What is the essence of Islam

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


As salam alykom all


As recently a number of new non Muslim members joined our board and they all share the same inquiries. They are seeking to know the truth about Islam.


In this attempt, I will try to explain what is the essence of Islam in a nutshell.


Islam is to turn from worshiping people and things to worshiping Allah and only Allah. Don’t u often hear one saying OOO I cannt live without him/her, or how can I leave my home and sell it I just cannt? Or someone is saying OO my job the place I worked in for 7 years? Muslims must try to learn to do without anybody /thing except Allah. We learn to detach except from Allah.


We learn that those who pass away, are not eliminated. They only got rid of the envelop that is keeping them away from meeting with Allah (the body) but the soul is certainly still alive. We learn that this life is not but a transit stop before we depart taking the same plane but the destination is what we work for all our lives.


We learn that divorce should not be the station where people break. But it could be seen as the role of both parties ended in each other's life and it is time to move on. Or when people are moved decision taken to move from one floor or premise to another within the work, it would be taken as a reason to meet other people, play a different role in their lives and receive other's input, perform prayer in different locations which will testify for the person in the Day After, and more. We learn that we should not be attached or receive our value through people or things that are certainly may fade away any time leaving the person without a floor to stand on. Whereas Allah Is Capable to Provide us with a floor to stand on all the time through means that we cannt imagine.


Due to this last phrase, we should not worship anything (wealth, power, position, fame, ..etc) or one except Allah.


This is what Islam is all about.

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


Praise be to Allah Who Created Heavens and Earths, Who Created the universe, King of the Kings, and prayer and peace be upon our leader, teacher, and final Messenger of Allah Mohamed, his household and all Prophets and Messengers. I seek Allah’s Close guidance and assistance to Inspire me with the correct wordings.


Please note that I m not a scholar or near one, I m not but a humble Muslim who is striving to understand the Quran and Sunnah correctly.


To start with, I m not here to examine the reasons of how violence erupted from Muslims or compare between Muslims who resort to violence as first option versus other violent sources around the world. Nor I m going to examine how the surrounding environment affected Muslims’ behaviour. Because as such I will be talking about the attitude and behaviour of around 1.6 billion around the world which would certainly differ from one person to another.


But I d rather like to discuss and see whether or not Islam is a violence oriented religion. And let me make a note here to use the word violence oriented rather than adopting or fostering terrorism. The reason will be explained later Insh a Allah.


To do this, I will divide this piece into 3 points:


1. Islam is a system of life.


2. Rule of Ta`zeer.


3. Fighting /struggling in the name of Allah (Qital/jihad).


1. Islam is a system of life:


It is a system of life, a comprehensive one that includes the given regulation for any aspect as needed. I mean it regulates the interrelation with Muslims, non Muslims, parents, sisters and brothers, next of kin, neighbors, co workers, in peace and in war.


It even covers mannerism in terms of who to visit and eat with and when such as in:


“There is no restriction on the blind, nor any restriction on the lame, nor any restriction on the sick, nor on yourselves, if you eat from your houses, or the houses of your fathers, or the houses of your mothers, or the houses of your brothers, or the houses of your sisters, or the houses of your father's brothers, or the houses of your father's sisters, or the houses of your mother's brothers, or the houses of your mother's sisters, or (from that) whereof you hold keys, or (from the house) of a friend. No sin on you whether you eat together or apart. But when you enter the houses, greet one another with a greeting from Allah blessed and good. Thus Allah makes clear the Signs to you that you may understand.” (Quran 24:61)


“Made lawful to you this day are the good foods. The food (meats) of the People of the Scripture is lawful to you and yours is lawful to them” (Quran 5:5)


2. Rule of Ta`zeer:


Being a system of life that sets rules of even our mannerism, it must ensure as well the safety and security aspects either on the individual or state level.


To this effect, for the safety on the individual level, Islam sets the punishment for each and every possible crime that may be committed by mankind against each other. Note that in Islam, punishments are apparent and must be carried out in public. The whole idea is to deter others from following footsteps of the evil. Islam, being the only accepted and ordained religion from Allah, the Creator Who Created everything and everyone, deals with mankind taking in consideration that mankind carries between his/her ribs good and evil. Our task as human beings is to suppress the evil while foster and let good grow. In some cases mankind fails to do so, thus, in order to live in a stable society, we need an outsider factor that disciplines this evil and puts it to a halt in a serious manner.


According to the statements usually coming from the media, they labele any Muslim who resorts to violence as a terrorist (as far as I understand theyparticularly refer to Muslims carrying out violent operations against or in non Muslim countries). They even go farther in portraying Islam as a violence breeding religion.


In this, they base their argument on a number of Ayahs. According to them, violence is part and parcel of the Islamic teachings that no one can escape, since such Ayahs are taught at a very young age.


The Ayah is as follows are:


“The recompense of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and do mischief in the land is only that they shall be killed or crucified or their hands and their feet be cut off on the opposite sides, or be exiled from the land. That is their disgrace in this world, and a great torment is theirs in the Hereafter.” (Quran 5:33)


If you carefully look at this Ayah, it does not specify who are those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, I mean it does not specifically define them as non believers, but rather any one who wages war against Allah and His Messenger which in such case will cover a Muslim who commits this type of a crime.


The above mentioned Ayah, didn’t specify actually which type of crime will make the perpetuator eligible for this punishment. Not that Allah Forgot to Do so, or that Allah Is not specific or that Quran is inaccurate. No but rather Allah by virtue of this Ayah granted a ruler the authority in crimes which are not clearly defined in Quran to choose from among such options of punishments as mentioned in the Ayah and enforce them. For instance, rape cases will be addressed through this rule which is called in Islamic law (Shari`a) as Ta`zeer. What I want to underline here, is that only the ruler is allowed by virtue of this Ayah to carry out the punishment. In a perfect example of an Islamic state, only the ruler is allowed after a fair trial that proves the individual guilty. As soon as this is decided, the ruler carries out the punishment and not any common individual. A ruler may see how grave the rapist situation is and apply the appropriate option. Other kinds of crimes would include fraud, blackmailing, embezzlement, abuse of power and administrative corruption on the state level.

[Muslimah]

Just exactly as the state law regulates punishments of crimes and other aspects of life, such as murder, theft, financial conflicts, traffic fines and so forth. Can you say about states that apply electric chair penalty that the state succeeds in bringing up violent citizens? Can you describe the state as being a terrorist oriented one for setting serious and harsh penalties on serial killers for example?


Take an example on even a smaller scale, can you say that all staff members of a given institution strictly adhere to the internal by law and regulations? Of course not, that is why both internal by law and regulations contain varied punishments that escalate in an adequate manner according to the degree of violation.


Such penalties are there to secure a stable and safe place for all to live in.


Let me now elaborate on this issue. Islam, in some cases, either by mistake or out of emotional reaction, is introduced by Muslims as a synonym of peace specially when any violent event that is pinned on Muslims takes place.


In my effort, I prefer not to take the approach of saying others do this and thus why cann’t we do it. This does not explain but rather confirms the allegations.


When those who attack Islam and describe it as being a violence oriented religion, they miss other details that must never be ignored, such as Allah Say Commanding His Messenger:


” Invite (humankind, O Muhammad) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better.” (Quran 16:125)


“And if anyone of the polytheists seeks your protection then grant him protection, so that he may hear the Word of Allah (the Qur'an), and then escort him to where he can be secure, that is because they are men who know not.” (Quran 9:6). This Ayah in particular came after a set of other Ayahs regulating the fight against those who didn’t believe in Arabia at that time. The set of Ayahs ended with a clear command to grant those who don’t declare war against Muslims or breach their agreements with them, the right to a safe escort when they needed it.


“Invite (humankind, O Muhammad) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.” (Quran 16:125)


By the way, inviting for the way of Allah is not only restricted on non Muslims, but it primarily involves Muslims when we must remind each other in cases of failure to comply with Islamic teachings some how or the other. There is an Ayah that regulates this meaning saying:” You [true believers in Islamic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad and his Sunnah (legal ways, etc.)] are the best of peoples ever raised up for humankind; you enjoin good and forbid evil, and you believe in Allah. And had the People of the Scripture believed, it would have been better for them; among them are some who have faith, but most of them are rebellious.” (Quran 3:10).


For Muslims to fit the description given by Allah as the best people, we must enjoin good and forbid evil. But this does not mean doing so with non Muslims in a violent manner.


In cases of verbal or any other type of conflict, Allah Commands us to just ignore like in this Ayah:


“Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish (i.e. don't punish them).” (Quran 7:199). Take an in depth look at this Ayah, you will see how comprehensively it covered the best mannerism in dealing with the opponents. Why did those who criticise Islam ignore this Ayah? This is a fundamental rule in Islam. The underlined word (light blue font) in Arabic has more than one meaning, it is a command to the Messenger salla Allah a`lyhee wa sallam as well as the followers to always choose the easy way of doing things (everything commercial transactions ..etc), it also calls for forgiving others, in addition to spending extra. While the other green colored part in Arabic say command with what is established, which means call others to follow what is established in Muslim societies of principles and traditions, such as the difference between marriage and committing illegal sexual relation (zina) and last a command to turn away from foolish. The translation here is not actually accurate. The Arabic word say from the ignorant. Allah here sets the rule of not to argue with the ignorants. Ignorants are not those who have no knowledge, but rather those who have knowledge but distorted one and insist on spreading it. We are to turn away from them, not to argue or discuss with them.



This is how we are commanded to handle situations. Why do they ignore this? (



3. Fighting /struggling in the name of Allah (Qital/jihad):



As for the other violent incidents taking place in the Muslim world,



each self bombing operation has its own given circumstances and thus religious ruling. For example what is permissible in Palestine is not Halal in Egypt and so forth.



To cover this area, let us first start by why at the beginning I mentioned the use of violence instead of terrorism.



There is an Ayah in Quran that Says:



“And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war (tanks, planes, missiles, artillery, etc.) to

<b>threaten
</b> the enemy of Allah and your enemy, and others besides whom, you may not know but whom Allah does know. And whatever you shall spend in the Cause of Allah shall be repaid unto you, and you shall not be treated unjustly.” (Quran 8:60)



The underlined word in this Ayah in the Arabic text is turheboun, the word turheboun is derived from erhab which is terrorism. The Ayah says prepare every possible means to instill terror in the heart of who? The enemy, the Ayah is so clear in setting the conditions of why and against whom we should prepare ourselves (as part of the comprehensive system as mentioned before and in an effort to attain state security, why are Muslims denied this right?). I cann’t for example by virtue of this Ayah ride a tank and decide to take position on the corner of your block instilling terror in your and your neighbors’ hearts just like that. The Ayah encourages Muslims not to fall short of means of self defense including to instill terror in the other side’s heart. The factor of causing disturbance and confusion in the enemy’s lines is an important military tactic as you probably know.



Having said that, we must then move to the difference between fighting (Qital) and struggle in the cause of Allah (jihad).



Just to give an example in an effort not to really prolong the post, look at the next Ayahs:



“And fight in the Way of Allah those who fight you, but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allah likes not the transgressors * And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out. And fitnah is worse than killing. And fight not with them at the Sacred Mosque (the sanctuary at Makkah), unless they (first) fight you there. But if they attack you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.* But if they cease, then Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.* And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah) and (all and every kind of) worship is for Allah (Alone). But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against the wrong-doers” (Quran 2:190-193)



These are the Ayahs regulating the action of Qital, we should not initiate qital except when we are attacked, we should only fight those who fight us, and not to transgress, we are commanded to immediately stop if they stop. I don’t think I need to really repeat the contents. How can such teachings be interpreted into violence oriented?



Look at the coming one:



“Jihad is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it, and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know.” (Quran 2:216)



With all due respect to the translator and his effort, but the word jihad is not used in the Arabic.



The Arabic goes like this:” Kutiba `alaykumu al-Qitālu wa Huwa Kurhun lakum” so you can see that the word is Qital and not Jihad. Much difference.



Let us see how Jihad is mentioned in Quran” Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home), except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame, etc.), and those who strive hard and fight (better use struggle which is jihad) in the Cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives” (Quran 4:95)



“Those who believed (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) and emigrated and strove hard and fought (struggled) in Allah's Cause with their wealth and their lives are far higher in degree with Allah. They are the successful.” (Quran 9:20)



Note how Allah Puts first the struggle with wealth before lives. Jihad here is an act that contains many deeds including Qital. Qital is one item of Jihad. Jihad can be performed with money, self (which is either Qital in a battle field or to struggle against oneself in order to refrain from Haram and follow what is Halal in every possible situation), Jihad is how to put Allah First before oneself, is how to refrain oneself from following its desires.



Alhamdulelah Who Guided us to this and if it was not for Allah we wouldn’t have been guided. I invoke upon Allah to Accept my humble effort strictly to Allah, Forgive my shortcomings in case I failed to properly introduce a point, and Increase my knowledge ameen.

[Faith Hope Charity]

Peace be with you, Muslimah.


Thanks for directing me to this thread :)


To ensure that I completely grasp the essence of Islam, I decided to read over your posts twice. Truth be told, I almost went into cardio vascular arrest both times.


I always like to begin on a positive note so let me just quickly say that I think there are several beautiful verses in the Qur'an. Indeed the names given to Allah are some of the most beautiful names under the sun.


So after reading the Ayah's above, I sit here beside my Bible, clutching my rosary beads, staring at a Crucifix, extremely dumbfounded! Am I missing something? How can over one billion of the world's population believe that the Qur'an is the perfect, flawless, eternal, written word of Allah & I fail to? I'm happy to accept some parts of it but can't help rejecting others.


Does one ever wonder about the Satanic Verses & think to themselves, "Well if Mohammad (PBUH) can be deceived once..."


This leads me to strive for a deeper understanding of Islam through further exploration. Funnily enough, it's turning out to be psychology-oriented rather than religion-based. I'm learning about what shapes a person's way of thinking more than anything else.


Are you aware of this question put forward by an ancient Greek philosopher: (paraphrased) "Does God command something because it's good, or is something good because God commands it?" Definitely one to dwell on.


Okay sister, please take my hand & guide me on my journey through the Qur'an...


“The recompense of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and do mischief in the land is only that they shall be killed or crucified or their hands and their feet be cut off on the opposite sides, or be exiled from the land. That is their disgrace in this world, and a great torment is theirs in the Hereafter.” (Quran 5:33)



What does a war against Allah & Mohammad (PBUH) consist of? Have I waged one simply by shrugging off Quranic teachings? Where do apostates & infidels who practice their faith openly & publicly stand?


Allah by virtue of this Ayah granted a ruler the authority in crimes which are not clearly defined in Quran to choose from among such options of punishments as mentioned in the Ayah and enforce them.



Does this mean that the punishments can vary because it's solely based on the subjective view of the ruling party? For instance, a man in Egypt commits the same crime as a man in Algeria. The Islamic ruler in Egypt sees exile as a fit punishment for his guy, whereas the Islamic ruler in Algeria hands his guy the death penalty. Furthermore, a jail sentence or rehabilitation aren't options because they're not specified in the Qur'an. Is that right?


Can you say about states that apply electric chair penalty that the state succeeds in bringing up violent citizens? Can you describe the state as being a terrorist oriented one for setting serious and harsh penalties on serial killers for example?



I'm all for protecting the common good but I don't believe anyone on earth has the right to take another person's life or cause them grievous bodily harm.


For Muslims to fit the description given by Allah as the best people, we must enjoin good and forbid evil.



Hmmm.. I've always been under the impression that Allah wills both good & evil. Where exactly does evil come from according to Islam? Isn't every word, thought & action of our lives predetermined by Allah? I remember when a Muslim boxer lost a championship match, afterwards he kept repeating over & over "it was written, it was written, it was written."


“Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish (i.e. don't punish them).” (Quran 7:199). Allah here sets the rule of not to argue with the ignorants. Ignorants are not those who have no knowledge, but rather those who have knowledge but distorted one and insist on spreading it. We are to turn away from them, not to argue or discuss with them.



I'm guessing the ignorant are a different group of people from those who wage a war against Allah & His messenger (PBUH). Correct?


As for the other violent incidents taking place in the Muslim world,



each self bombing operation has its own given circumstances and thus religious ruling. For example what is permissible in Palestine is not Halal in Egypt and so forth.


Muslimah, please answer me this... are the violent attacks carried out by self-proclaimed Muslims in Western countries justifiable? Are Muslims living in Australia, USA, Britain, etc, subject to the Howard, Bush, Blair, etc, government, or are they free to set their own laws?


There is an Ayah in Quran that Says:



“And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war (tanks, planes, missiles, artillery, etc.) to threaten the enemy of Allah and your enemy, and others besides whom, you may not know but whom Allah does know. And whatever you shall spend in the Cause of Allah shall be repaid unto you, and you shall not be treated unjustly.” (Quran 8:60)


The underlined word in this Ayah in the Arabic text is turheboun, the word turheboun is derived from erhab which is terrorism. The Ayah says prepare every possible means to instill terror in the heart of who? The enemy, the Ayah is so clear in setting the conditions of why and against whom we should prepare ourselves (as part of the comprehensive system as mentioned before and in an effort to attain state security, why are Muslims denied this right?). I cann’t for example by virtue of this Ayah ride a tank and decide to take position on the corner of your block instilling terror in your and your neighbors’ hearts just like that. The Ayah encourages Muslims not to fall short of means of self defense including to instill terror in the other side’s heart. The factor of causing disturbance and confusion in the enemy’s lines is an important military tactic as you probably know.


There seems to be a recurring theme here.


According to this Ayah, who is the enemy? Why are Muslims so paranoid? They seem to have this preconceived notion that the non-Islamic world is out to destroy them & they must be on guard constantly.


Self-defence is fine! But you don't see Buddhists in Asia, Hindus in India, Christians in Italy, Atheists in America etc, call for a universal holy war each time someone in a tiny village somewhere in Antarctica makes an unkind remark about their faith.


Do you believe Osama Bin Laden is just defending himself against America? Is it okay for his mob to kill countless innocent civilians in order to send out a message? Is he considered to be a good Muslim? I know for a fact many Sunni Muslims honoured & respected Saddam Hussein (RIP). Is it simply a matter of opinion?


“And fight in the Way of Allah those who fight you, but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allah likes not the transgressors * And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out. And fitnah is worse than killing. And fight not with them at the Sacred Mosque (the sanctuary at Makkah), unless they (first) fight you there. But if they attack you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.* But if they cease, then Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.*



All of a sudden we've switched from self-defence to attack!


Here's a quote from someone I look up to with great admiration... Mahatma Gandhi (RIP)... "Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love."


And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah) and (all and every kind of) worship is for Allah (Alone). But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against the wrong-doers” (Quran 2:190-193)



Killing is better than fitnah? Don't Muslims (Sunnis) believe in double pre-destination? Why would Allah allow disbelievers in the world & then command that they cease to exist?


I don’t think I need to really repeat the contents. How can such teachings be interpreted into violence oriented?



Muslimah, you've got to be kidding me! How can they not be?


Alhamdulelah Who Guided us to this and if it was not for Allah we wouldn’t have been guided. I invoke upon Allah to Accept my humble effort strictly to Allah, Forgive my shortcomings in case I failed to properly introduce a point, and Increase my knowledge ameen.



I know you mean well, Sweetie! Your heart's in the right place.


Thanks for everything :)


May Allah bless & watch over you always.


<i>Faith Hope Charity Openness Tolerance Equality</i>

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


salam FHC


I m not less surprised than u are that u fail to understand the context. Although I fully believe u when u said u did read it twice.


To be honest, I only looked into your first paragraph. Then decided to help u thru as u requested.


Let us finish point by point rather than you getting into long posts.


Are u sure u read the post? if u asked how did i "u" waged war" it shows u didnt read, or more so, dont want actually to see the content.


May be if I copy and paste only this part, you will find it easier to understand....


<b>If you carefully look at this Ayah, it does not specify who are those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, I mean it does not specifically define them as non believers, but rather any one who wages war against Allah and His Messenger which in such case will cover a Muslim who commits this type of a crime.
</b>


The above mentioned Ayah, didn’t specify actually which type of crime will make the perpetuator eligible for this punishment. Not that Allah Forgot to Do so, or that Allah Is not specific or that Quran is inaccurate. No but rather Allah by virtue of this Ayah granted a ruler the authority in crimes which are not clearly defined in Quran to choose from among such options of punishments as mentioned in the Ayah and enforce them. For instance, rape cases will be addressed through this rule which is called in Islamic law (Shari`a) as Ta`zeer. What I want to underline here, is that only the ruler is allowed by virtue of this Ayah to carry out the punishment. In a perfect example of an Islamic state, only the ruler is allowed after a fair trial that proves the individual guilty. As soon as this is decided, the ruler carries out the punishment and not any common individual. A ruler may see how grave the rapist situation is and apply the appropriate option. Other kinds of crimes would include <b>fraud, blackmailing, embezzlement, abuse of power and administrative corruption on the state level</b>.


Read carefully, Insh aAllah you will not get any heart problems.

[Faith Hope Charity]

In the Name of God - Father Son Holy Spirit


Peace be with you, Muslimah!


I m not less surprised than u are that u fail to understand the context. Although I fully believe u when u said u did read it twice.



To be honest, I only looked into your first paragraph. Then decided to help u thru as u requested.


Let us finish point by point rather than you getting into long posts.


Sounds good! Thanks :)


Are u sure u read the post? if u asked how did i "u" waged war" it shows u didnt read, or more so, dont want actually to see the content.



Yes, I'm positive! I've read the whole thread 3 times now.


The Qur'an seems to be pretty vague. It doesn't specify crimes or punishments.


Perhaps I should rephrase & break down my question...


How do I know if I've waged a war against Allah? Who do I turn to for an analysis? I'm a practising Catholic & a law abiding Australian citizen, however, the precepts of my religion & laws in my country vary from others. According to the teachings of the Catholic Church & the Australian code of conduct, I'm not at war with God or my neighbour. Who is the earthly ruler in my life that determines the outcome of my actions? Should I contact the Grand Mufti of Australia or simply wait until Judgement Day to find out if I fought a constant battle with Allah?


I understood from the beginning that a Muslim can also wage a war... I'm guessing it's through sin. But I focused my question on non-Muslims in order to understand where I stand.


Read carefully, Insh aAllah you will not get any heart problems.



LOL! I think this thread is going to be the death of me. If you don't receive a prompt reply, please call me an ambulance.


Thanks for taking the time out to help me. I truly appreciate it.


God bless you.

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


salam FHC,


I see that u focused on the personal level rather than taking a universal approach towards the Ayah.


Fine, now as far as the comment that Quran is vague, absolutely the contrary, Dont fall off your chair, pls hold on dont get into a fit.


Matter of fact, placing this specific Ayah clearly reveals how Quran is from Allah, as far as punishments, they are clearly defined in Quran, like in cases of murder either intentional or deliberate, stealing, Zina (sexual intercourse outside the wedlock)...others. All the related punishments are defined in Quran. But because Quran is from Allah, Allah Knows ahead that mankind shall invent other forms of corruption, including as I said bribery, (of which the position in fron of Allah is explained in a Hadeeth, that one is damned). Thus, in an effort to establish a stable Muslim society, which in some cases may contain non Muslim elements, the Muslim trustworthy ruler (which unfortunately non existing in any of the so called Muslim countries) shall apply Sharia including this rule of Ta`zeer that covers those creative forms of crimes that spread corruption. For example, I d, personally, classify those who produce and spread porno stuff using innovative methods including cell phones as spreading corruption among Muslims.


Now as far as yourself, since originally u r not a Muslim neither living in a Muslim country, look at the rest of the post.


Allah Say:


And fight in the Way of Allah those who fight you, but transgress not the limits


Here is the rule, plus other Ayahs, of course i m just trying to be specific to help u understand.


Thus, why would I or any other Muslim fight u or classify u as waging war against Allah and His Messenger, so long as you are not fighting us muslims, trying to prevent us from practicing our religion,...etc.


Hope this is clear.


Insh aAllah I will not need to call u an ambulance.


Have fun dear :)

[Faith Hope Charity]

Glory to God in the highest & peace on earth & good-will to all. Amen.


Now as far as yourself, since originally u r not a Muslim neither living in a Muslim country, look at the rest of the post.



Allah Say:


And fight in the Way of Allah those who fight you, but transgress not the limits


Here is the rule, plus other Ayahs, of course i m just trying to be specific to help u understand.


Thus, why would I or any other Muslim fight u or classify u as waging war against Allah and His Messenger, so long as you are not fighting us muslims, trying to prevent us from practicing our religion,...etc.


Ya habibti, this is music to my ears!


Are you absolutely certain that your explanation is accurate because if so, I'll be quoting you from now on :D


You point out that I live in a non-Muslim country, but am I able to lead the life I'm currently living... in an Islamic state? Freely practising the faith openly & publicly?


Of course, in today's world this is an ideal not a reality because countless infidels are persecuted on a daily basis due to strict Islamic law. But is this unfair treatment contrary to Koranic teaching? Please say yes!!! My fingers are tightly crossed.


As I'm sure you're well aware by now, I lose sleep over the rights (or lack there of) given to infidels/apostates under certain Islamic systems.


Are apostates at war with Allah when they renounce Islam? Under Sharia they ought to be put to death in all circumstances... True? Does the Koran recommend this punishment? If so, why? Wouldn't Allah in all His omnipotence automatically strike them dead on the spot if they were guilty of a mortal sin?


I have issues with humans taking matters into their own hands & playing the role of Allah. When you stop & think about it, no one has the right to take the life of an innocent person besides the Creator, Himself.


May Allah have mercy on us all.


Please feel free to move on to the other questions I raised in my original entry.


Thanks a million, Muslimah :)


<i>Faith Hope Charity Openness Tolerance Equality</i>

[Muslimah]

Bismillah


salam FHC


O ya Allah, I forgot to end up my post with Allahu A`lam = Allah Knows best.


Well, dear, as for your question, of course Muslims are not entitled to go around killing non muslims for no obvious reasons. Even if I m calling a non muslim to Islam, I should do so using soft and amicable approach, since simply I m calling for the Merciful, Gracious Allah. The Only True Deity Worthy of worship.


Although this may sound off topic, but for instance, when events like the guy who bombed himself in Cairo last year, specifically in a touristic site in Fatimide Cairo, TV interviewed a renowned Muslim scholar, namely, Dr. Zaghloul Naggar. They asked how can we avoid such events? he simply replied teach Islam, allow proper knowledge. By this the first beneficiary is the non muslim living or visiting a muslim country. FHC, by having a visa granted on your passport to enter Egypt or any other muslim country, you are entitled automatically to a convenant of security.


Thus, when we foster proper Islamic knowledge, rather than suppress it, because of political interferences, the most beneficiary catergory is the non muslim.


Now as for apostacy:


http://islamsms.com/bb/index.php?showtopic=3425


Long but u will learn much.


In brief, apostacy punishment is equal to this applied in most of the countries in espionage crimes.


This a system of life dear.


Insh aAllah u will start learing about true Islam rather than just receive the distorted stereotyped image the west is eager to portray for many reasons non of which is to save the world. If u know what I mean...... :)

[wel_mel_2]

Bismillah:

Are apostates at war with Allah when they renounce Islam? Under Sharia they ought to be put to death in all circumstances... True? Does the Koran recommend this punishment? If so, why? Wouldn't Allah in all His omnipotence automatically strike them dead on the spot if they were guilty of a mortal sin?

I also found this link to be very useful concerning apostasy <i>(your favorite subject)</i> :) , hope this will answer your questions and clear the doubts insh a Allah.


"What happens to the one who leaves (apostates) Islam?"


Salam all.


Wael