Messages

16

General Discussions / Qiyamah

« on: February 21, 2016, 04:22:59 PM »

My dear brothers and sisters,

As-salamu alaykum.

I hope you all are doing well by the grace of Allah.

I wanted to share with you guys a thought that I get in my mind which stays secret with me. I am not too old yet, but I have gone through a lot in life, a lot of struggle and difficulty. I try my best to follow the Quran-centric position in practice that we all have. I try to establish the 5 daily salats everyday, fast in the month of Ramadan, memorize surahs and ayahs of the Quran and read the Quran with meaning and understanding, and I try to be nice and kind with my parents and everyone else as much as possible. However, my dear brothers and sisters, I also secretly wish for God to end this world. I get this feeling sometimes, and I really wish for the Day of Judgment to arrive. It's not that I am not scared. I am very scared, but I still sometimes feel that way. I am not sure if this is a normal feeling, and I don't mean to offend anyone. It's just that all the injustices and wrong things that happen in this world everyday just baffles my mind.

Does anyone of you ever feel this way?

17

General Discussions / Can't understand 2:27

« on: November 03, 2015, 07:05:42 AM »

Dear brother Joseph and all,

As-salamu alaykum.

I am facing difficulty in understanding about this 'covenant' God is talking about and what God has ordered to be 'joined' in 2:27.
I think the covenant is our pledge to uphold the Quran and live our lives according to it without transgressing and crossing any bounds which could lead us to hell fire in the hereafter. However, I am more confused when the ayah further talks about those who sever "what God has ordered to be joined."

2:27
those who break God's covenant after they have pledged to keep it, and sever whatever God has ordered to be joined, and spread corruption in the land it is they who are the losers.


I think the same subjects are repeated in 13:20-21.

13:20-21
they who are true to their bond with God and never break their covenant; and those who join together what God has commanded to be joined, and fear their Lord and dread the harshness of the reckoning;


Any help will be highly appreciated.

18

General Discussions / Re: Is weaning Period two years or thirty months? a contradiction in Quran?

« on: October 15, 2015, 07:00:29 AM »

Dear brother Joseph,

Salam alaykum.

In the answering-christianity website, the author who has refuted this seemingly contradiction said that verse 31:14 which mentions that the weaning period is two years, this period can actually vary because of the "in / fi" in the Arabic text. He uses Yusuf Ali's interpretation of this verse and says, "babies breast feed for up to two years. The period could be less. This is clearly seen in the following "in  في" in the Noble Verse, which means within."

Do you think this is a correct interpretation?

Also regarding 46:15, the author say, "the 30 months here is a picture, and not an exact number ... The 30 months here couldn't be an exact unchangeable number figure here, because both the gestation periods and the needs of children for breast feeding vary.  Some are longer and some are shorter. But parents, nonetheless, should aim for completing the 30 total months period."


Please share your thoughts on the above.


Reference: http://www.answering-christianity.com/pregancy_gestation_nursing_weaning_total_months.htm

19

General Discussions / Re: Was Adam created mortal?Or he lost immortality after disobeying God?

« on: February 02, 2015, 02:49:29 AM »

Thank you brother Joseph. Now I am fully clarified.

JazakAllah khair and salam alaykum.

20

General Discussions / Re: Was Adam created mortal?Or he lost immortality after disobeying God?

« on: February 01, 2015, 11:55:40 PM »

Dear brother Joseph,

Salam alaykum.

Okay, so in that case it would imply that when God placed Adam and his wife on the earthly jannah, He (God) already had them in their clothes, hence they had no concept of shame / nakedness, and that they had never opened their clothes by themselves until they ate from the tree. Do you think this is correct?


Regards.

21

General Discussions / Re: Was Adam created mortal?Or he lost immortality after disobeying God?

« on: February 01, 2015, 09:59:57 PM »

Dear brother Joseph,

As-salam alaykum.

Brother, I am sorry but I don't quite get it.

You said in your post that Adam had no concept of shame:

"2. Arguably much like the animal kingdom or human children, Adam would have no concept of 'shame' from nudity as we understand today. This was the state they were in (20:118) and it was from this state they were also removed after they had sinned (7:22). Many animals remain in a 'nude' state and conduct their business without this seemingly being an issue.

There is no evidence in the Quran that God placed them in 'an eternal abode'. As my response to your first question has respectfully attempted to demonstrate, they were placed in a 'wasteable' (yabla) mortal state albeit with certain privileges. (E.g. protection from sun's impact, ample resources for provenance and to quench thirst (no famine, drought etc.), and with no concept of 'shame')."

If Adam had no concept of shame, then why did he and his wife started to cover themselves with leaves when their nakedness became exposed?

7:22
Thus he cunningly seduced them. When they tasted the trees fruit, their nakedness became exposed to them and they started covering themselves with the leaves of the garden. Their Lord called out to them, Did I not forbid you to approach that tree, and did I not say to you that Satan was surely your open enemy?


Regards.

22

General Discussions / Re: Question on riba / banking

« on: November 23, 2014, 01:09:43 AM »

There was a little mistake on my first question, so I am putting it down again:


1) Do you think it is fine to keep amounts of fixed deposits on 'Islamic banks' where they claim that they invest those monies into businesses and in return they share profits with the depositors on a monthly / yearly basis? Or do you recommend not to do that? I only want to know your personal opinion.

23

General Discussions / Question on riba / banking

« on: November 23, 2014, 01:05:08 AM »

Dear brother Joseph,


As-salam alaykum.


I have been doing a lot of reading on the topic of 'riba' including your article, and I am still kind of confused whether the modern day banking interest equates to the riba mentioned in the Quran. Dear brother, I do not wish to raise any contentions on this matter and only want to get a direct answer from you to a couple of questions that I have as follows:


1) Do you think it is fine to keep amounts of fixed deposits on 'Islamic banks' where they claim that they invest those monies into businesses and in return profits share profits with the depositors on a monthly / yearly basis? Or do you recommend not to do that? I only want to know your personal opinion.


2) If you do not mind dear brother, can you kindly share whether you have any kind of bank account that you use?



Regards.

24

General Discussions / Re: Possible Quran Contradiction?

« on: November 09, 2014, 07:50:52 PM »

As-salam alaykum.


Thank you very much my dear brother Joseph for the detailed explanation.

25

General Discussions / Re: Possible Quran Contradiction?

« on: November 07, 2014, 10:32:07 PM »

Dear brother Joseph,


As-salam alaykum.


Brother Lobotomize94 has asked the same question which I also have in my mind. Verse 36:79 says "...He will give them life Who produced them (the) first time". So can we say that our current earthly bodies will be given life, yet the 'form' of our creation will be a new form?


Regards.

26

General Discussions / Re: Are all types of Music allowed in Islam?

« on: September 11, 2014, 05:35:34 AM »

Dear Sardar,



Salamun alaykum.



I have to say that I agree with brother good logic. If you look at Muhammad Asad's translation of 33:56, you will see that unlike most other translators, he has translated 'wasallimoo tasleeman' as 'and give yourselves up [to his guidance] in utter self-surrender!'


Muhammad Asad

Verily, God and His angels bless the Prophet:
[hence,] O you who have attained to faith, bless
him and give yourselves up [to his guidance] in
utter self-surrender! (33:56)

www.islamawakened.com/quran/33/56/default.htm



You will find the same phrase 'wayusallimoo tasleeman' in 4:65. But surprisingly in 4:65, all translators have rendered this phrase to mean as to 'give themselves up [to it] in utter self-surrender / submit with full submission.'


You can check this up over here:

www.islamawakened.com/quran/4/65/default.htm




Regards.

27

General Discussions / Re: a "sahih" hadith!!

« on: June 08, 2014, 04:26:27 PM »

Salamun alaykum.


I think this is why we hear from our mullahs that we should not fast on Fridays, but fasting on Mondays and Thurdays is preferred.


The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) said: “Deeds are shown (to Allah) on Mondays and Thursdays, and I like my deeds to be shown when I am fasting.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 747; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1041(Narrated from Abu Hurayrah-May Allah be pleased with him)


"The Prophet Muhammad(p.b.u.h.) was keen to fast on Mondays and Thursdays." Narrated by al- Tirmidhi, 745; al-Nasaa’i, 2361; Ibn Maajah, 1739 (Narrated from Aisha-May Allah be pleased with her)


Source: https://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080324133253AAcxdW3


Note the reason given for fasting on Mondays and Thurdays in the first hadith - "Deeds are show (to Allah) on Mondays and Thursdays". This clearly shows why ahadith should be condemned as they clearly go against the Quran.



Regards.

28

General Discussions / Re: Replies to Critiques -The 'Left' or the 'Back' & God's Creation in 6 Periods

« on: June 03, 2014, 11:42:14 PM »

Thank you for clearing it up for me, dear brother Joseph.


May God bless you.

29

General Discussions / Replies to Critiques -The 'Left' or the 'Back' & God's Creation in 6 Periods

« on: June 03, 2014, 09:22:59 PM »

Dear brother Joseph,


Salamun alaykum.


I have a few questions regarding some of the verses of the Quran, and I am hoping that you could share your thoughts of them.



Take a look at these verses:

And he that will be given his Record in his left hand, will say: "Ah! Would that my Record had not been given to me!" (69:25)

But he who is given his Record behind his back, Soon will he cry for perdition (84:10-11)


Regarding the above two verses, in one verse it says that the record of the people who are destined for hell will be given in their "left hand", and in the other verse it says the record will be given "behind his back". I am aware that in 69:25, the word 'hand' is not there in Arabic. Therefore, to translate it more accurately we can say that the record will be given "in his left".

Why do you think one verse says "in his left", and the other says "behind his back"? If a critique of Islam points this out as a contradiction, what can we give him / her as a reply?



Now regarding the second part of my questions, many critiques point out that verses 7:54, 10:3, 11:7 and 25:29 say that God has created the heavens and the earth in six days. But in verses 41:9-12, the creation of the heavens and the earth counts up to be eight days, hence a contradiction. Please share how you would refute this critique.




Regards.

30

General Discussions / Re: Angels to the side or front/back?

« on: May 21, 2014, 07:12:17 PM »

Dear Deliverance,


Salamun Alaykum.


What are your thoughts on the following two verses?


Yusuf Ali:

50:17   Behold, two (guardian angels) appointed to learn (his doings) learn (and noted them), one sitting on the right and one on the left.

50:18   Not a word does he utter but there is a sentinel by him, ready (to note it).


Regards.