How could anyone choose such a backward, harsh and intense religion many might ask? Can you really be serious!!!!!!
Put yourself in the shoes of a parent, child or sibling of someone who has just declared their intention to be Muslim for the rest of their life. Would you think they might be brainwashed or just plain nuts, possibly you might.
If the image of Islam as portrayed on the news is all you know of Islam then you would have every right to look upon it in a negative manner.
Now put yourself in the shoes of a new Muslim, you have discovered a faith that makes you feel whole, it fits you like a glove, it makes sense and you have pondered on this decision for months, possibly years and now you have chosen to take the final step and declare your new faith. You are so happy, so content, so excited yet you dread telling anyone because you fear their response.
As a convert myself I have gone through this scenario and I am so thankful that my relationship with my family continues to be a positive one. My story is a happy one but sadly some converts have had to face the fact that their family have completely disowned them. The path to Islam can be a bumpy one.
Each convert has their own story to tell, each with their own hurdles, highs and lows and in the end we are all Muslim and we share a special bond.
As I reflect on the past 3 years and look at my own personal journey of discovery as a new Muslim, I think of the changes I have made due to my commitment of worship to the one and only God and I ponder on the lessons I have learnt.
v Be true to yourself. It took me years to actually achieve this goal. People ask me why did I take that final step and embrace Islam; the truth is because Islam makes complete sense to me and I have no doubts of its truth. I couldn’t live a lie anymore, I had tried to repress it, however in truth I was Muslim and I couldn’t deny it.
v To be tolerant. Many people view Muslims as intolerant so this statement may surprise you. In the past I was glued in my own little world. I have learnt that my preconceived ideas of some ethnic and religious groups were based on other people’s hearsay and on many occasions these views were so grossly inaccurate. To enable yourself to be tolerant you have to take the time to learn about people, not jump to conclusions. This was a valuable lesson for me.
v Men respect modesty. Many people see Muslim women as oppressed because of their dress code yet to a Muslim women it is liberation. It is the ultimate feminist statement; see me for who I am, not my sex appeal. I have found that since dressing far more modestly than I once did, men have in fact shown me so much more respect.
v Inner Peace. Inner peace comes from following God’s will. I have tried many things to gain inner peace but the truth is plain and simple, we are created to worship God and if you are not fulfilling this role you can never really achieve pure inner peace.
v Islam isn’t boring. Some people see Islam as a bland and perhaps boring way of life, all that praying and so many ‘do nots’. The truth is I don’t miss a thing about my past, alcohol, night clubbing, the mini skirts and the so called freedom. My life as a Muslim is fulfilling and very enjoyable, actually I would also add fun. Muslims can laugh just as well as anyone else and we do!!!
v To be grateful. Many people acknowledge the fact of God yet they see no need to worship him. Just look around you at the beauty of creation, the ocean, the mountains and the stars.Then look at your own body, the gifts of hearing, sight, touch, smell and taste, are these gifts worthy of gratitude. Absolutely. That is precisely what Muslims do at least 5 times a day, show gratitude to their creator.
v Islam is perfect, Muslims are not. As human beings we are far from perfect, we sometimes make rash decisions, say things without thinking, let our emotions rule us and the honest truth is people don’t always treat each other with the respect that we all deserve. All people in this world, no matter what religion, ethnic group or sex have these human weaknesses.
v Islam isn’t backward, harsh or intense. I started the article using the words, backward, harsh and intense because many people view Islam precisely that way. The only way I could agree with that description is if you see it as backward because it upholds traditional values and morals, harsh because it isn’t wavering on modern issues, intense because Muslims are required to be constantly obedient to God. Then I would be happy to say Islam fits that description.
v God has given us free will, think!!! In Islam knowledge is seen as worship and we are taught in Qur’an to ponder and think. God has given us a brain, we should use it. Think about the life you are living and are you happy with its direction.
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2. Is the Quran Credible?
Contributed by Wassim Dannawi, New South Wales.
Besides religious guidance, the Quran contains hundreds of verses that speak of the universe, its components and phenomena such as the Earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, mountains, wind, running water, plants, embryological animals, and the successive stages of development of the human being. More than 1,000 verses relating to cosmic facts or cosmic phenomena can be counted in the Quran. During the early days of the Quran, scientific knowledge of the universe was limited and it was not easy to elaborate on the verses relating to the universe or its phenomena except within the limitations of the time. However, we now know about the laws of the universe much more than before and that is why reviewing the 1,000 or more verses relating to the cosmos, man and his surroundings can be one of the most obvious miraculous aspects of the Quran. This is because of the precedence of the Quran, which was revealed more than 14 Centuries ago, with many of the scientific facts, at a time when people had no knowledge whatsoever of such facts. The Quran has addressed so many of these facts in a language that is more precise, accurate and concise than scientists have ever been able to do. Nothing in the Quran contradicts any established scientific facts. These cannot be all covered in a short article and hence I have chosen only five verses that can testify to the miraculous nature of the Quran from a scientific point of view:
1) The creation of the universe is explained by astrophysicists in a widely accepted phenomenon, popularly known as the “Big Bang.” It is supported by observational and experimental data gathered by astronomers and astrophysicists for decades. According to the “Big Bang,” the whole universe was initially one big mass (Primary Nebula). Then there was a “Big Bang” (Secondary Separation), which resulted in the formation of Galaxies. These then divided to form stars, planets, the sun, the moon, etc. The origin of the universe was unique and the probability of it occurring by “chance” is zero. The Quran contains the following verse, regarding the origin of the universe:
Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were (once) a joined entity, then We separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe? (Quran, 21:30)
The striking congruence between the Quranic verse and the “Big Bang” is inescapable! How could a book, which first appeared in the deserts of Arabia 1400 years ago, contain this profound scientific truth?
2) In 1925 an American astronomer by the name of Edwin Hubble provided observational evidence that all galaxies are receding from one another, which implies that the universe is expanding. The expansion of the universe is now an established scientific fact. This is what the Quran says regarding the formation of the universe:
And the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander. (Quran, 51:47)
Stephen Hawking, in his book A Brief History of Time, says: “The discovery that the universe is expanding is one of the great intellectual revolutions of the 20th century.” The Quran mentioned the expansion of the universe before man even learnt to build a telescope!
3) Scientists say that before the galaxies in the universe were formed, celestial matter was initially in the form of gaseous matter. In short, huge gaseous matter or clouds were present before the formation of the galaxies. To describe initial celestial matter, the word “smoke” is more appropriate than gas. The following Quranic verse refers to this state of the universe by the word dukhan which means smoke:
Then He turned to the heaven when it was smoke... (Quran, 41:11)
Again, this fact is a corollary to the “Big Bang” and was not known to mankind during the time of the Prophet Muhammad . What then, could have been the source of this knowledge?
4) It was thought that the sense of feeling and pain was only dependent on the brain. Recent discoveries prove that there are pain receptors present in the skin without which a person would not be able to feel pain. When a doctor examines a patient suffering from burn injuries, he verifies the degree of burns by a pinprick. If the patient feels pain, the doctor is happy, because it indicates that the burns are superficial and the pain receptors are intact. On the other hand if the patient does not feel any pain, it indicates that it is a deep burn and the pain receptors have been destroyed. The Quran gives an indication of the existence of pain receptors in the following verse:
Indeed, those who disbelieve in Our verses (i.e. signs, proofs) - We will drive them into a Fire. Every time their skins are roasted through We will replace them with other skins so they may taste the punishment. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted in Might and Wise. But those who believe and do righteous deeds - We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide forever. (Quran, 4:56-57)
Prof. Tagatat Tejasen, Chairman of the Dept. of Anatomy at Chiang Mai University in Thailand, had spent a great amount of time on research of pain receptors. Initially he could not believe that the Quran mentioned this scientific fact 1400 years ago. He later verified the translation of this particular Quranic verse. Prof. Tejasen was so impressed by the scientific accuracy of the Quranic verse, that at a medical Conference in 1985 he proclaimed in public the Shahadah (Islamic Declaration of Faith), i.e. he embraced Islam.
5) The source of iron (Fe); we read in the Quran:
Indeed, We have sent down iron in which there is great (military) might and benefits for the people. (Quran, 57:25)
It has recently been proven that all iron, not only in our planet but also in the entire solar system, was obtained from outer space. This is because the temperature of the sun cannot generate iron. The sun has a surface temperature of 6000 degrees Celsius and a central temperature of about 20 million degrees Celsius. There exist much hotter stars, which are known as novae, or super novae where temperatures can reach 100s of billions of degrees Celsius and it is in these stars that iron is formed. When the percentage of iron reaches a certain proportion of the mass of the star it explodes and these exploded-particles travel in space until they are captured by the gravitational fields of other heavenly bodies. This is how our solar system all obtained its iron and it is an established fact today that all the iron in our solar system was not generated or created within the system but has come to it from outer space.
One wonders why the Quran comments on matters like these, things that were not known to anyone at the time of revelation or even for centuries afterwards, unless Allah knows in His eternal knowledge that the time will come when man will then immediately realize that the Quran is the word of Allah and that Muhammad is His last messenger. Allah says in the Quran:
We shall show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth. (Quran, 41:53)
Prof. Tejasen accepted Islam on the strength of just one scientific “sign” mentioned in the Quran. Some people may require ten signs while some may require hundred signs to be convinced about the Divine origin of the Quran. Some would be unwilling to accept the Truth even after being shown a thousand signs. The Quran condemns such a closed mentality:
Deaf, dumb and blind- so they will not return [to the right path]. (Quran, 2:18).
Also:
The example of those who disbelieve is like that of the one who shouts at what hears nothing but calls and cries [i.e. cattle or sheep] - deaf, dumb and blind, so they do not understand.
(Quran, 2:171). And:
Then do they not reflect upon the Quran, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?
(Quran, 47:24).
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3. The Purpose of the Veil
According to Islam and its Mention in the Bible
Contributed by Sister Janine Cadd, Western Australia
The welfare of the family is the objective of every God conscious and moral society. Moral purity and dedication to righteousness begins with morally responsible parents who educate their children through their own correct words and actions.
In order to build and maintain a righteous and cohesive family, the parents must be educated and encouraged, to be faithful and sincere to each other. If this is not achieved in a society, then ultimately, the system of family will be corrupted and families will break down.
We know only too well, the cost to the individual and society, when adults and children are bereft of the love and support that wholesome family life provides.
It is clear that the effect of the immorality, self indulgence and lack of God consciousness, has given birth to broken homes, spiraling divorce rates, delinquent children, sexual promiscuity, venereal diseases (including AIDS), homosexuality, rampant drug addiction, alcohol addiction, gambling addiction, plus shocking increases in incest, child abuse of all kinds, neuroticism, depression and suicide.
May Allah Guide us and our families to righteousness and Protect us from immorality. Ameen.
Islam aids the moral purity of the family in many ways. It promotes responsible parental behaviour with regard to protecting and maintaining the family and promotes moral behaviour in the family and societal relationships.
Islam is a complete code of life taught to mankind by the Author of Existence, the only True God (Allah in Arabic). Its distinguishing feature is that it combines the requisites of this world and the Hereafter.
Human nature is a blend of good and evil elements. Islam encourages behaviour that is protective. It discourages behaviour that leads to sin. We all know the saying: “PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE!”
Islam gives practical and beneficial guidance for all aspects of life, including human sexuality. Marriage is regarded as the only lawful way to fulfill sexual urges.
Fornication (sexual unity outside of marriage) is one of the sins that are rampant today. It is a driving force in the BREAKDOWN OF FAMILY and societal stability and wellbeing.
Islam asks the believing women to purify themselves, their families and society by being modest in behaviour and dress.
The purpose of veiling in Islam is to protect women from being sexually attractive to men, to whom she is not married.
No doubt, woman has been created beautiful, along with sexual desires. On the other hand, she has a significant responsibility in raising her children. She needs to be responsible in fulfilling her sexual desires, as well as in mothering her children and being faithful to her husband, the father of her children.
If a pretty woman shows her beauty publicly, anyone would feel inclined to, at least, look at her and admire her beauty which is the first step in the wrong direction.
The veil has been prescribed for women to block the possibility of and inclination towards illegal sexual unity in society.
Allah says in the Noble Quran: “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and your believing women to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies, that they will be known (as respectable), and not be harmed.” Quran 33:59
Veiling occurs only when a woman is outside in public or in front of men who are not her immediate family.
Allah says: “They will not reveal their beauty except for to their husbands or their fathers, or their husband’s father of their sons, or their husband’s sons or their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons or their women.” Quran 24:31
It is commendable for the Muslim women to groom themselves nicely and beautify themselves as they, and their husband’s desire, in their homes.
The veil is also spoken of in the Bible. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians 11:5-6 says: “but any woman who prays or prophecies with her head unveiled disgraces her head – it is one and the same thing as having her head shaved. For if a woman will not veil herself, than she should cut off her hair but if it is disgraceful; for a woman to have her hair cut off or to be shaved, she SHOULD WEAR A VEIL.”
Footnotes:
1.
Allah : Arabic meaning the one and only God, who has no partners in His Godship, the Creator, Sustainer and Controller of all that exists.
2.
Islam: Firm belief in Allah. Surrender to His Will and Obedience to His Orders.
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4. Consider Islam: An Islamic TV Program
Islam-Australia Presents
CONSIDER ISLAM
(An Islamic TV Program)
'Consider' according to Oxford Dictionary means:
1
Contemplate mentally, esp. in order to reach a conclusion
2
Examine the merits of
3
Look attentatively at
4
Take into account; show consideration or regard for
PERTH: A new series of short episodes on ACCESS31 TV
Every Monday at 6pm from 6th June, God willing
BRISBANE: For the first time on Briz31 TV
Every Friday at 6pm from 17th June, God willing
