum that is international based. Two of the boards cover issues that encompass areas covered here. If possible I would like to have a couple of mature users that can sensibly contribute to these boards in particular:


We get a lot of US citizens sharing their view on the War on Iraq, etc, but would like the other side too. We moderate it heavily and it is a clean site, no vulgarity. There is also an Islamic theme you can choose upon registration if that makes you feel comfortable. Thank you much.

The Quran is the writings of Muhammad's apparent visions over 22 years.

What makes you so sure that Muhammad truly was a prophet and was spoken to in the manner he said?

Please, take no offense, simply I mean that other relgions (Judiasm and Christianity for instance) base their holy books upon the writings of many people experiencing the visions and being spoken to by god. In the realm of validation many people is greater than trusting the word of just one single man.

Assalaamu Alaikum Waraamatullah Wabarakatuh

Taqabalallaahu Minnaa Waminkum Saalihul 'Amaal. (May Allah accept our good deeds)

The Prophet (saw) said, “Whoever believes in Allah and His Messenger (saw), offers prayer perfectly and fasts the month of Ramadhan, will rightfully be granted Al-Jannah by Allah, no matter whether he fights in Allah’s cause or remains in the land where he is born.” The people said, “O Messenger (saw) of Allah! Shall we acquaint the people with this good news?” He said, “Al-Jannah has one-hundred grades which Allah has reserved for the mujaahideen who fight in His cause, and the distance between each of two grades is like the distance between the Heaven and the earth. So, when you ask Allah (for something), ask for Al-Firdaus which is the best and highest part of Al-Jannah.” (i.e., The sub-narrator added, “I think the Prophet (saw) also said, ‘Above it (i.e. Al-Firdaus) is the Throne of The Most Beneficent (i.e. Allah), and from it originate the rivers of Al-Jannah.”)

[Al-Bukhaari]

God Increases His Blessings on Those Who Are Grateful*

16/10/2003 By Harun Yahya

www.islamonline.net/English/introducingislam/Worship/Heart/images/pic04.jpg

Every person is in need of God at every instant of life. From the air one breathes to the food he eats, from the ability to use one’s hands to the faculty of speech, from being sheltered to being in a joyful spirit, one lives completely in need of what God creates and grants him. Still, a vast majority of people do not perceive their weaknesses and that they are in need of God. They suppose that things develop spontaneously or that they acquire everything by their own efforts. This is an important error, as well as a serious ingratitude towards God. Ironically, people who render their thanks to a person for even an insignificant gift, spend all their lives ignoring the countless blessings that God gives them all through their lives. However, so great are the blessings granted to a person that one could never count them. God relates this fact in a verse as follows:

(If you tried to number God’s blessings, you could never count them. God is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful) (Surat An-Nahl 16:18)**

Despite this fact, most people fail to give thanks for any of the blessings they have. The reason for this is related in the Qur’an: Satan, who pledged to misguide people from God’s way, said that his ultimate aim is to make people be ungrateful to God. Satan’s defiant statements to God emphasize the importance of giving thanks to God:

(’Then I will come at them, from in front of them behind them, from their right and from their left. You will not find most of them thankful.’ He (God) said, ‘Get out of it, reviled and driven out. As for those of them (mankind) who follow you, I, will fill up Hell with every one of you.’) (Surat Al-A`raf 7:17-18)

People who give thanks have the insight and capability to perceive the beauties and blessings that God creates

Believers, on the other hand, aware of their weaknesses and in humility before God, render their thanks to Him for every blessing granted. Wealth and possessions are not the only blessings for which believers render their thanks to God. Knowing that God is the Owner and Possessor of everything, believers express their inner gratefulness for good health, beauty, knowledge, wisdom, love of faith and hatred from disbelief, understanding, insight, foresight and for power. They are thankful for being rightly guided and for being in the company of believers. A beautiful landscape, easy handling of their affairs, fulfillment of their wishes, tidings of great joy, respectful conduct or any other blessings make believers immediately turn to God, express their gratefulness to Him and reflect on His mercy and compassion.

In return for good morals displayed, a reward awaits believers. This is another of the secrets revealed in the Qur’an; God increases His blessings on those who are grateful. For example, God grants even more health and power to those who render their thanks to God for the good health and strength they have. God bestows even more knowledge and property to those who are grateful for their knowledge or wealth. This is because they are sincere people who are contented with what God gives and are pleased with the blessings and who take God as their friend. God relates this secret in the Qur’an as follows:

(And when your Lord announced: “If you are grateful, I will certainly give you increase, but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is severe.”) (Surat Ibrahim 14:7)

A disbelieving or ungrateful person will only see the imperfections and faults even in the most beautiful environment

Being grateful is also a sign of one’s closeness to and love of God. People who give thanks have the insight and capability to perceive the beauties and blessings that God creates. God’s Messenger, peace be upon him, also referred to this when he said:

When God gives you property, the bliss of God’s blessing and offering must be reflected on you.

On the other hand, a disbelieving or ungrateful person will only see the imperfections and faults even in the most beautiful environment, and thus will be unhappy and discontented. Indeed, as a divine purpose in God’s creation, such people always come across with seemingly unfavorable events and unpleasant scenes. On the other hand, God displays more of His bounties and blessings to those who have a sincere and insightful outlook.

That God increases His blessings to those who are grateful is one of the secrets of the Qur’an. However, one needs to keep in mind that sincerity is a prerequisite for being grateful. No doubt, one’s way of showing his gratitude without turning sincerely to God and feeling the inner peace of God’s infinite mercy and compassion, which is solely intended to impress people, would be sheer insincerity. God knows what hearts harbor, and will bear witness to this insincerity. Those who have insincere inner intentions may conceal it from other people, but not from God. Such people may render their thanks with affected manners when there is no affliction, but at times of hardship, it is possible that they may readily lapse into ungratefulness.

It should be also noted that true believers remain grateful to God even under harshest conditions. Someone looking from outside may see the diminishing of some blessings believers enjoy. However, believers, who are able to perceive the good aspect of every event and situation, see goodness in this too. For example, God states that He will test people with fear, hunger and loss of wealth or life. In such a situation, believers rejoice and feel grateful, hoping that God will reward them with the gifts of paradise in return for the steadfastness they displayed in this test. They know that God does not impose on anyone more than he can bear. The steadfastness and submission of such awareness lead them to patience and gratitude. Therefore, it is an obvious attribute of believers to show unwavering dedication and submission and God promises to expand His blessings on His grateful servants both in the life of this world and in the hereafter.

* Taken with permission from www.harunyahya.com

** The translation of the Qur’an used in this article is The Noble Qur'an: A New Rendering of Its Meaning in English by Hajj Abdalhaqq and Aisha Bewley, published by Bookwork, Norwich, UK. 1420 CE/1999 AH

Bismillah

One Who Misses The Prayer & Benefits Of The Prayer

Shaykh Husayn al-Awaaishah

The Prayer - Its Effect in Increasing Eemaan and Purifying the Soul

© al-Hidaayah

From Nawfal ibn Mu`aawiyah, radhiallahu `anhu, that the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "Whoever missed the Prayer, then it is as if he had lost his family and his wealth." [Reported by Ibn Hibban in his Saheeh and it occurs in Saheehut-Targheeb (no. 576).]

How would you feel, O Muslim brother, if you were to lose your precious son? How would you feel if you lost your wife? What pain would you feel if you lost your family? What would your grief be like if you lost both your family and your wealth? Indeed it would be an agonising blow and terrible grief that a person should lose his family and wealth. Losing his family with whom he lived with and experienced such joy. The spacious earth would seem constricted for one who lost his family. He would experience distress, grief and agony. Then how about one who in addition lost his wealth? Fresh and sweet wealth which Allaah made a support for us, how would you feel if that occurred also? Then know that one who misses the Prayer has indeed suffered a huge loss.

[End of the chapter]

Summarized notes from the chapter on "The excellence of the prayer and its wiping away of sins and evil deeds":

Allah wipes away sins through the five daily Prayers.

Prayer is an expiation of what is committed between them, as long as major sins are avoided.

Sins destroy a person and ignite a fire for him which he must extinguish with Prayers.

The Muslim may reach the station of the sincere, the truthful and the martyrs through Prayer, Zakat and Fasting.

Prayer's excellence over other actions.

Allah the Most High blessed the Companion by entering him into Paradise before his brother, the martyr, and that was because he performed more prayers than him.

Prayer is a light which will make the way clear for the servant in this life and the Hereafter.

The way to achieve companionship of the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, in Paradise is to increase in performance of prostration and Prayer.

Performance of two rak`ahs would be more beloved to a deceased person than the world and all that it contains.

Turning with one's heart to Allah in the Prayer fully and sincerely causes the Muslim to be as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him [i.e. free from sin].

Allah Is Truly The Most Merciful!

As salam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu

The Healing Power of Prayer Beads

By Karima Burns, MH, ND

11/04/2002

www.islamonline.net/English/Science/2002/04/images/pic07.jpg

Yahya related to me from Malik that Ziyad ibn Abi Ziyad said that Abu'd-Darda had said, "Shall I not tell you the best of your deeds, and those that give you the highest rank, and those that are the purest with your King, and are better for you than giving gold and silver, and better for you than meeting your enemy and striking their necks?" They said, "Of course." He said, "Remembrance (dhikr) of Allah ta ala (Hadith Bukhari Book 15:7.24)."

Towards this goal many Muslims carry a sibhah, or prayer beads. Traditionally, prayer beads are used to keep track of how many times one has recited Subhan Allah, Alhamdulliah and Allahu Akbar. The most popular way is to use them after the obligatory prayer to recite the dhikr [remembrance of] Allah:

Narrated Abu Ma'bad: (the freed slave of Ibn 'Abbas) Ibn 'Abbas told me, "In the lifetime of the Prophet it was the custom to celebrate Allah's praises aloud after the compulsory congregational prayers." Ibn 'Abbas further said, "When I heard the Dhikr, I would learn that the compulsory congregational prayer had ended (Bukhari Vol.1: Book 12: 802)."

However, although the dhikr Allah has been recited from the time of the Prophet, the sibhah as we now know it today has not been recorded as being in existence at that time. Some accounts of history show that Muslims adopted the sibhah from India in the 2nd Islamic century and through them, in 1214, that the Christians adopted the idea and started using the rosary (Gulik).

However, methods of assistance have always been employed in religious devotion even before the sibhah. Tradition states that before the sibhah, stones were sometimes used to recite. Other religions used knotted cords or woven shawls to keep track of recitations.

Modern technology, however, has added a new dimension to prayer beads when electronic sibhah were invented. Many people even prefer not to use a sibhah at all.

http://www.islamonline.net/English/Science...mages/pic07.jpg[/img] [img]www.islamonline.net/English/Science/2002/04/images/pic07.jpg[/img]

Asalam~O~Alykum

I wanted to share this pic with everyone b/c its really beautiful. I so want 2 go there. I thinks this is the best pic i had ever seen in my life. Don't u agree!!!!!!!

Salam~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Masriahmuslimah

Salam

Ramadan Mubarak to everyone. I bet everyone is looking forward to thier first fast tomarow. Tonite everyone will be reading thier first taraweeh namaz aswell.

Alhamdulillah this month will bring many blessings to all of us. Inshallah Allah will forgive us for our sins and help our Duas to come true.

I will remember everyone in my duas and pray for all the Muslims in the world and pray that Allah helps others to come to Islam aswell.