Islamic Knowledge

I am a medical student and have decided to write about Islam. In this way I will be able to get some knowledge myself and provide some to you. I am not a scholar, if I am wrong in please point out my mistakes and guide me.

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A Brother Like That

Suhaib received an automobile from his brother as an Eid present. On Eid day when Suhaib came out of his house, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. ”Is this your car, Uncle?” he asked. Suhaib nodded. “My brother gave it to me for Eid?” The boy was astounded.

“You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn’t cost you nothing? Boy, I wish…” He hesitated. Of course Suhaib knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Suhaib all the way down to his heels. “I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a brother like that.” Suhaib looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, “Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?” “Oh yes, I’d love that.”

After a short while the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, “Uncle, would you mind driving in front of my house?” Suhaib smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbours that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Suhaib was wrong again. “Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked. He ran up the steps. Then in little while Suhaib heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed.

“There it is, little brother, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Eid and it didn’t cost him a penny. And someday I’m gonna give you one just like it…then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the shop windows that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”

Suhaib got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable ride. That Eid Suhaib learned what the RasulAllah (SalAllahu alayhi Wasalam) meant when he had said: “Love for your brother what you love for yourself.”

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The Guard Who Found Islam

By Dan Ephron - NEWSWEEK

From the magazine issue dated Mar 30, 2009

Army specialist Terry Holdbrooks had been a guard at Guantanamo for about six months the night he had his life-altering conversation with detainee 590, a Moroccan also known as "The General." This was early 2004, about halfway through Holdbrooks's stint at Guantanamo with the 463rd Military Police Company. Until then, he'd spent most of his day shifts just doing his duty. He'd escort prisoners to interrogations or walk up and down the cellblock making sure they weren't passing notes. But the midnight shifts were slow. "The only thing you really had to do was mop the center floor," he says. So Holdbrooks began spending part of the night sitting cross-legged on the ground, talking to detainees through the metal mesh of their cell doors.

He developed a strong relationship with the General, whose real name is Ahmed Errachidi. Their late-night conversations led Holdbrooks to be more skeptical about the prison, he says, and made him think harder about his own life. Soon, Holdbrooks was ordering books on Arabic and Islam. During an evening talk with Errachidi in early 2004, the conversation turned to the shahada, the one-line statement of faith that marks the single requirement for converting to Islam ("There is no God but God and Muhammad is his prophet"). Holdbrooks pushed a pen and an index card through the mesh, and asked Errachidi to write out the shahada in English and transliterated Arabic. He then uttered the words aloud and, there on the floor of Guantanamo's Camp Delta, became a Muslim.

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Is There Honor Killing in Islam?

So I read an article about an Afghani girl almost being executed due to speaking with a boy in private. I understand that this situation is bad, and she shouldn’t be killed. What I don’t understand is how any of that relates to Islam. Every single comment on that article was about how Islam degrades its women. How Islamic countries are “hell-holes.” How Muslims are evil. I’d like every one to know that honor killing is nowhere to be found in the Quran. Honor killing is not tied to any religion what so ever. According to the UN honor killings had been reported in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, Yemen, and other Mediterranean and Persian Gulf countries, and that they had also taken place in western countries such as France, Germany and the United Kingdom. They were also reported in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ecuador, India, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Sweden, Turkey, and Uganda. So they don’t only happen in Islamic countries. In ancient Rome, being raped was seen as dishonorable to the point of destroying a woman’s life and reputation, and honor killing was supposed to be a “merciful” act. In ancient Babylonian, Egypt, Chinese, North American Native American tribes and Persian cultures, women convicted of adultery were subjected to extreme punishments. In Babylonian societies, women suspected of adultery were forced to throw themselves into a river to prove they were innocent. In Egyptian culture, imprisonment, flogging, or mutilation were common punishments for women who had been convicted of adultery. Chinese culture suggested that husbands cut off the hair of adulterous women and then lead them to their death by an elephant trained to kill. Some Native American tribes punished adulterous women by cutting off their limbs and mutilating their bodies. In Persia, adulterous women were left to die after being placed into a well. There’s a little history lesson on honor killing. I’m not saying I support it, but I condone the fact that ignorant and pompous people blame it on the fact that these people are Muslim. These honor killings have faded with time, but they are still around. In Islam no blame is given to a woman who was raped. This is illustrated through the following hadith (or story about the prophet Muhammad): “There was an incident when a woman was raped. Later, when some people came by, she identified and accused the man of raping her. They seized him and brought him to Muhammad, who said to the woman, ‘Go away, for God has forgiven you,’ but of the man who had raped her, he said, ‘Stone him to death.’” Birth control is acceptable in Islam, as long as the woman agrees to it. Islam allows abortions as long as the fetus is less than 120 days old. Divorces can be initiated by a woman, in Islam. Islam asks women to dress modestly and wear a headcovering. There are many misconception when speaking about Islam. So, please don’t call my religion evil. I don’t call your religion evil. Some of the countries that practice my religion just happen to have bad rulers. They just happen to have extremists in charge.

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Hijab is not to protect men, but to honor women.

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Hijab is to honor women

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Junaid Baghdadi and Love for Allah

Once at the time of Hajj, there was a gathering in Mecca of some friends of Allah; the youngest among whom was Junaid Baghdadi (RA). In THAT gathering, there was adiscussion on the subject of 'Love for Allah' and as to who is the lover of Allah. Many of them expressed their views on the subject, but Junaid (RA) kept quiet. He was pressed to say something. With his head bowed down and tears in his eyes, he said, 'The lover of Allah is he who forgets his own self, remains engaged in Allah's remembrance with due regard to all its requirements; sees Allah with the eyes of his heart, which is burnt by the heat of Allah's fear; Allah's remembrance affects him Iike a cup of wine, he speaks the word of Allah as if All-Mighty Allah speaks through his mouth; if he moves, he does so under the command of Allah; he gets peace of mind only through the obedience of Allah; and when such a stage is reached, his eating, drinking, sleeping, awakening and, in short, all his actions are for the pleasure of Allah; he neither pays heed to the worldly customs, nor does he attach any importance to unfriendly criticism by people."

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The Pious Man and the Shopkeeper

There lived a pious man all by himself, who spent most of his time in praying, fasting and praising Allah. Almost all his waking hours were utilised in meditation and devotions. He was very happy with his spiritual progress. No wicked thoughts came to his mind and no evil temptations entered his heart. One night, he dreamt a rather disturbing dream. He saw that a shopkeeper in the town was far superior to him in spirituality and that he must go to him to learn the basics of true spiritual life. In the morning, the pious man went in search of the shopkeeper. He found him busy with his customers, selling goods and collecting money with a cheerful face. He sat there in a corner of the shop and watched the shopkeeper carefully. No signs of any spiritual life at all, he said to himself. His dream could not be true. But then he saw the shopkeeper disappear to pray his Salah. When he returned, he was busy dealing with money matters again. The shopkeeper noticed the pious man sitting in the corner and asked: "Assalamu Alaikum, would you like something, brother?" "Wa Alaikum As Salam. Oh! No! No!" said the pious man. "I don't want to buy anything, but I want to ask you a question." He then related his dream. "Well, that is very simple to explain," said the shopkeeper, "but you will have to do something for me before I answer your question." "I will do anything for you," replied the pious man. "All right! Take this saucer; there is some mercury in it. Go to the other end of the street and come back fast within half an hour. If the mercury falls out of the saucer, you will hear nothing from me. There you go now." The pious man took the saucer and started running. The mercury nearly wobbled out of the saucer. He saved it just in time, and slowed down. Then he remembered he had to return within half an hour, so he started walking at a fast pace. At long last he returned puffing and panting. "Here is your mercury, safe and sound," he told the shopkeeper. "Now tell me the true interpretation of my dream." The shopkeeper looked at the pious man's weary condition and asked him: "Well, friend, how many times did you remember Allah while you were going from this end of the street to the other?" "Remember Allah!" exclaimed the pious man. "I did not remember Him at all. I was so worried about the mercury in the saucer." "But I do remember Him all the time," said the shopkeeper. "When I am doing my business, I am also carrying mercury in a saucer. I am fair, honest and kind to my customers. I never forget Allah Ta'ala in my dealings with other men." "Men whom neither trade nor sale (business) diverts from the remembrance of Allaah (with heart and tongue) nor from performing As- Salaah (Iqaamat-as-Salaah) nor from giving the Zakaah. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned (out of the horror of the torment of the Day of Resurrection). That Allaah may reward them according to the best of their deeds, and add even more for them out of His Grace. And Allaah provides without measure to whom He wills" [Al Quran, Surah An-Noor 24:37-38]

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Did You Thank Allah for Your Eyesight?

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: “I am blind, please help.” There were only a few coins in the hat. A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?” The man said, “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.” What he had written was: “Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it.” Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing? Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective? ” It is He, Who has created for you (the sense of) hearing (ears), sight (eyes), and hearts (understanding). Little thanks you give.” [Surah Al-Mu’minun; 78]

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The Emperor and the Seed

An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you." The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!" One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didnt have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by-still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But his mother told him to be honest about what happened, Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kids laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try." When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!" All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!" When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling." he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldnt believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor? Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!" The Prophet taught, "Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes a truthful person. Falsehood leads to Al-Fajur (i.e. wickedness, evil-doing), and Al-Fajur (wickedness) leads to the (Hell) Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies till he is written before Allah, a liar." [Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8:116]