Dear Muslims,

Last week I came to this forum for the express intent of learning about Islam. Right now I'm happy as a Catholic and I don't feel as if I will convert - but I still wish to understand your religion, learn about the Qur'an, and know who the Prophet Muhammed was.

As I have perused the various topics here I have come across posts by fellow Christians that have left me feeling ashamed. I want to apologize for some of these posts and ask you all to please not judge all Christians through this narrow lens.

Though I believe my faith is of God I must deal with and accept the fact that Christianity has been shattered into tens of thousands of bickering denominations, each with it's own interpretation of key passages in scripture, each with its own idea of "truth", and most pointing fingers at every other denomination saying, "You are wrong and going to hell - and we are right!!!!"

Even the so-called "nondenominationals" are a denomination. If they or anyone trace their teachings and interpretations it will eventually be found that they adhere to the teachings of [i:da3e41f4a7]some[/i:da3e41f4a7] denomination that they had split away from at some point in history.

To understand some of the conflicting issues it's best to realize that almost all Christians today follow the teachings and traditions of Martin Luther - weather they want to admit it or not. Martin Luther removed 7 books from the Bible in order to promote his teachings (so they have a changed Bible) and he added things to the Bible in order to force God's Word to say what he wanted it to say.

(For example He added "only by faith" to Romans 3:28 in order to prove his teaching that we are saved by faith alone. "We hold that the human will be justified without the works of the law but only by faith.")

These same people will assert the opposite: that the Catholic Church added books to the Bible. But history proves this to be false.

Almost all Christians adhere to non-biblical teachings even as they thump their Bibles and say, "Tell me where X is found in the Bible!" This can cause a lot of confusion for new Christians and non-Christians. Here are a few:

Where does the Bible teach about how to have a wedding? A funeral?

Where are "sinner's prayers" and "alter calls" found in the Bible?

They teach that everything must be found in the Bible and that the Bible is the sole rule of authority - even though the Bible doesn't teach this anywhere.

They ignore the direct command of scripture to "stand firm and hold fast to the traditions..." (2Thess. 2:15) claiming that tradition is "unbiblical".

They teach that we are saved by faith [/i]alone even though the Bible says otherwise: "See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone: (James 2:24)

So when people come onto this forum and promote that they have the truth and the proper interpretation of what the Bible means, take everything with a grain of salt. The church down the street from theirs is teaching an entirely different thing. It's sad but true: christianity can be terribly confusing. There are so many different interpretations of our Bible. Key verses are twisted to suit each "denomination's" personal ideas but no one will admit to this. The only reason I noticed is because I was an non-Christian outsider attempting to learn about Christianity and I was not raised to think in one set way. I was "outside the box".

You are often being presented with the dogmas of one narrow slice from a huge pie. Please don't think of all Christians believing in these same things that are taught/promoted here.

I apologize for the attacks against Islam.

-Michelle

http://www.atrueword.com/index.php/article...cleview/60/1/1/

Has God given mankind a clear path to Him? In essence, every rational reader would like to know if they can trust the authenticity of the Final Book. It is perfectly natural to feel that way; after all, this is the outcome of our God-given gift of reason. However, our own skeptical minds are the keys here: the Final Book, according to God, is addressed to people who think, pure and simple,

[b:cbf3201355]"...In this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who think." [39:42]

"Thus clearly do We spell out these messages unto people who use their reason." [30:28][/b:cbf3201355]

No one but God can make a human being believe in the Truth of the Final Book, but that human being has to read it with an open mind, applying his or her powers of reason. The price of limited free will is that we must choose to be guided. Those people who do search for the Truth with an open mind and heart may find that the Final Book, while vast, is surprisingly clear,

[b:cbf3201355]"Nay, but this [divine writ] consists of messages self-evident in the breasts of those who have been given knowledge - and none could knowingly reject Our messages unless it be such as would do wrong [to themselves]." [29:49] [/b:cbf3201355]

[b:cbf3201355]"This divine writ - let there be no doubt about it - is a guidance for all the God-conscious..." [2:2] [/b:cbf3201355]

The guidance of the Final Book is available to anyone who goes in search of it,

[b:cbf3201355]"[O men!] We have now bestowed upon you from on high a divine writ containing all that you ought to bear in mind: will you not, then, use your reason?" [21:10][/b:cbf3201355]

One of the most interesting aspects of the authenticity of the Final Book is the quantity of scientifically accurate statements in it - on subjects not even dreamed of 1300 years ago. A sample of these includes the following:

A large explosion marking the start of creation (Big Bang) [21:30]

The initial smokey (nebulous) nature of the skies [41:11]

The expansion of the universe [51:41]

The presence of a huge amount of time before mankind appeared [76:1]

The existence of sun and moon orbits [21;33]

The finite sun and moon lifetimes [13:2]

The final destination of the sun (Solar Apex) [36:38]

The origin of all life based in water [21:30]

In fact, God states that the amazing beauty and intricacy of the natural world around us, as well as our own complex biological makeup, will ultimately lead us to Him as we grow in understanding,

[b:cbf3201355]"In time, We shall make them fully understand Our messages [through what they perceive] in the utmost horizons [of the universe] and within themselves, so that it will become clear unto them this [revelation] is indeed the truth. Is it not enough that thy Sustainer is witness unto everything?" [41:53][/b:cbf3201355]

Source = BBC

[img:2f343316d3]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39...otests.jpg[/img:2f343316d3]

Disturbances have taken place in Tehran, as protesters marked the anniversary of a raid on a student dormitory.

Thousands of motorists, many with their families, converged on the city centre near Tehran University after nightfall, sounding their horns and forming huge traffic jams.

The whole area was swamped by security forces, including riot police, regular police, plainclothes men and hundreds of hardline vigilantes on motorbikes, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Tehran.

The Iranian authorities had taken stringent measures to try to head off trouble on the anniversary following 10 days of late-night protests against the Islamic regime last month.

Wednesday's protest marked the fourth anniversary of a raid on a student dormitory in 1999 by police and right-wing vigilantes, which triggered several days of violent street riots.

On Tuesday, there were occasional clashes and other incidents and a number of people were arrested, but there seemed to be no focal point for the trouble and no real crowd as such since most people were in their cars, our correspondent says.

There were reports that tear gas was fired to disperse protesters.

One report said official security forces clashed with right-wing vigilantes and tried to keep them away from the demonstrators.

Safety measures

The authorities had jammed the transmissions of American-based TV and radio stations run by Iranian anti-regime exiles, who had in the past directed people to protest sites.

The authorities also apparently disabled the mobile phone system in the immediate area of the demonstration, and closed down the university's campus earlier.

In the disturbances last month, vigilantes attacked protesters with clubs, chains and knives, causing many injuries and provoking bitter protests from student leaders and some reformist politicians.

Neither the student groups nor the reformist movement are supported theses protests, despite their own great unhappiness with the current situation in which a hardline minority has been blocking the changes for which many millions of Iranians voted, our correspondent says.

Many student leaders were also detained in advance of the anniversary.

Three of them were marched off with pistols to their heads by bearded gunmen after giving a news conference on Wednesday morning.

Source = BBC

[img:d35cf12849]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39...6666ap.jpg[/img:d35cf12849]

"Things have improved here but there are so many things I want to do and I just can't stop thinking about them," says 20-year-old Parisa - not her real name.

Born after the 1979 Islamic Revolution she is part of the baby boom generation encouraged by high rates of population growth at the time of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

Parisa has just finished doing her university entrance exams. She has a one in five chance of admission.

An estimated 70% of Iran's population is under 30 years of age.

Opportunities for the young are thin on the ground with unemployment as high as 28% for those under 30.

For us life now is like heaven, but the young think it's hell

Nassim, 34-year-old Iranian

"Absolutely all of my friends would like to go abroad," says Parisa.

She sports the latest Tehran fashion - bleached blonde long hair sticking out of her see-through headscarf, and tight drainpipe jeans with the skimpiest of short overcoats that does little to hide her figure.

"At the parties I go to I see girls wearing very open clothes - short skirts and low-cut evening tops," Parisa says.

Boredom

She adds that her greatest wish is to be able to go to a party and not have to worry if she is going to end up in jail as a result, or to have a meal in a restaurant and not have to bother about her headscarf slipping off.

It is sheer boredom that seems to be the greatest problem.

Young voters played a key role in bringing Khatami to power

"There's nothing for us to do here," she explains.

"The most we can do is go from one coffee shop to another... there are sports clubs but they're all indoors. They're hot and not nice and anyway they're expensive to join."

But the generation that experienced the pre-reform era believes young Iranians simply do not know how lucky they are.

"It was an awful and closed society," says Surreya, explaining that the first years of the revolution saw debate as to whether women could even work.

Surreya is a gym instructor and says inspectors used to come and check what music they were playing.

"If we used this kind of rock and pop they didn't like it - they suggested we use monotone music without lyrics. But nowadays I don't see them around... we are free to do whatever we want," she says.

Reformists' dilemma

Women in their 30s describe going to weddings shrouded from head to toe and without any make-up or nail polish for fear of being stopped at a checkpoint and scrutinised.

"When you compare the young people now with us they have all this freedom and they're so ungrateful and don't appreciate what they've got," says 34-year-old Nassim.

Frustrated students have taken to the streets

"For us life now is like heaven, but the young think it's hell and they constantly moan and groan about everything," she says, pointing out that in the early years of the revolution there was no music at all but now there are Iranian rock bands who give concerts.

The dilemma for the reformists is whether giving concessions to young people allows them more room for expression and thus protects the Islamic system of government - or whether it just whets their appetites for more freedoms that may ultimately undermine the system.

"The older generation is not able to communicate properly with the young," says journalist Minda Badiyi, who specialises in youth issues and teaches communications at university level.

"Today's young people want freedoms in line with what the young have everywhere else in the world. Because they are denied that we are a society in crisis," she says.

'Calm and patient'

Mrs Badiyi says the recent student unrest was a manifestation of this sense of discontent that officials have failed to address.

In particular she says two decades after the revolution the state has failed to convince young girls of the need to wear headscarves and modest dress.

Older women say the young do not know how lucky they are

"The government says we are an Islamic state and everyone must cover up, but the resistance of young girls is a big problem for them," she says.

She argues that women should choose Islamic dress voluntarily based on their belief and not as a dictate from above.

"We must try to balance the capacity for change and the demands of the younger generation," says reformist MP Dr Elaheh Koolaee.

"It's very, very difficult, I know, but we must try," she says explaining the need for "dialogue with the younger generation to convince them to be calm, to be patient".

I've been gone for some time now, for many months I argued with Muslims from this board and other boards, I even argued with Satanists, both were defeated, I have always said it's easy hammering people in arguements but it's hard to know when to stop, so I stopped.

There were many topics I created on this board, it became clear that the Muslim majority here were quite frustrated by my approach even though it was crystal clear. One only has to look at the "Qur'an on Trial" to see how clear my arguements were, really the fact is that Muslims here couldn't swallow the truth that was presented.

Now I'm back, maybe even a bit nicer this time.

The mood is about to change.........

[b:3a629c895c]{posting of the cross is not allowed in an Islamic forum} Abu Noran[/b:3a629c895c][/color:3a629c895c]

Milk and Dairy Kills!,

:x :x :x

This column has explained for a long time that milk and dairy products are the number one allergenic food in the world. All adults of all races are allergic to milk and dairy because of the LACTOSE (milk sugar) content. Children lose the ability to produce the enzyme lactase at about the age of three years old. Only humans drink milk after weaning and we choose cow milk, which is meant for calves and not people.

Lactose does not just pass harmlessly thru the body undigested but causes a lot of problems- including CANCER. That’s right; people who drink milk and eat dairy products get more cancer of most kinds especially prostate and breast cancer.

A study was done for 11 years running of over 20,000 doctors appropriately called the Physician’s Health Study. An article appeared in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (volume 74, page 549) specifically on prostate cancer and dairy consumption.

The authors concluded, “These results support the hypothesis that dairy products…are associated with a greater risk of prostate cancer.” This applies equally to breast cancer as prostate and breast cancer are almost the exact same diseases with the same causes and the same natural cures basically. At the end they said, “In conclusion, this report supports and extends previous observations that high intakes of dairy products….are associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer.” The doctors who ate little or no dairy had much less cancer than the ones who ate dairy regularly and the ones who ate lots of dairy had the highest of all rates by far.

How do you give up milk and dairy products? Very simply. The major chain groceries now all carry a variety of non-dairy milks including soy, rice, almond and oat milks. Keep trying these until you find one you like. Soon you will prefer non-dairy milk very much and will actually find cow milk somewhat distasteful. Use this for cooking, on cold cereal and the usual ways you use dairy milk. There are a variety of soy and other cheeses that really melt and taste like dairy cheese in at least eight different flavors such as American, Jack, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Feta, etc. You can find soy sour cream and other such substitutes. Unfortunately soy yogurt is expensive, full of sugar and doesn’t taste as good as dairy yogurt sorry to say.

Since prostate cancer (and all this applies to breast cancer as well) is such an epidemic in America there was another article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (volume 75, page 689). This was based on the Health Professionals Follow-up Study for over 33,000 men. This studied diet as a whole and some very interesting things were found. First of all men who ate the most calories got the most cancer. Men who ate the least calories got the least cancer. In this column we have told you the less CALORIES you eat the longer you’ll live. You can eat as much as you want if you’ll just eat whole natural foods including whole grains, lots of green and yellow vegetables, beans, salads, fruit and even some seafood in moderation. You don’t have to eat less food at all; just make better food choices and eat less calorie dense foods.

The men who ate the most protein got the most cancer.

The men who ate the least protein got the least cancer. Protein as we all know is found more in animal foods such as red meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. Whole grains and beans have all the protein you need without the fat.

This is more proof the promoters of high protein diets are all nuts. We eat twice the protein we need. Don’t eat dairy, eat less food and eat less protein and fat to live longer and better

http://www.youngagain.com/milk.html

The Islamic year has twelve months that are based on a lunar cycle. Allah says in the Qur'an:

“The number of months in the sight of Allah is twelve (in a year) - so ordained by Him the day He created the heavens and the earth....” (9:36).

“It is He Who made the sun to be a shining glory, and the moon to be a light of beauty, and measured out stages for it, that you might know the number of years and the count of time. Allah did not create this except in truth and righteousness. And He explains His signs in detail, for those who understand” (10:5).

And in his final sermon before his death, the Prophet Muhammad said, among other things,

“With Allah the months are twelve; four of them are holy; three of these are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumaada and Sha'ban.”

Islamic months begin at sunset, on the day when the lunar crescent is visually sighted. The lunar year is approximately 354 days long, so the months rotate backward through the seasons and are not fixed to the Gregorian calendar. The months of the Islamic year are:

1: Muharram {“Forbidden” - it is one of the four months during which time it is forbidden to wage war or fight}

2: Safar {“Empty” or “Yellow”}

3: Rabia Awal {“First spring”}

4: Rabia Thani {“Second spring”}

5: Jumaada Awal {“First freezing”}

6: Jumaada Thani {“Second freezing”}

7: Rajab {“To respect” - this is another holy month when fighting is prohibited}

8: Sha'ban {“To spread and distribute”}

9: Ramadan {“Parched thirst” - this is the month of Islamic daytime fasting}

10: Shawwal {“To be light and vigorous”}

11: Dhul-Qi'dah {“The month of rest” - another month when no warfare or fighting is allowed}

12: Dhul-Hijjah {“The month of Hajj” - this is the month of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, again when no warfare or fighting is allowed}

Source: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Raafi/messages

ثواب الانشغال بالله

إذا أصبح العبد و أمسى و ليس همّه إلا الله وحده تحمّل الله سبحانه حوائجه كلها ، و حمل عنه كل ما أهمّه ، و فرّغ قلبه لمحبته ، و لسانه لذكره ، و جوارحه لطاعته .

و إن أصبح و أمسى و الدنيا همّه حمّله الله همومها و غمومها و أنكادها ، و وكـّـله إلى نفسه ، فشغل قلبه عن محبته بمحبة الخلق ، و لسانه عن ذكره بذكرهم ، و جوارحه عن طاعته بخدمتهم و أشغالهم ، فهو يكدح كدح الوحش في خدمة غيره ، كالكيـر ينفخ بطنه و يعصر أضلاعه في نفع غيره . فكل من اعرض عن عبودية الله و طاعته و محبته بُـلِـي بعبودية المخلوق و محبته و خدمته . قال تعالى { وَمَن يَعْشُ عَن ذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُ شَيْطَاناً فَهُوَ لَهُ قَرِينٌ } الزخرف 36

اللهم اجعل راسل هذه الرساله من أحبابك المقربين وأحباب رسولك... اللهم آمين

قال النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم "دعوة المرء المسلم لأخيه بظهر الغيب مستجابه

عند رأسه ملك موكل كلما دعا لأخيه بخير قال الملك الموكل به آمين ولك بمثل"

ليكن دعاءكم دائماً بإخلاص من القلب وليس باللسان

Assalaamu Alaikum Waramatullah Wabarkatuh Muslimeen, Greetings of Peace to others.

First question in mind, if indeed being a Muslimah is a symbol of oppression, then why is it that many woman {especially in the West} are converting/reverting to Islam nowadays? "Why", asked many puzzled "FREEMEN" of a society where Islam is an alienated word.

What makes an inquiry mind think that a Muslimah [Muslim woman] leaves her Freedom of Life just because she reverted to Islam?

This is one grandiose misconception that None Muslims have about a Muslimah and one favorite target of the media to spread rumors that "We" are oppressed covered little creatures. It is however, convenient for them to label "us" oppressed and subservient women in order to cover up their very own mask of deceptions.

The Qur'an and the Sunnah [traditions] of our beloved Prophet Muhammad Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him has taught women how to be a woman and not a man. Since the word "RESTRICTION" is a flashy little word used to define Islam, I will give you exactly what it means from one who enjoys the word "Restrictions". Restriction in this sense means the essence of guidelines, which of course oppose to the Freedom of the West.

[b:b92a868e63]What is the so-called "FREEDOM" that the West has to offer me? Allow me to enumerate just a few...[/b:b92a868e63]

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]The West has given me the choice to wear skinless clothing and even allows me to bare it all where both men and lesbians just could not wait to get their hands on me.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]The West allows me to tease, be playful with men, and raped me with consent and file charges afterwards.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]The West offers me a position where I am compelled to compete with man in all angles of domination where my status as a woman makes me a provider rather than an individual who deserves to be cared for and treasured.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]The West allows me to take my marriage for granted. Divorce, infidelity, and promiscuity are just but a norm of the society.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]The West allows me to wake up one day and be a homosexual pervert, wife/husband swapping, and adulterous bestial drunkard person.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]The West allows me to be a liar, murderers, scoundrels, and thieves and be able to get away with it "freely".

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]The West allows women to be abused, battered, disrespected, exploited, and use my state of consciousness as part of their charitable affairs.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]The West allows me to dumped my children when they reached certain age of maturity in order for me to free myself from any further burdens and responsibilities.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]The West allows me to disrespect my parents and teaches me how to sue them however and whenever suits my purpose.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]The West teaches my children at school that "safe sex" even outside marriage is perfectly justifiable which is a deliberate act that teens pride among themselves nowadays.

These are just some of the choices on the table for me. These are the choices that I do not wish to be readily available for me. Simply because it contradicts building the kind of society that I see Islam provides, which is MORAL JUSTICE.

[b:b92a868e63]What does Islam teaches me?[/b:b92a868e63]

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]Islam teaches me not to live in a backward mode. Islam teaches me to move forward and use my given freewill in an intellectual and rational manner where it pleases my Allah [God] primarily.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]Islam teaches me how to live with dignity, act gracefully, modest and simple.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]Islam teaches me how to live healthy.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]Islam teaches me what it means to be content with the things that I have and the things I do not or cannot have.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]Islam teaches me to learn and seek knowledge that will please my Allah, the Merciful.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]Islam teaches me why it is important to respect my parents and care for them when they are no longer able for themselves.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]Islam teaches me that the bounty of this world is not my property but Allah the Most Gracious and that I should share and use these favors sparingly.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]Islam teaches me how to counter these oppressive life made by humans who acts like animals in order to make my life miserable.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]Islam teaches me to be soft and strong at the same time whenever there is a need to apply neither one.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]Islam teaches me that I am not superior to anyone except only by ways of my worship of God that excels my status from any others.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]Islam teaches me self-esteem, a badge that I am proud to wear as a Muslimah.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]Islam teaches me the definition of equality defined as role rather than competition.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]Islam allows me to take part in political and social affairs of my community.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]Islam teaches me how to be a leader and a model [not Cindy Crawford ways by any means] that would make me an example for all others to shape and reform an ill society.

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]Islam teaches me that I can be a progressive individual where my profession and talents can be an asset to the moral society. However,

[b:b92a868e63]*[/b:b92a868e63]Islam teaches me how to be a honorable mother first, where my priorities and concerns lies within my household. What this means, Islam teaches me not to be subservient to my husband rather Islam teaches me how to respect the rights of my husband and be loyal committed partner in all of our joint affairs as a family unit. Islam shows me what it is like to be treated as a queen and not a piece of object disposable at given time or that of a slave where I am strictly confined to household duties. Islam teaches me to be the teacher of my children so they can be better teachers and leaders of tomorrow.

What Islam provides both men and woman is not a matter of choices. It is a gift, an irreplaceable value in this life and in the Hereafter. The Freedom that the West has to offer me is all temporary illusions, which does not provide any security both present and future. Nevertheless, of course Freedom thinkers care only what appears to be the present and that the present is the object of "REALITY". This is not in the case of the Muslims.

My testimony of faith, why I converted to Islam maybe vaguely viewed as one who has decided to drop her wits from the reality of this world. It is of course perfectly all right for one who has not experienced the concept of renewal to say the least that I had chosen to be obtuse. Bear in mind that being a Muslimah does not come in cheap nor think that there is no inconvenience because there is. Islam challenges you to come out "Clean". Therefore, I took advantage of the "Freedom to choose" that Islam is rightfully my choice. I would think you ought to try it unless the fear of trying undermines your form of security.

In the end, do not complain for being called a "Looser".

Khadijah Potter

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[img:b92a868e63]http://www.islamicimagery.com/islamicforum/images/cdkp.jpg[/img:b92a868e63]www.islamicimagery.com

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