Messages

376

General Discussions / Re: 17:78 ? Who witnesses the Recital of the Quran at Dawn?

« on: September 05, 2012, 08:03:15 AM »

Salaam,

Previously I said "Fajr is a time when day and night blend into each other thus holding the view that the twice many angels are present witnessing your deeds is not so far-fetched."   

 Now I'm questioning the veracity of this conclusion because of its opposite coordinate  when they merge into each other again.  Is  Maghrib  the opposite of fajr? 

Brother Joseph, please help


 

377

General Discussions / Re: We created GOD or GOD created us

« on: September 05, 2012, 04:56:06 AM »

Peace,

I really do not understand what your friend is asking.  I suppose he does not find my reply convincing.  I do not know how to convince him neither do I want to.  I am going to write about what I know and how I know.

I know with certainty that everything is created by a Single Creator.  Everything in His creation is relative and transient.  God is One-Absolute and Transcendental.  How did I come into this 'knowing' which is beyond the reach of a created being's perception?  I am endowed with the faculty of contemplation like you are. Science neither can nor will ever prove or disprove God because science works in the physical realm with observable or measurable data and it is an evolving discipline with new discoveries.  We discovered that there exists dark matter that is unaffected by light.  We know its existence by its gravitational energy.  Likewise, I get to detect the manifestation of God on the physical plane by the signs in my environment as if they are His footprints.

Belief in a Creator  is a conviction just like your knowledge of your impending death.  You do not acquire such knowledge by looking at your body.  This kind of knowing is very personal based on a feeling, a hunch or an intuition.  The Quran invites us to recognize the limits of human perception and be open to ghaib which means seeing through the heart.  Use your physical eyes for scientific discoveries.

378

General Discussions / Re: 17:78 ? Who witnesses the Recital of the Quran at Dawn?

« on: September 04, 2012, 11:41:26 PM »

Salaam,

God has appointed angels for various tasks.  Although He is Al-Khabeer, we have the Kiraman katibeena 82:11 recorders around us. 10:21. 43:80.
 You are asking why and  I can only speculate.  God makes judgments with wisdom. Our own body parts will also be used as witnesses, too. 

7:172 we testified that He is our Lord so we would not say "we knew nothing of this" on Judgment Day.

Fajr is a time when day and night blend into each other thus holding the view that the twice many angels are present witnessing your deeds is not so far-fetched. 

379

General Discussions / Re: Lifeless body on a throne??

« on: September 04, 2012, 10:18:36 PM »

Peace Mubashir,

Thanks for sharing an interesting interpretation.  I do not share his view that Solomon was into materiality. His love for horses serve for his remembrance of God. Anything I like or appreciate always reminds of God Subhanallah!

380

General Discussions / Re: recognition of beauty

« on: September 04, 2012, 09:13:10 AM »

Peace,
 Thank you sister.

381

General Discussions / Re: Lifeless body on a throne??

« on: September 04, 2012, 06:10:08 AM »

Salaam brother,

We know that Solomon was an excellent servant who always turned to God for repentance. verse 30.  We also know from 2:102 that he was a believer but the shaytans used by him in construction did not, taught people sorcery and how to harm people.  I am assuming that they caused some kind of fitnah: revolution, chaos, upheaval. As a result Solomon either lost his throne for a while or his powers were stripped and was like a jasad, a puppet.

We know from 42:20 that anyone who wants worldly kingdom, he will be given some; if he desires to cultivate the Next World, his earthly cultivation will be increased.  Solomon must have asked for the future kingdom since he was given the wind to control in this life in addition to getting his throne back.  Shaytans were chained.

382

General Discussions / Re: recognition of beauty

« on: September 03, 2012, 06:12:41 AM »

Salaam brother Sardar Miyan,

Thank you for your reply  although it was a rhetorical question.  Jahilliyah buried baby girls alive, non-Jahilliyah buries adult version of baby girls in black sacks in the name of libasu attaqwa. 

383

General Discussions / recognition of beauty

« on: September 03, 2012, 03:57:08 AM »

Salaam all,

I was wondering how the Prophet would have recognized and appreciated the beauty of a woman if she was covered from head to toe?

33:52  It is not lawful for you to marry more women after this, nor to change them for other wives, even though their beauty may please you, except any that your right hand possesses. God is watchful over all things.

384

General Discussions / Re: We created GOD or GOD created us

« on: September 02, 2012, 02:14:23 AM »

Hello Orange,

If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound?  The vibrations are there but it needs a receiver to become a sound.   The Quran is a book of signs and it only speaks to the seeking heart.  Your friend seems to be only using his reason and logic but  his rationality is based on false assumptions.   Reason is a great gift to humanity though it does not always guarantee the truth if based on false assumptions.  Another great gift is the heart.  The fitrah is in the heart .  Through it we incline to know God. Once we marry the mind and the heart, then God will lead. 6:125 

385

General Discussions / Re: An apparent conflict here?

« on: September 01, 2012, 11:05:09 AM »

Peace,

5:82-83  I believe we should adopt the attitude of those Christians mentioned in these verses. Be open  to recognize the truth in other religions wherever found and be happy about it.

386

General Discussions / Samaritan

« on: September 01, 2012, 02:17:42 AM »

Salam brother Joseph and all,

Does the name Samiri mentioned in the Quran mean from Samaria, thus a Samaritan?  If so, then, is it safe to propose that the animosity between the Samaritans and the Jews may stem from the incident of the golden calf rather than a sibling rivalry?

387

General Discussions / Re: Verse 33:69

« on: August 31, 2012, 10:24:29 AM »

Salam,

Thank you for the welcome,

I agree with you on pinpointing verse 20:88 for the slander part.  I was not finished yet, had to recap, when I accidentally hit the post button.  I was a complete novice.  I am learning.

Peace

388

Islamic Duties / Re: Family Planning

« on: August 30, 2012, 12:58:54 AM »

Peace brother,

People are divided on this issue.  Is fetus a child?  When does a fetus become viable?  Does a female own her body?  Does the 'unborn' have the same rights as the 'born'?
I think it is best to leave the decision to the mother and her faith.  It is a matter of faith.  It is one thing that we provide counseling to help her make an informed decision; it is another thing to bomb the abortion clinics.

389

General Discussions / Re: An apparent conflict here?

« on: August 30, 2012, 12:14:42 AM »

Peace brother Mubashir,

The multiplicity of religions is God's will
"For each of you We have appointed a law and traced out a path and if God had so willed, He would have made you one community"  5:48

If they are not fighting me for my belief or supporting to expel me from my home, there is no reason for me not to be cordial with them.  58:22

Surah 109 reminds me to affirm my own faith rather than expend energy with another's divergence.

390

General Discussions / Re: Understanding 111:1 of Quran without using secondary Islamic sources?

« on: August 29, 2012, 06:50:31 AM »

Peace,

You are right, we or I cannot understand everything I read in the Quran because I'm limited by my knowledge of certain events, historical facts or science.  If I feel a need to be more informed, I will refer to secondary or even tertiary sources till my heart is content.  This does not mean Quran is not sufficient or detailed enough compared to human authored books.  Quran is a reminder, wisdom in which there is no doubt. It is the only source for guidance and salvation.  The rest is trivial.  It does not matter who Abu Lahab is for your guidance but it does not hurt to check it out in a history book.  What is important is how you correlate that information with what you need to know as brothers previously stated.