DON'T SLANDER! Allah Never Misguides.

True Guidance Comes From Allah.

Don’t Slander Allah!

It's A Blasphemy.

Allah Never Misguides!

(M. Javed Naseem)

Allah is ‘Infinite Mercy’ and ‘Infinite Love’. He created us and He loves us many times more than a mother loves her children. He commanded us to be grateful and obedient to Him so that he would shower His blessings and bounties on us. But at the same time, He warned us of Shaitan (the Devil) being our enemy manifest. He clearly warned us of painful punishment if we followed Shaitan (doing evil deeds and disobeying Allah’s commands).

وَخَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ وَٱلأَرْضَ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَلِتُجْزَىٰ

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ
“Allah created the heavens and the earth

for just ends, and in order that each soul

may find the recompense of what it has

earned, and none of them be wronged.”

(al-Quran 45:22)

For a long time now, I have seen people preaching Islam (doing Da’wah) on TV and on social media/internet. They always quote some Quranic verse: “Whom Allah guides, nobody can misguide him; and whom Allah misguides (sends astray), nobody can guide him”. Excuse me? Are you wrongfully accusing Allah? That is slander, a blasphemy!

*************************************

Allah has created everything (including

you) in Truth. Why would He mislead

you and then burn you in Hellfire? Many

people are promoting incorrect translation

of the Quranic verses to wrongfully accuse

God! Allah never leads people astray!

Instead, He guides them to the right path.

*************************************

I have been arguing with people to clarify and make them understand the true meanings of such verses. Here’s the correct translation:

وَمَن يَهْدِ ٱللَّهُ فَهُوَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ

فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِهِ
“It is he whom Allah guides, that is on true

Guidance; but he whom He leaves astray, for

such will you find no protector besides Him.”

(al-Quran 17:97)

I have been telling people (FaceBook or internet preachers) that it was a wrong notion they were promoting. Allah never misguides, misleads or sends anybody astray. The English and Urdu translators (copying each others) are the source of this blasphemy. Even the so-called ‘scholars’ have erred on this verse.

Allah guides people from the Darkness to the Light. He guided Adam and Eve when they were misled by Shaitan. He sent, as per tradition, 124,000 prophets or messengers to guide humanity to the right path. When we go astray, under the influence of our enemy Shaitan, we become sinful.

Now, imagine for a second that the whole world has gone astray. Then there are some who realize what has happened, and they repent begging Allah for forgiveness and mercy. Allah knows best who is sincerely repenting and asking for forgiveness. So, He forgives whom He wills. But how about the rest? Well, He leaves the rest wherever they are. If they are astray, He leaves them there. If they are sinful, He leaves them in sin. He does not guide them because they don’t seek guidance. Their actions don’t support their case (requesting forgiveness). And that’s the true and correct meaning of such verses; i.e.:

“Whosoever Allah guides, nobody can

misguide him/her; and whosoever Allah

leaves (astray), nobody can guide him/her.”

Here’s another example from Surah al-Room, verse 29. Yusuf Ali, being my favorite translator (but I consult at least 5 translations), renders the following translation of this verse:

بَلِ ٱتَّبَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوۤاْ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَمَن

يَهْدِى مَنْ أَضَلَّ ٱللَّهُ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ

“Nay, the wrong-doers (merely) follow

their own lusts, being devoid of knowledge.

But who will guide those whom Allah leaves

astray? To them there will be no helpers.”

(al-Quran 30:29)

Pickthal’s translation goes like this:

“Nay, but those who do wrong follow their

own lusts without knowledge. Who is able to

guide him whom Allah hath sent astray?

For such there are no helpers.”

(al-Quran 30:29)

And it is not Pickthal alone. Shakir Ali and Khalifa have also translated the above verse like Pickthal.

Similarly, most of Urdu translators (even some of the famous Ulema) have made the same mistake of adopting Pickthal’s version without much thinking. Here’s the Urdu translation from Fateh Mohammad Khan Jalandhari:

This one (below) is translated by Sheikh-ul-Hind Maulana Mahmood-ul Hassan. The translation is incorrect but the ‘Tafseer’ (explanation) is correct which is done by Maulana Shabbir Ahmed Usmani:

When you are rightly guided, you love Allah, and you ask: How could Allah possibly do such a thing (‘Na’ooz-billah’) to send people astray while declaring at the same time in the Quran, that He does not even accept helpers who mislead others?

مَّآ أَشْهَدتُّهُمْ خَلْقَ ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ وَٱلأَرْضِ وَلاَ خَلْقَ

أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَمَا كُنتُ مُتَّخِذَ ٱلْمُضِلِّينَ عَضُداً

“I did not make them witnesses of the creation

of the heavens and the earth, nor of the creation

of their own souls; nor could I take those who

lead (others) astray, for helpers.”

(al-Quran 18:51

The Almighty revealed the Quran to guide the people who had gone astray. He did not send them astray, He only let them go and stay astray because they never repented. Allah clarifies in Surah al-Qasas that it’s the lusts of people that send them astray. And when they keep following their own desires and lusts (instead of repenting), Allah does not guide them. He leaves them in that condition:

فَإِن لَّمْ يَسْتَجِيبُواْ لَكَ فَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يَتَّبِعُونَ

أَهْوَآءَهُمْ وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ ٱتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ بِغَيْرِ هُدًى

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لاَ يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّالِمِينَ

“But if they hearken not to you, know that

they only follow their own lusts; and who is

more astray than one who follow his own lusts,

devoid of guidance from Allah? For Allah

guides not people given to wrong-doing.”

(al-Quran 28:50)

Therefore, it is not only incorrect translation but also wrong to blame Allah for something He never did! We make our own choices – right or wrong – and Allah lets us do that. He allows us to do wrong because He knows that One Day we would be answering questions and held accountable for all that we did. We would be rewarded accordingly. 

Allah did not send Nimrod astray nor the Pharaoh of Egypt. They chose to go astray and Allah tried to show them the path of guidance through His prophets Abraham and Moses, respectively. But they did not repent so Allah left them in that condition. Therefore, it would be wrong to say that Allah sent them astray. Allah just allowed them to go whatever way they chose to go.

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لاَ يَسْتَحْىِ أَن يَضْرِبَ مَثَلاً مَّا بَعُوضَةً

فَمَا فَوْقَهَا فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ فَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ ٱلْحَقُّ

مِن رَّبِّهِمْ وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَيَقُولُونَ مَاذَآ

أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَـٰذَا مَثَلاً يُضِلُّ بِهِ كَثِيراً

وَيَهْدِى بِهِ كَثِيراً وَمَا يُضِلُّ بِهِ إِلاَّ ٱلْفَاسِقِينَ
“Allah disdains not to use the similitude of

things, lowest as well as highest. Those who

believe know that it is truth from their Lord;

but those who reject Faith say: "What means

Allah by this similitude?" By it He causes

many to stray, and many He leads into the

right path; but He causes not to stray,

except those who forsake (the path).”

(al-Quran 2:26)

The above verse tells us clearly that Allah does not cause anybody to go astray. It’s the people who forsake the right path, by their own choice, to go astray and Allah lets them go in that direction.

On the Day of Judgment, when evil-doers would be thrown into Hell, they would complain about Shaitan (Devil). Each one would say:

لَّقَدْ أَضَلَّنِى عَنِ ٱلذِّكْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَآءَنِى

وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَانُ لِلإِنْسَانِ خَذُولاً

"He did lead me astray from the Message

(of Allah) after it had come to me! Ah! The

Evil One (Shaitan) is but a traitor to man!"

(al-Quran 25:29)

The irony would be that those who misled others, would admit it on the Day of Judgment and withdraw from them taking no responsibility:

قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقَوْلُ رَبَّنَا هَـٰؤُلاۤءِ

ٱلَّذِينَ أَغْوَيْنَآ أَغْوَيْنَاهُمْ كَمَا غَوَيْنَا

تَبَرَّأْنَآ إِلَيْكَ مَا كَانُوۤاْ إِيَّانَا يَعْبُدُونَ
“Those against whom the charge will be proved,

will say: "Our Lord! These are the ones whom

we led astray. We led them astray, as we were

astray ourselves. We free ourselves (from them)

in your presence. It was not us they worshipped."

(al-Quran 28:63)

أَلَيْسَ ٱللَّهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَهُ وَيُخَوِّفُونَكَ بِٱلَّذِينَ

مِن دُونِهِ وَمَن يُضْـلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَـادٍ

وَمَن يَهْدِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِن مُّضِلٍّ أَلَيْسَ ٱللَّهُ بِعَزِيزٍ ذِى ٱنتِقَامٍ
“Is not Allah enough for his Servant? But

they try to frighten you with other (gods)

besides Him! For such as Allah leaves

to stray, there can be no guide.

And such as Allah does guide, there

can be none to lead astray. Is not Allah

Exalted in Power, (Able to enforce His

Will), Lord of Retribution?”

(al-Quran 39:36-37)

One thing is clear that going astray is on the part of man while guidance is on the part of Allah. He guides whom He wills. When Allah withdraws His guidance, nobody can save that person from Hellfire.

وَمَن يُضْلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِن وَلِيٍّ مِّن بَعْدِهِ

وَتَرَى ٱلظَّالِمِينَ لَمَّا رَأَوُاْ ٱلْعَذَابَ يَقُولُونَ

هَلْ إِلَىٰ مَرَدٍّ مِّن سَبِيلٍ
“For any whom Allah leaves astray,

there is no protector thereafter. And

you will see the wrong-doers, when in

sight of the Penalty, say: "Is there any

way (to effect) a return?"

(al-Quran 42:44)

Temptation is strong and we are weak; so we fall for it. When we sin, following our own desires and lusts, Allah waits for our repentance (Taubah). He gives us a lot of time (years and years) to come back to the right path. But when we ignore Him, don’t repent nor ask for His forgiveness, and arrogantly keep walking on the road to sin, Allah withdraws His favor and guidance. He leaves us astray. Again, it was our choice; He did not send us astray (we chose that way)!

أَفَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَـٰهَهُ هَوَاهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ ٱللَّهُ

عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَجَعَلَ

عَلَىٰ بَصَرِهِ غِشَاوَةً فَمَن يَهْدِيهِ مِن بَعْدِ ٱللَّهِ

أَفَلاَ تَذَكَّرُونَ
“Then do you see such a one as takes as

his god his own vain desire? Allah has,

knowing (him as such), left him astray,

and sealed his hearing and his heart (and

understanding), and put a cover on his sight.

Who, then, will guide him after Allah (has

withdrawn Guidance)? Will you not

then receive admonition?”

(al-Quran 45:23)

************

PAF'S UNSUNG HEROES: Pak Pilots Helped Muslim World.

PAF’s Unsung Heroes

Who put their lives on the line

for the Ummah

But Arabs never appreciated

nor mentioned their services!

(M. Javed Naseem)

(United States Air Force honored Saiful Azam and he became "one of the 22 'Living Eagles' of the world".)

This is to remind you of a forgotten hero who served Pakistan Air Force and then migrated to Bangladesh. In the 1965-War against India, he was awarded “Sitara-e-Jur’at” and promoted to the rank of Squadron Leader. He is the "Top Gun", Saiful Azam.

In the fall of 1966, Azam, along with other Pakistani technicians, was sent to the Royal Jordanian Air Force as a Tech. Advisor but soon got trapped in the Arab-Israeli war of June 1967. He was deputed to defend his host-land and he delivered. Then he was dispatched to Iraq to render the same service. And he delivered again.

After scoring four kills in just two days (a remarkable feat), Azam was awarded an Iraqi medal for bravery and was inducted into Jordan’s Order of Independence.

After serving two more years in the Middle East, Azam returned to Pakistan. In 1971, after the independence of Bangladesh, he joined the air force of his new homeland. In 1980, he retired from the military.

Arab-Israeli War of 1967:

The famous Six-Day War, also called the Third Arab-Israeli War, that took place June 5–10, 1967, was the decisive victory of Israel and it included the capture of the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, Old City of Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights.  Later on, the status of these territories became a major point of contention in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The Arab countries’ (Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq) losses in the conflict were disastrous. Egypt’s casualties numbered more than 11,000, with 6,000 for Jordan and 1,000 for Syria, compared with only 700 for Israel.

The Six-Day War also marked the start of a new phase in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, since the conflict created hundreds of thousands of refugees and brought more than one million Palestinians in the occupied territories under Israeli rule.

So much is written about this conflict in the Arab world but hardly anything about those Pakistanis who were the real heroes of that lost war. As a matter of fact, Pakistani servicemen have been helping UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Jordan and other Muslim countries for a long time. They did not hesitate to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the Muslim Ummah.

Recently, when Pakistan army refused to join hands with the Anglo-American-Israeli-Arab coalition in bombing the Muslim country Yemen, the UAE and Saudi Arabia were quick to shamelessly criticize Pakistan with harsh words as if Pakistanis were their slaves. They conveniently forgot all the previous favors Pakistan had extended to them.

Pakistan had a contingent of

at least 16 pilots who served

as volunteers in Jordan, Egypt,

Syria and Iraq in 1967 and 1973

Arab-Israeli wars.

Here’s a small article written by an Arab journalist, based in America, and published in the ‘Al-Arabiya’ some time ago, about the unsung heroes of Pakistan who put their lives on the line for their Muslim brothers of the Arab world.

(Ali Younes is a writer, journalist and Middle East analyst based in Washington, D.C.)

By Ali Younes

Special to ‘Al-Arabiya’

This past June marked the 48th anniversary of the Arab defeat of the 1967 war. War is normally measured by its final outcome, but many individual heroes faithfully sacrificed their lives for the Arab side, defending the honor of their nations. The actions of those men deserve to be highlighted and explained, especially the contributions of the Pakistani pilot Saiful Azam and the brave Jordanian soldiers of the battle of Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem.

At 12:48 p.m. on June 5, four Israeli jets were descending on Jordan’s Mafraq air base to smash the country’s tiny air force, shortly after the entire Egyptian air force had been reduced to rubble.

To intercept the incoming attack, Jordanian air force commanders deputized Flt. Lt. Saiful Azam, who was on loan as an advisor from Pakistan. Once airborne with other Jordanian pilots, Saiful Azam engaged the attacking aircrafts in an air-to-air combat, shooting down a Mystére commanded by Israeli pilot H. Boleh and shot and damaging another that crash-landed in Israeli territory.

Two days later he was urgently dispatched to Iraq along with several Jordanian pilots to defend the Iraqi air bases against the Israeli air force which by then had ruled without any challenge the Arab skies over Egypt, Syria, Jordan and now Iraq. Here, he again was deputized by the Iraqi air force, along with top Jordanian pilot Ihsan Shurdom, who later became the commander of Jordanian air force, to fly its Hunters in defense of its H-3 and al-Walid air bases. Once airborne the Jordanian and Iraqi pilots with Saiful Azam leading the formation intercepted the attacking Israeli aircrafts that ended up of the shooting down two of Azam’s Iraqi wingmen by the attacking Israelis. It was then when Saiful Azam used his air combat skills flying the Iraqi Hunter shot down two of the Israeli attacking planes. 

(Pakistani pilot Saiful Azam, as a young Fl.-Lt., in the 1960s (Photo courtesy AP)

Within 72 hours, Saiful Azam became the only fighter-pilot in the world to hold the record of shooting down three confirmed kills of Israeli aircrafts in air-to-air combat, a record that still stands today.

His other records included being the only fighter pilot to fly in three air forces ─ Pakistani, Jordanian, and Iraqi. Adding to his record, was his downing of an Indian Gnat aircraft during the Pakistani war with India in 1965, making him yet again the only pilot to shoot down three kinds of military aircrafts in two different air forces.

Azam was honored and awarded medals in Iraq and Jordan for his heroics but despite his remarkable military achievements and services in the Arab world, he remains unknown to the Arab public and very little is written about him in Arabic. A retired colonel in the Jordanian air force told me that “very few people know about Azam’s services outside the air force.” Azam then moved to Bangladesh after it became an independent country and served in its air force until his retirement.

All told, Pakistani Air Force pilots, in addition to Saiful Azam serving in Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and Syria, in 1967 war, downed as many as 10 Israeli aircrafts without losing a single pilot or a single aircraft. Pakistan, moreover, provided the Arab states with numerous military advisors and pilots who also served in 1973 war with remarkable achievements. The Pakistani military also provided critical military restructuring and reevaluation especially to Jordan after the 1967 war.

It is rather strange that the Pakistani contribution to Arab militaries is never mentioned in Arab culture let alone in official Arab histories of the war. Pakistan had a contingent of at least 16 pilots who served as volunteers in Jordan, Egypt, Syria and Iraq in 1967 and 1973 wars.

Pakistani air force states that all its volunteer pilots scored direct hits against Israeli aircrafts and suffered no losses. During the 1973 war, for example Flt. Lt. A. Sattar Alvi became the first Pakistani pilot, flying a Syrian aircraft to shoot down an Israeli Mirage in air combat. Similarly and on the Egyptian front, PAF pilot Flt. Lt. M. Hatif , flying an Egyptian MiG-21 shot down an Israeli F-4 phantom in an air combat. Pakistani Air Force did not lose a single pilot or aircraft in any of these wars.

(Courtesy: http://aataweb.org/alarabiyya) 

It is probably due to this reason that Israel is collaborating now with Indian forces in any plan/project against Pakistan, under the shadow of ‘war on terrorism’. Both India and Israel are burning in the fire of revenge and they don't want to miss a chance!

********

HAPPY NEW YEAR 1437 HIJRAH!

1437 Hijrah

Happy New Year Muslim Ummah!

May Allah Bless You,

Unite You And Guide You!

(M. Javed Naseem)

The new Islamic Year 1437 is already upon us. The first month of the Islamic calendar – Muharram – has started but never has this month seen the Muslim Ummah in such a dilapidated state as today. We have no leadership, no direction, no plan and no clue as to how we are going to get out of this crisis.

The Zionists are running a fierce campaign of Islam-bashing and every day more and more countries (or their leaders) are joining the band wagon. Their hands are bloody with the innocent blood of Palestinian, Iraqi, Libyan and Syrian children, women and the elderly. They are sympathizing with the victims with their mouths but helping the terrorist groups with their hands to kill more Muslims and destroy more towns. The hypocrites are dancing with joy while the innocent victims of aggression are bleeding to death. There’s nobody to stand up to the aggressors and stop the oppression.

The only people you can blame for this tragic situation are the leaders of the Muslim states who are mere puppets, pimps, corroborators in evil, inept to govern, incapable to deliver social justice to their people and unfit for the Parliaments. They go beyond any point of corruption and low-life to protect their own interests and stay in power.

The general populace is not guilt-free either. They claim to be Muslims but are far away from Islam and the Quran – the source of all guidance. They have become hypocrites and Allah does not like the hypocrites. So, who is better or who is worse in this scenario, is hard to decide. The only thing that is clear is the identity of the ‘aggressor’. All others are victims.  

Let’s hope that sanity and reason prevail and hardships of the innocent victims are eased up.

People talk about tolerance but the oppression and apartheid cannot be tolerated.

People talk about peace but nobody is making any sincere effort to bring peace. On the contrary, more arms and bombs are being sent to the disaster areas. You cannot promote peace with bombs and guns. Peace is based on justice, equality and fair-play. If there’s no justice, there’ll be no peace!

People talk about co-existence but don’t do anything to stop the ethnic cleansing of the weak. They are being driven into non-existence.

This world is full of hypocrisy!

Under these circumstances, the weak, the wretched, the down-trodden look up to the heavens and expect some miracle. The miracles do happen and let’s hope for one now. The question is how? Do we qualify to ask Allah for any help or a miracle? I guess not! Allah says:

فَٱذْكُرُونِيۤ أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُواْ لِى وَلاَ تَكْفُرُونِ
“Then do remember Me; I will remember

you. Be grateful to Me, and reject not Me.”

(al-Quran 2:152)

We don’t respect Allah the way we should. We don’t love Allah although we claim to. We don’t fear Allah the way He should be feared. And we don’t obey Allah at all. We show our ingratitude, disobedience, defiance, stubbornness, revolt or rebellion and disrespect day in and day out.

If we obey Allah as His faithful servants, He’ll surely help us because He has promised it. But we need to stand up and fight the aggression. We need to do our part and then expect the miracles.

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُدَافِعُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُوۤاْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ كُلَّ خَوَّانٍ كَفُورٍ

أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَاتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُواْ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ
“Verily Allah will defend (from ill) those who believe.

Verily, Allah loves not any that is a traitor to faith,

or show ingratitude to those against whom war is made,

permission is given (to fight), because they are wronged;

and verily, Allah is most powerful for their aid.”

(al-Quran 22:38-39)

God helps those who help themselves. He has given us a Book of Guidance (the Quran) and that Book guides us at every step. It tells us how to seek Allah’s help:

يَآأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ ٱسْتَعِينُواْ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلاَة

ِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّابِرِينَ
“O you who believe! Seek (Allah’s) help with

patient perseverance and prayer; for Allah is

with those who patiently persevere.”

(al-Quran 2:153)

Do we follow the Book that also tells us that we should stick together in the name of Allah because there is strength in unity?

وَٱعْتَصِمُواْ بِحَبْلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعاً وَلاَ تَفَرَّقُواْ

“And hold on fast, all together, to the rope of

Allah, and be not divided (among yourselves)”.

(al-Quran 3:103)

The blessed Book also tells us that we should be grateful to our Lord for all the favors so that we enjoy more of His bounties.

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ

وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌ

“And remember! Your Lord caused to be

declared (publicly): If you are grateful, I will add

more (favors) unto you; but if you show ingratitude,

truly My punishment is terrible indeed."

(al-Quran 14:7)

By the above measures, if we review our relationship with Allah, where do we stand? Can we call ourselves "friends of Allah"? Do we enjoy a close relationship that we could command miracles? I guess not! We are shamelessly ungrateful. And Allah is very well aware of it.

إِنَّ ٱلإِنسَانَ لِرَبِّهِ لَكَنُودٌ
“Truly man is, to his Lord, ungrateful.”

(al-Quran 100:6)

يَعْرِفُونَ نِعْمَةَ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنكِرُونَهَا وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ ٱلْكَافِرُونَ
“They recognize the favors of Allah;

then they deny them; and most of them

are (creatures) ungrateful.”

(al-Quran 16:83)

He warns us that He does not like the ungrateful folks and there’s no guidance for them. Allah loves grateful and obedient servants. The ungrateful and disobedient would  rather be punished.

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَهُمْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ لاَ يُقْضَىٰ

عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَمُوتُواْ وَلاَ يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمْ مِّنْ

عَذَابِهَا كَذٰلِكَ نَجْزِى كُلَّ كَفُورٍ
“But those who reject (Allah), for them

will be the Fire of Hell. No term shall be

determined for them, so they should die,

nor shall its Penalty be lightened for them.

Thus do We reward every ungrateful one!

(al-Quran 35:36)

It tells us that we must believe in Allah with all sincerity and honesty to get Allah’s favors in the fight against Unbelievers. Allah has guaranteed that the Unbelievers will never succeed against the believers.

وَلاَ يَحْسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ سَبَقُوۤاْ إِنَّهُمْ لاَ يُعْجِزُونَ 
“Let not the Unbelievers think that they

can get the better (of the godly). They

will never frustrate (them)”.

(al-Quran 8:59)

The Unbelievers always get united against the believers but they will be defeated. Only we need to prove that we are the true believers.

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ لِيَصُدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ

فَسَيُنفِقُونَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسْرَةً ثُمَّ يُغْلَبُونَ

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوۤاْ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ يُحْشَرُونَ

“The Unbelievers spend their wealth to hinder

(man) from the path of Allah, and so will they

continue to spend; but in the end they will

have (only) regrets and sighs; at length they

will be overcome; and the Unbelievers

will be gathered together to Hell.”

(al-Quran 8:36)

The first thing we need to do right now is to repent; beg for Allah’s forgiveness and then ask for His Mercy and help. This is the only way to fix our relationship. The Most Merciful will definitely grant us solidarity, steadfastness, stability and finally the victory too.

ربَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِىۤ أَمْرِنَا

وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وٱنْصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَافِرِينَ

"Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and anything

We may have done that transgressed our duty.

Establish our feet firmly, and help us against

those that resist Faith."

(al-Quran 3:147)

I wish you all the best during the new year! I pray and hope that Allah, the Almighty, bestows upon you His mercy, blessings with guidance and protection; and grants you the courage and strength to fight all the evil and injustice facing the Muslim Ummah. Stay on the right path and help each other in the righteousness to achieve peace, happiness, contentment and success! May Allah be your Friend and Protector! Aameen!

***********

MANKIND IS ONE COMMUNITY With One God.

‘Deen’ Is A Way of Life

Mankind Is One Community

With One God And

One ‘Deen’ (Religion)

(M. Javed Naseem)

Allah prescribed Islam

as ‘Deen’ (or religion)

for the entire mankind.

ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ

نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلأِسْلاَمَ دِيناً

“This day have I perfected your ‘Deen’ (religion)

for you, completed My favor upon you, and

have chosen for you Islam as your Deen.”

(al-Quran 5:3)

The Almighty Allah has made very clear two things through this verse of the Quran:

First: The Deen (religion) was completed during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). Anything added, deleted, altered, edited, newly started or invented as ‘Islam’ after the death of the Prophet (s.a.w.) is NOT Islam. Period! Remember that there were no ‘sects’ during his period and time!

فَمَنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ مِنْ  بَعْدِ

ذٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَـٰئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّالِمُونَ
“If any, after this, invent a lie and attribute it

to Allah, they are indeed unjust wrong-doers.”

(al-Quran 3:94)

Second: The Deen (religion) chosen and prescribed by Allah for the entire mankind was named as ‘Islam’. That’s why Allah will not accept anything else in the name of Deen or religion.

إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلإِسْلاَمُ
“The Religion before Allah is Islam

(submission to His Will).”

(al-Quran 3:19)

وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ ٱلإِسْلاَمِ دِيناً فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ

وَهُوَ فِى ٱلآخِرَةِ مِنَ ٱلْخَاسِرِينَ
“If anyone desires a religion other than Islam

(submission to Allah), never will it be accepted

of him; and in the Hereafter He will be in the

ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good).”

(al-Quran 3:85)

If Allah had wanted, He would have created us as one nation but He created us different to add charm, color and variety to the ‘rainbow community’ and then bound us together with one Deen! He gave us choices to see what we do and how loyal we are to Him.

وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَـٰكِن

لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِى مَآ آتَاكُم فَاسْتَبِقُوا الخَيْرَاتِ إِلَىٰ اللهِ

مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعاً فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ

“… If Allah had so willed, He would have

made you a single people, but (His plan is)

to test you in what He has given you. So

strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of

you all is to Allah; it is He that will show you

the truth of the matters in which you dispute.”

(al-Quran 5:48)

These days it’s a fashionable thing to be an atheist or secular. The young generations of Christians and Muslims have discarded religion as an old-fashioned thing of the past. The funny part is that these youngsters don’t even know their religion well enough. They just reject the idea of religion as such. Many Muslims (and their offspring) also think that Islam is a religion. It’s not! Islam is a ‘Deen’ – a Way of Life – and the religion is a small part of it. Religion generally refers to the rituals and obligations (worship) concerning our Faith or beliefs.  

Those who demand the separation of state and religion, they are fed up with the Jewish or Christian religious bigots interfering in their private, business and socio-political lives. So, they demand the separation of the two. On the contrary, Islam is a complete package and religion (worshipping Allah and discharging related obligations) is a small part of it. The Deen, as Allah calls it in the Quran, is Islam and it covers all aspects of human life – all of it with no exception (social, cultural, personal, communal, educational, economic, political and spiritual, etc., etc.). It’s a system on which a welfare state and a disciplined society is based and developed so that the members (people) enjoy peaceful life with social justice. So, what part of human life would you separate from humans?

In Islam, a state is formed on the guidelines and principles laid down by the Quran and the Prophet (s.a.w.). Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) was the first head of the Islamic state. He should be our role-model and his governance should be a model of our Islamic state. All ‘Khulafa-e-Raashideen’ were Muslims and they ruled/governed on the pattern established by Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). And Muhammad (s.a.w.) was not a King either!

Life asked Death:

‘Why people hate you and love me?’

Death replied:

‘Because you are a BEAUTIFUL lie,

and I am a PAINFUL truth!’

Truth and falsehood (lies, deception) go in the opposite directions. We go for ‘looks’ on the outside or ‘appearances’, glitter and attractive packing without caring much about the inside or the contents. But it is the contents that matter. It is OK to check the credentials of the messenger to see if he is trustworthy but it is a lot more important to see the message he brings. All prophets brought the message of Truth from Allah, the Almighty. Allah created everything in Truth and prescribed the same Truth for all maladies inflicting us. Let me tell you about its origin.

Here are excerpts from the Bible, Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 39, where Jesus, the son of Mary, is explaining to his disciples the scene of Adam’s creation:

            ‘Then God gave his soul to man, while

            all the holy angels sang: “Blessed be

            your holy name, O God our Lord.”

            Adam, having sprung upon his feet, saw

            in the air a writing that shone like the sun,

            which said: “There is only one God, and

            Muhammad is the Messenger of God”

            (La ilaha illa-Allah, Muhammad-ur Rasool-Allah).

Subhan-Allah! This is Isa ibn Maryam (Prophet Jesus Christ) narrating. The quotation continues:

             “Whereupon Adam opened his mouth

             and said: “I thank you, O Lord, my God,

             that you have deigned to create me; but

             tell me, I pray you, what means the message

             of these words: “Muhammad is Messenger

             of God. Have there been other men before

             me?” Then said God: “Be you welcome,

             O my servant Adam. I tell you that you are

             the first man whom I have created. And he

             whom you have seen (mentioned) is your son

             who shall come into the world many years

             hence, and shall be my Messenger, for whom

             I have created all things; who shall give light

             to the world when he shall come, whose soul   

             was set in a celestial splendor, sixty thousand

             years before I made any thing.”

Allah-o-Akbar! That’s where it all started for us humans. But notice that Islam already existed there!

Now, here is another excerpt from the Bible, Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 41, where Jesus is narrating the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Heaven, after disobedience to Allah (when they ate the fruit from the forbidden tree):

             ‘God hid himself (from Adam and Eve),

             and the angel Michael drove them forth

             from paradise. Then, Adam, turning

             around, saw written above the gate,

             “There is only one God, and Muhammad

             is Messenger of God” (La ilaha illa-Allah,

             Muhammad-ur Rasool-Allah).

             Weeping, he (Adam) said: “May it be

             pleasing to God, O my son, that you come

             quickly and draw us out of misery”.

Subhan Allah! The message of ‘Tawheed’ and the prophet-hood of Muhammad (s.a.w.) was established centuries before the creation of Adam. Islam was the norm of Heaven and all prophets delivered the same message.

Allah created only one ‘Deen’ (you can call it a faith or religion) for mankind, and that is Islam. People also gave it different names during different times. But all prophets (messengers) brought the message of Islam to their respective nations. It started with Adam and was completed with Muhammad (s.a.w.). As a matter of fact, it existed in the heavens even before Adam was created. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (s.a.w.) all preached and practiced Islam.

Since the creation of the universe, Allah, the Creator, has been sending us His message through different messengers at different times. The messengers were different, languages were different, cultures were different, peoples were different and diverse but the message was the same, one and universal – there is only One God (Allah) worthy of worship and He has no partners, no family, nor children.

We go out of our way to make things comfortable and easy for us in this world and forget all about the Hereafter. Allah says:

وَما ٱلْحَيَاةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا إِلاَّ مَتَاعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ

“… The life of this world is but

comfort of illusion.”

(al-Quran 3:185)

We buy illusion at the expense of reality – the everlasting real life of the Hereafter. Man, under the influence of Satan, distorted God’s message through his corrupt ways, in every era. But eventually, it was the Truth that prevailed.

Truth always comes from Allah and lies (or falsehood) from Satan (Devil). Devil buries the truth under the filthy heap of dung so that nobody cares to dig it out. The dirty work demands a lot of patience, sacrifice, hard work and guidance. There are not many who want to do that digging. It requires the digger to be an honest, sincere believer and a true seeker who is ready to give all in the cause of Allah. Presently, Muslim Ummah is in desperate need of such diggers.

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said that when there is too much of ‘Haraam’ – corruption and evil practices – in a society and the people, who are capable (and responsible) of stopping that, do nothing about it, that society should wait for ‘azaab-Allah’ – the wrath of Allah.

That means that evil-doing and corruption bring punishment of God, the Almighty. That is a very natural course. If we open the Holy Quran, we’ll find the stories of previous nations who rejected the message of Allah, deviated from the right path and rebelled against the Law of Allah. They were wiped off the land as if they never existed. The nations of Aad, Thamud, Noah, Nimrod, Lot, Shuaib, Pharaoh, etc., they all became part of the history and a lesson for the mankind. Allah says:

وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا ٱلْقُرُونَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَمَّا ظَلَمُواْ

وَجَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَاتِ وَمَا كَانُواْ

لِيُؤْمِنُواْ كَذٰلِكَ نَجْزِى   ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ

“We destroyed the generations before you

when they did wrong; and their messengers

(from Allah) came unto them with clear proofs

(of His Sovereignty), but they would not believe.

Thus do we reward the guilty folk.”

(al-Quran 10:13)

But did the mankind really learn any lesson? Today, we are in the same situation once again. Allah has extended the leash, given us plenty of time to repent and change our ways, but nothing has improved. On the contrary, the only change that we see, is the change for the worse – ‘Haraam’ is spreading. We are chasing an illusion. We have ignored all warnings and have arrogantly defied the commands of Allah.

The righteous few, the friends of Allah, have already received the signals of the punishment which is almost at our doorsteps. Now, it is just a matter of time. O Ummah! Wake up, it is coming! Can we still not see it? Then we must be blind, deaf and dumb! Prepare yourself for a rude awakening!

وَلَقَدْ ذَرَأْنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيراً مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ وَٱلإِنْسِ

لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لاَّ يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ

لاَّ يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ آذَانٌ لاَّ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَآ

أُوْلَـٰئِكَ كَٱلأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ أُوْلَـٰئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْغَافِلُونَ

“Many are the Jinns and men we have

made for Hell. They have hearts wherewith

they understand not, eyes wherewith they

see not, and ears wherewith they hear not.

They are like cattle, nay more misguided;

for they are heedless (of warning).”

(al-Quran 7:179)

************

BLINDED BY ISLAMOPHOBIA

Blinded By Islamophobia

Living in Glass-Houses And

Flinging Stones At Others!

(M. Javed Naseem)

Read my lips: There cannot be peace

without social justice! The menace of

extremism (renamed Islamophobia)

was created as a pretext to invade

oil-rich Muslim countries. Extremism

springs from the base of injustice,

inequality and apartheid. And Islam

is against all three. Promote Justice!

وَمِمَّنْ خَلَقْنَآ أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ

“And of those whom We created, there

is a nation who guide with the Truth

and establish justice therewith.”

(al-Quran 7:181)

In today’s world, ‘Muslim-bashing’ is on top of the Zionists’ agenda. Media’s all-out war against Muslims has gone beyond all reasonable limits. The ‘hate-mongers’ have taken ‘Islamophobia’ to the new heights. So much so that even a 14-years old Muslim child is arrested for inventing a clock. The morons, who claim to be the guardians of law and order, thought the child was lying, and actually trying to make a bomb. Yeah, that’s the Police mindset because the child was a Muslim!

The child, a 14-years old boy named Ahmed, went through hell at this small age. He told reporters it was "very sad" that his teacher thought his clock was a threat.

"I built a clock to impress my teacher but when I showed it to her she thought it was a threat to her. I'm very sad that she got the wrong impression of it."

Yeah, that’s the general mindset! The teacher, even after having inspected the clock, called the Police. The school teachers with that mindset are promoting apartheid and they should be fired.

At the same news conference, Ahmed announced he plans to transfer schools. Good for him!

The Zionists among the so-called ‘People of the Book’ – Jews and Christians – love to criticize Islam and Muslims and quote verses from the Quran out of context just to prove their point that Quran teaches extremism and violence. What an irony! They have studied Bible (Old & New Testaments) and amazingly did not find anything befitting the labels of ‘extreme’ and ‘violent’. Is this a problem of hypocrisy, deception or a simple case of going blind by losing vision?

These days, an American bigot, champion of civil rights, democracy and human rights (himself a black minority) is using all his connections and influence through media to impress the colored and the white voters of America. He is delivering lectures and speeches and in every speech he criticizes Muslims/Islam and at the same time has the nerve to promote Christianity at political forums. He always quotes from the Bible (don’t know what version of Bible he considers authentic). He is a ‘fundamentalist’ Christian. He said he didn’t want to see a Muslim president of America and he wants Muslims to denounce some verses of the Quran. What a bigot! When he quotes from the Bible, he does not denounce the Bible verses that violate the American constitution and promote violence. His statement constitutes ‘discrimination’ and he does not qualify to be a presidential candidate. He is an opportunist and is trying to get cheap publicity with his Muslim-bashing agenda because that’s the fashionable trend today.

The Mindset:

Only The Quran Promotes Extremism?

Islam is not the cause, it’s rather the solution to extremism. It gives equal rights to all people living in one society. It promotes social justice and forbids discrimination on the basis of color, creed, race, family or blood, and religion. Today’s extremism springs from injustice and apartheid.

One of the easiest and quickest methods the right-wingers use to get Joe-public on their side (a tactic used very frequently by groups such as the English Defence League, and the British National Party) is quoting passages from the Quran in isolation and out of context.
We hear of how Islam, through the teachings in the Quran, is condoning the killing of non-believers as well as encouraging the stoning of women for adultery, amongst other things.

Here are some of the values promoted in the Bible. Please pick up a Bible (any version) and check the verse references to see the full passages. There are many but here are only a few as sample:

– Kill people for working on the Sabbath: Exodus 31:12-15
– Kill Homosexuals: Leviticus 20:13
– Kill people for swearing at parents: Leviticus 20:9
– Kill non-believers: 2 Chronicles 15:12-13
– Kill women who are not virgins on their wedding night: Deuteronomy 22:20-21

There are those who seek the shield of religious divide with the argument: Oh! This is in the Old Testament. I am a Protestant (and believe in New Testament). They forget that Jesus had said that he did not bring anything new. Instead he came to confirm the previous message (Torah of Moses). So, the basis of the New Testament is the Old Testament. Jesus did not start a new religion.

“We’ll go down as the greatest bigots

and haters of mankind in history!”

                                    --- Paul Washer

Allah prescribed for mankind a religion based on Truth. It is something very serious but humans always made mockery of it by adding, deleting and changing the contents according to their needs. As a result, we have ‘holy’ books full of ‘unholy’ contradictions. They contain commands that make no sense and defy every logic or reason. They are simply ridiculous.

Dr. Laura Schlesinger is an American radio talk show host and offers listeners advice on family, social, cultural and religious issues. In her radio show, Dr. Laura, an observant Orthodox Jew, said that homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and it cannot be condoned in any circumstance.

The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, written by a U.S. scholar and educationist and posted on the Internet. It’s funny but points out some serious contradictions in the religious beliefs and actions of the People of the Book.

Dear Dr. Laura!

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God’s Laws and how to follow them.

1). Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not to Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?

2). I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3). I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual un-cleanliness – Lev. 15:19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4). When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord – Lev. 1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5). I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6). A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination, Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this? Are there ‘degrees’ of abomination?

7). Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?

8). Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

9). I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football (American rugby) if I wear gloves?

10). My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev. 24:10-16).

Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14).

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I’m confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.

Your adoring fan,

James M. Kauffman, Ed. D., Professor Emeritus,

Dept. of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education,

University of Virginia.

P.S.: It would be a damn shame if we couldn’t own a Canadian.

I wonder if Ben Carson, the staunch right-wing Christian and a presidential hopeful of America (or any other bigot in the Western politics today) has any answers to the above questions of Prof. Kauffman!

Moral of the story: Those who live in glass-houses, should not fling stones at others!

Live and let live!

***********