Messages

31

Islamic Duties / Re: Marks of Sajda on the Foreheads of Muslims

« on: April 17, 2014, 10:08:22 PM »

Dear brother Sardar,


As-salam alaykum.


If you are looking to know brother Joseph's view on verse 48:29, then you may read his article "What is 'Salaat' (Prayer) from the Quran?".

Article link - http://quransmessage.com/articles/quran%20salaat%20FM3.htm


In the above article, you will see that in point number 6, brother Joseph wrote:

 
(6) WHERE DO THESE MARKS OF PROSTRATION COME FROM?

 

    048:029

    “Muhammad is the Messenger of God, and those with him are firm of heart against the unbelievers, compassionate among themselves; you will see them bowing down, prostrating themselves, seeking grace from God and pleasure; their marks are in their faces because of the effect of prostration; that is their description in the Torah and their description in the Gospels; like as seed-produce that puts forth its sprout, then strengthens it, so it becomes stout and stands firmly on its stem, delighting the sowers that He may enrage the unbelievers on account of them; God has promised those among them who believe and do good, forgiveness and a great reward”


Therefore, I think it is clear from the above that brother Joseph holds the view that the marks on the faces in verse 48:29 are due to physical prostrations.



Regards.

32

General Discussions / Re: Can somebody be responsible for the sins of others ?

« on: April 05, 2014, 11:12:20 PM »

Dear Ahmad,


Salam Alaykum.


If a person goes astray, he or she will still be responsible for this and will be punished because God told us not to follow anyone blindly and to verify everything before accepting as truth.

And as for the scholars, if anyone is led astray by the scholars with their un-Quranic doctrines, the scholars would deserve the double punishment for misleading to erroneous beliefs:

"Hence, on Resurrection Day they shall bear the full weight of their own burdens, as well as some of the burdens of those ignorant ones whom they have led astray: oh, how evil the load with which they shall be burdened!" (16:25)



Regards.

33

General Discussions / Re: Food dedictated to other deities instead of Allah

« on: February 18, 2014, 11:49:47 PM »

Dear brother Optimist,


Salam Alaykum.


I am not here to debate this matter, but simply want to ask you a question. Do you think only animals during slaughtering can be dedicated to a deity, and not other types of food? What if fruits and fishes are dedicated to other false deities by the people who collect them and sell them?



Regards.

34

Prophets and Messengers / Re: Prophet Joseph's Reliance on Allah

« on: February 17, 2014, 09:02:48 PM »

Dear all,


Salam Alaykum.


What do think of Muhsin Khan's translation of this verse:

And he said to the one whom he knew to be saved: "Mention me to your lord (i.e. your king, so as to get me out of the prison)." But Shaitan (Satan) made him forget to mention it to his Lord (or Satan made ((Yoosuf (Joseph)) to forget the remembrance of his Lord (Allah) as to ask for His Help, instead of others). So (Yoosuf (Joseph)) stayed in prison a few (more) years. (12:42)


Regards.

35

General Discussions / Re: Ya’juj and Ma’juj

« on: February 02, 2014, 03:41:36 PM »

Dear Abbsrayray,


Salamun Alaykum.


Here is a link from the 'Questions & Answers' section where brother Joesph shared his view regarding this topic: www.quransmessage.com/forum/index.php?topic=313.msg970#msg970



Regards.

36

General Discussions / Re: Verse 2:34

« on: January 30, 2014, 09:40:03 PM »

Salam Alaykum, brother Joesph.


I have read your article about Adam. May I kindly ask you, if the traditional understanding is wrong regarding the place where Adam was created, and since Quran's one of the targets was to eliminate false beliefs with truths (from the Bible and the Torah), then why did God still leave it ambiguous in the Quran whether Adam was at first in a different realm called Jannah or whether he was already on earth? Or do you think it is explicit from the Quranic verses that Adam was already on earth, but most people are finding it ambiguous / failing to understand the corrected belief for whatever reason?


Regards.

37

General Discussions / Re: Verse 2:34

« on: January 28, 2014, 01:51:56 AM »

Salam Alalykum.


Brother Joseph, I would like to know if you have any objection against Wakas' understandings / comments regarding Adam and his wife.



Regards.

38

Prophets and Messengers / Re: Is the Prophet Muhammad Alive?

« on: January 15, 2014, 04:18:43 PM »

Wa alaykum salam, brother Joseph Islam.


Thank you very much for the explanation.


JazakAllah khayr.

39

General Discussions / Re: In the divine system every individual keeps only what he needs!!

« on: January 14, 2014, 11:56:50 PM »

Peace be upon you, brother Optimist.


Let me ask you my question one more time by giving an example.


For a moment, think that you live in country X and this country is in control of a tyrant where it's citizens are oppressed and badly afflicted with misfortune. Living in this country is a danger to you and you are always in a constant state of worry that you could get killed anytime. Also think that you are poor. Now after suffering for a few years, you have decided to leave this country and go somewhere else at least to escape from this tyranny. It doesn't matter whether you migrate to an Islamic country or a non-Islamic country, your main concern is just to get out of here. But unfortunately, you can't because you are poor. So just because you don't have money, you won't get a visa for migration and you would be forced to stay behind the borders of the country of the tyrant ruler. But there are others who have money and they can make their moves to migrate by easily getting a visa to another country and save their lives and that of their children.


You, yourself, have said that the world belongs to God. Therefore, do you think it is fair that only the rich ones can travel around the lands of God to protect themselves and to seek it's bouties, and the poor ones can't and are only forced to stay inside the borders of the tyrant ruler and suffer when all the lands belong to God?


Why such an ill discrimination between the rich and the poor? Is such a manner of treatment in line with Quranic teachings?



Regards.

40

Prophets and Messengers / Re: Is the Prophet Muhammad Alive?

« on: January 14, 2014, 07:25:50 PM »

Brother Joseph,


Salamun Alaykum.


I want to know your understanding of verse 2:154. Kindly share.



Regards.

41

General Discussions / Re: In the divine system every individual keeps only what he needs!!

« on: January 14, 2014, 05:52:42 PM »

Dear brother Optimist,


Salamun Alaykum and thanks for your posts.


You share:

In the divine system neither the land nor its resources can be taken into private ownership. These are left open for the benefit of all (41:10)


The Land belongs to Allah alone :-

To state this fact, the Quran has quoted an event of the people of Thamud. It states that cattle-rearing was the means of livelihood of the people of Thamud. There were open grazing lands and water points in the surroundings, but the leaders of that nation had kept them under their individual control. Due to this, cattle of the weaker sections used to remain hungry and thirsty. Prophet Saleh raised voice against the oppression and violence of those chiefs who asked him as to what he wanted finally. He replied: ‘I want that as this land belongs to Allah, it is neither yours nor mine, and these cattle are also created by Him. Therefore, these animals should have freedom to graze on the land of their Allah. In what way you have the right that you fix up boundaries on arzullah (land of Allah) this way that His creatures cannot cross the boundaries fixed by you on His land (7:73; 11:64).

The land is the means of livelihood for the entire mankind; it cannot become anybody’s personal property and giving it practically under the ownership of individuals is paganism, it is kufr.


You also share:

According to the Quran, whatever in the heavens and on earth belong to Allah alone.  The earth is the medium for the production of all means of subsistence, which are provided freely for the benefit of humanity.  Wind, water, light, heat and the earth, all of which exist for our sustenance and are freely given by Allah, should actually be left equally open for all human being.

[Muhammed Asad] For He [it is who, after creating the earth,] placed firm mountains on it, [towering] above its surface, and bestowed [so many] blessings on it, and equitably apportioned its means of subsistence to all who would seek it: [and all this He created] in four aeons. (41:10)

And the earth – We have spread it out wide, and placed on it mountains firm, and caused [life] of every kind to grow on it in a balanced manner,  and provided thereon means of livelihood for you [O men] as well as for all [living beings] whose sustenance does not depend on you (15:19-20)

And the earth has He spread out for all living beings (55:10)

Weigh, therefore, [every decision and act] with equity, and cut not the measure short!(55:9)

From the above, it should be clear that all natural resources are God given, and their purpose is to sustain the whole of humanity.  For this no one has the right to create artificial barriers and divisions and declare ownership of these resources.


Reading the above from you, and considering all your points, I want to ask you a question. Do you think every person on earth should be given all the rights to travel or migrate to any country/part of the world without requiring a visa and a passport? Because you know, it is not always easy and not always allowed to go to a certain country because of the so-called rules of the government of that particular country. Please share your thoughts on this.


Regards.

42

General Discussions / Re: Crtique: What is an Islamic greeting?

« on: January 11, 2014, 07:38:55 PM »

Dear brother Joseph,


Peace be with you.


Thanks for your reply. Yes, that has helped a lot.



Regards.

43

General Discussions / Re: Crtique: What is an Islamic greeting?

« on: January 10, 2014, 05:34:56 PM »

Dear brother Joseph,


May peace be upon you.


I have gone through this thread from the beginning 'til the end, and I am happy to say that I agree with your contentions since you always let the Quran speak and always hold the Quran as the primary source to understand Arabic terms and expressions, and this is my approach as well.


Now I have a simple question to ask you regarding the Islamic greeting. When I use that greeting in my speech, I always say "Salam Alaikum". Please note that I keep the "un" silent, which is the tanween. So my question is, should I pronounce the tanween as well during my everyday usage of the greeting? If I don't pronounce the "un", will it not be Quranic?


My target is to stay Quranic as much as possible.




Reagrds.

44

General Discussions / Re: Questions for brother Joseph Islam regarding food and zina

« on: May 29, 2013, 06:27:20 PM »

Salamun Alaykum.


Thank you, brother Joseph!


May God bless you.

45

General Discussions / Questions for brother Joseph Islam regarding food and zina

« on: May 28, 2013, 06:45:57 PM »

Salamun Alaykum.


I have two questions for brother Joseph Islam.



Question 1:

In your article, "Food Permissibility and Prohibitions", you have nowhere mentioned about 6:121.


Muhammad Asad: Hence, eat not of that over which God's name has not been pronounced: for this would be sinful conduct indeed. And, verily, the evil impulses [within men's hearts] whisper unto those who have made them their own that they should involve you in argument [as to what is and what is not a sin]; and if you pay heed unto them, lo! you will become [like] those who ascribe divinity to other beings or forces beside God. (6:121)


I want to know, doesn't this verse tells us that we will always have to pronounce God's name over ANY food, whether it's meat or vegetables, before eating them?



Question 2:


Very frankly speaking, more than two years ago, my fiancee and I hugged and kissed each other a lot of times, and at that time I was really ignorant and had very less idea about the word of God in the Quran. I was also a Sunni back then, and I was under the influence that we all Muslims will go to paradise anyway. But later when I read the Quran, I got so scared, I felt like I would be going to hell if I die. So my question is, does the word "zina" only means "illegal sexual intercourse", or does it have a wider meaning? Can "hugging and kissing" fall under the meaning of "zina"? Or in other words, have we done zina?