SCIENCE-ISLAM

The antichrist and his order referred to in the New Testament are misunderstood and misinterpreted by some Christians. The system of the antichrist described in the New Testament that will appear to be peaceful but will then engage in cruelty is Freemasonry. And the Masonic system described in the New Testament is also in full agreement with the hadith handed down from our Prophet (saas). As described in the hadith of our Prophet (saas) and in the New Testament, a false prophet known as the antichrist will appear in the final age of the world and will deceive people by appearing to be religiously devout, and there will be a person beside him, who will also come in sight a false prophet. As it is stated in the New Testament and also in the hadith, the antichrist, will bring the whole world under his rule, will trail masses of people by the virtue of his devout guise, but will actually inflict cruelty on the world. He will be recognized through this oppression. One of the hadith of our Prophet (saas) concerning the antichrist reads as follows: There has not been a prophet before me who did not frighten his community with the antichrist. His left eye will be askew and there will be a membrane over his right eye. And the word “kafir (infidel)” will be written on his brow. There will be two valleys beside him known as Paradise and Hell. What he calls Paradise is the Hell, and what he calls Hell is the Paradise. There will be two angels beside him dressed as prophets, one on his right and one on his left. This unity is to test people. The antichrist will ask them: "—Am I not your Lord? I slay and I resurrect." One of the angels will say: "—You are lying!" However none but the angel beside him will hear these words. The second angel will say to the first: "—You speak the truth." The words of the second angel will be heard by the people there and they will conjecture that those words are spoken to confirm the antichrist. This is also to test people. He will then march on to Medina. When he could not enter, he says; “This is his country!” He will then march on to Damascus, where Allah will destroy him at the place known as "Akabet-ul Efik." (Hadith related by Safina (RA), Ramûz al- Ahâdith. 140/11) The New Testament describes the antichrist who will appear as a false prophet as : “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. (Revelation 19/19-21) "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Mathews 7:15) “At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. (Matthew 24/ 23-25) “..The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, ‘Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?’" (Revelation 13/3-4) The current system of the antichrist is under the management of freemasonry. The leader of world freemasonry is at work and the false prophet beside the antichrist is the leader of the masonic Moonies sect. He has at this time declared his own prophethood. Together they have been dragging the world to a gradually increasing heresy and corruption. The dominion of the Masonic system upon the world is still going on. This means that, the prophecies in the New Testament have thus come true, as has what Rasulullah says in the hadith. However this did not happen in the way that certain Christians interpreted. Because these certain Christians should understand that these prophecies in the New Testament in fact do carry very different meanings. The antichrist, which has been mentioned in the prophecies of the New Testament, which actually is the blood shedding idea which needs to be opposed intellectually is the “freemasonry and the Moonies sect affiliated to it.” World freemasonry and its leader and the leader of the Moonies sect, who falsely claims to be a prophet, are at work and acting together. Both claim to be acting in the name of peace and love, but have actually led people to heresy. The communism, fascism, Darwinism and atheism that global freemasonry has inflicted on the world have always claimed to have positive objectives, but in fact they have deceived vast masses of people and shed blood by inciting war and conflict. Freemasonry led the way to mass slaughter and inflicted degeneration on societies by using all these heretical ideologies. It claimed to be acting in the name of peace, love and brotherhood but actually swamped the world in corruption. Freemasonry still dominates the world. And still claims to support peace. However people like Marx, Stalin, Lenin, Hitler, Mussolini, Franco and Darwin, who dragged the world into a tumult, were all high-ranking Masons. These people either shed blood themselves at the command of the antichrist or caused blood to be shed. They caused utter confusion in the world and were responsible for the deaths of 250 million people across the world. The true face of the antichrist only became apparent after the assumption of global dominion. The system of the antichrist is today recognizable from the oppression and perversion for which it is responsible. This century is the world’s last. According to all three revealed religions, the remaining life span of the world is just 150 years. After that will come Doomsday. All of the prophecies mentioned in the New Testament have come true. The time for salvation has now come. The age we are living in is a very holy one in which the Prophet Jesus will return to earth and Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear. If all believers, no matter what their faith, support one another this will totally thwart the antichrist’s plan. By Allah’s leave, unity among devout Christians, Jews and Muslims will bestow justice, peace, love and friendship on the world, and thus the influence of the antichrist will be brought to a complete end. War and conflict will come to an end and moral virtues will rule the world. This is the promise of our Lord.

Posted by keith2009 at 08:35

DARWINISM HAS COLLAPSED Reports of the collapse of Darwinism are coming in from all over the world! ‘Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Falsehood is always bound to vanish.’ (Surat Al-Isra , 81) Public opinion polls in 34 leading countries show an avalanche of belief in creation across the world and that the theory of evolution has begun to disappear. One of these countries in which the number of believers in evolution is the smallest is “Turkey”. Ever since it was first put forward, people have been indoctrinated with the theory of evolution by means of a wide range of propaganda techniques, as a result of which it has been widely accepted by sections of society lacking the means to research it. However, the theory of evolution has now lost all its foundations in the face of present-day scientific developments. Anyone who follows scientific publications can clearly see that the theory of evolution is facing a major predicament. All the research carried out has totally discredited claims that living things came into existence by chance. Indeed, many evolutionists now openly admit that it is impossible for Darwinism to explain the origin of life. Evolutionists used the primitive level of technology in the past to deceive people – literally by casting a spell over them – for decades. However, there has been a comprehensive intellectual struggle against Darwinism all over the world in the last 20 years, particularly in Turkey. The Turkish public has been made aware of evolutionist deceptions by means of this struggle and of the Creation surrounding us. This intellectual struggle has also had an impact all over the world. Indeed, when one brings together recent developments we can see that a number of very significant changes have taken place in the world. In particular, a number of successive reports in the Turkish and foreign press have made this change crystal clear. The results of a number of public opinion polls have revealed that there is a very powerful general trend towards Creationism and that this has caused great consternation among evolutionists. The statistics obtained show that many people no longer believe in evolution. In addition, the way that many well-known scientists have turned to God by admitting that living things were created is a striking development showing that the theory of evolution has reached the end of the road and that the number of its adherents is decreasing day by day. The common factor among the factors leading to this change noted by experts is the quality, variety and spread of the studies revealing the invalidity of the theory of evolution. Some striking reports recently published regarding the strengthening of belief in creation, which has for some time now occupied an important place in the world press, and the way that people are turning in the direction of religious moral values are collected below: A number of significant developments in recent years have accelerated the great collapse of materialism, which has in turn led to the end of the theory of evolution. Some of these developments are: • Scientists conducting experiments aimed at exceeding the speed of light made a finding that overturned all scientific assumptions. They witnessed that in an experimental environment in which the speed of light was exceeded many times the result of the experiment actually occurred before its cause. This meant the demolition of the claim of “causality,” proposed in the 19th century on the basis of materialist foundations. The subject was summarized in the words “it has been proved that an effect without a cause is possible, and that the end of an event can occur before its beginning” in one newspaper headline. Indeed, the effect of a phenomenon occurring prior to the one seen as its cause is scientific proof that all events are created separately and completely overturn materialist dogma. • The Human Genome Project conducted in order to unravel the genetic structure of man has been brought to a conclusion and the details of “genetic data” revealing that Allah has brought living things into being with a Sublime Creation have been made clear for all to see. Anyone today who examines the results of this project and learns that a single human cell contains sufficient information to fill thousands of encyclopaedia pages will understand just what a great creation this truly is. REPORTS OF THE COLLAPSE OF DARWINISM Opponents Of Evolution In Europe Are Growing In Numbers A special report in the major scientific journal Nature noted that Turkey was the country with the strongest creationist movement. Nature, 23 November, 2006. In its 23rd November, 2006, edition the world-renowned scientific magazine Nature carried a special report titled “Anti-evolutionists raise their profile in Europe”. The report discussed the places occupied by evolution and creation in school curricula in such European countries as Italy, Germany, Poland, France and Great Britain. It also referred to the work of the Science Research Foundation in Turkey: “The movement is by far the strongest in Turkey, however, which is in negotiations to join the European Union. The main Muslim creationist organization [is] the Turkish Bilim ve Arastirma Vakfi… Prominent US creationists are also frequently invited by the group to give talks. Additionally, the report discussed the debate stemming from the teaching of the fact of creation in certain schools in Germany and the removal of the theory of evolution from the middle school curriculum at the wish of Italian Minister of Education Letizia Moratti. It also cited examples of research carried out by groups in Russia espousing the fact of creation and stated that there was a rapid rise in the number of people supporting creation in Great Britain in particular: Steve Jones, a geneticist at University College London who has lectured widely about evolution, is one of those concerned by the growing influence of creationist groups. ‘I have talked about evolution in front of more than 100,000 British schoolchildren in the past 20 years – during most of that time I was never asked questions about creationism,’ he says. ‘But in the past couple of years, wherever I go I am asked about it.’” At the end of the report, Jones said that he believed that the theory of evolution would never be weakened in European countries as it had been in the USA, and that evolution would always remain powerful, but that he had concerns when it came to Turkey. In reference of the state of Darwinism in Turkey the Darwinist geneticist Steve Jones describes how evolution has collapsed: “I am not very hopeful for Turkey…” Creation Museums and the Rise of Global Creationism Harvard University, one of the world’s leading scientific centres, has also determined that “creationism is growing increasingly stronger in the world and that it is the work of the Science Research Foundation (SRF) that represents the global centre of this.” In the latest edition of the book The Creationists, from Scientific Creationism to Intelligent Design, a special section has been set aside for the SRF’s work setting out the fact of creation. A report headed Creation Museums and the Rise of Global Creationism on a web site belonging to the university summarised the section in question as follows: An unusual phenomenon that seems to be popping up a lot lately--the creation museum. America's first one is set to open this spring in Petersburg, Kentucky. The $26.4 million facility boasts animatronic dinosaurs and a state-of-the-art SFX theater, all designed to convince visitors that God created the world exactly as it's described in the Holy Book. And it's not just in the US. Like everything these days, creationism is going global, as evidenced by a campaign to open small creation museums across Turkey (a typical one, located in an Istanbul kebab shop, greets visitors with a portrait of Charles Darwin framed in dripping blood). Matt Mossman reports in this month's issue of SEED Magazine : In its latest campaign, BAV [Bilim Arastirma Vakfi, or "Scientific Research Foundation" has opened more than 80 "museums" in restaurants, malls, and city halls across Turkey, each stocked with fossils, posters, and eager volunteers. Oktar's disciples use tactics cribbed from US organizations like California's Institute for Creation Research, instructing passersby that evolution cannot explain biology's complexity and is against the word of God. BAV runs quite a sophisticated operation, as evidenced by its website, which, according to Mossman, offers downloadable Power Point presentations and questions with which students can challenge their evolution-loving science teachers (we'll have to take Mossman's word for it--the website in Turkish). And the affinity with US creationists isn't mere coincidence--a BAV spokesman travelled to the US last year to testify in the Kansas Board of Education's intelligent design hearings. Beyond the US and Turkey, creationist movements in Britain and Australia (where they seem to be particularly strong) suggest a growing global trend. “The Atlas of Creation” The Creation Atlas affords readers the opportunity to obtain a close familiarity with fossils that say “We did not evolve, but were created.” The British news agency Reuters, one of the largest in the world, carried an analysis by Tom Heneghan on 22 November, 2006. (Reuters reports reach some 1 billion people every day.) The report, headed Creation vs. Darwin Takes Muslim Twist in Turkey, discussed the works by the author Harun Yahya on the subject of evolution and the extent to which belief in evolution had contracted in Turkey in recent years. This analysis provoked a very wide reaction in various newspapers, including the Washington Post, the most important daily in the USA, and on some of the world’s most frequently visited news portals such as MSNBC, YahooNews and AolNews. Some of the comments in the report read: “A lavishly illustrated Atlas of Creation is mysteriously turning up at schools and libraries in Turkey, proclaiming that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution is the real root of terrorism. Arriving unsolicited by post, the large-format tome offers 768 glossy pages of photographs and easy-to-read text to prove that God created the world with all its species. At first sight, it looks like it could be the work of United States creationists, the Christian fundamentalists who believe the world was created in six days as told in the Bible. But the author’s name, Harun Yahya, reveals the surprise inside. This is Islamic creationism, a richly funded movement based in predominantly Muslim Turkey which has an influence U.S. creationists could only dream of. Creationism is so widely accepted here that Turkey placed last in a recent survey of public acceptance of evolution in 34 countries—just behind the United States.” The latest of Harun Yahya’s works revealing the “Fact of Creation,” The Atlas of Creation” consists of a total of seven volumes and 5600 pages. In terms of its content and appearance this work, which reveals all aspects of the invalidity of the theory of evolution is said to have no equal anywhere in the world. The Extent of the Effect of Religion Like the Bible, the Koran says God made the world in six days and fashioned the first man, Adam, from dust. Other details vary but the idea is roughly the same. But unlike in the West, evolution theory has not undermined the traditional creation story for many Muslims. Science is hardly an issue in Turkey, therefore evolution could hardly have been an issue, said Celal Sengor, a geology professor at Istanbul Technical University. Darwinism did become an issue during the left-versus-right political turmoil before a 1980 military coup because Communist bookshops touted Darwin’s works as a complement to Karl Marx. It looked like Marx and Darwin were together, two long-bearded guys spreading ideas that make people lose their faith, said Istanbul journalist Mustafa Akyol. After the coup, the conservative government thought a dose of religion could bolster the fight against the extreme left. In 1985, a paragraph on creationism as an alternative to evolution was added to high school science textbooks and a U.S. book Scientific Creationism was translated into Turkish. In the early 1990s, leading U.S. creationists came to speak at several anti-evolution conferences in Turkey. Darwin and Terror Since then, a home-grown strain of anti-Darwinist books has developed with a clearly political message. Atlas of Creation offers over 500 pages of splendid images comparing fossils with present-day animals to argue that Allah created all life as it is and evolution never took place. Then comes a book-length essay arguing that Darwinism, by stressing the “survival of the fittest”, has inspired racism, Nazism, communism and terrorism. The root of the terrorism that plagues our planet is not any of the divine religions, but atheism, and the expression of atheism in our times [is] Darwinism and materialism, it says. One Istanbul school unexpectedly received three copies recently. It’s very well done, with magnificent photos—a very stylish tool of creationist propaganda, said the headmaster, who asked not to be named. The driving force behind these books is a reclusive Islamic teacher named Adnan Oktar who over the past decade has published a flood of books under the pseudonym Harun Yahya. Harun Yahya has managed to create a media-based and popular form of creationism, said Taner Edis, a Turkish-born physicist at Truman State University in Missouri. Harun Yahya, which is probably a pool of writers, has turned out over 200 books in Turkish and translated many of them into 51 other languages. Oktar, 50, appears on the group’s Web site sporting a clipped beard and dapper suits. His works can be found in Islamic bookshops around the world and downloaded for free over the Internet. It revealed that Harun Yahya had more than 200 books out in Turkish, most of which had been translated into 51 other languages. Harun Yahya, which is probably a pool of writers, has turned out over 200 books in Turkish and translated many of them into 51 other languages. Oktar, 50, appears on the group’s Web site sporting a clipped beard and dapper suits. His works can be found in Islamic bookshops around the world and downloaded for free over the Internet. Research on the Subject of Creation in American Scientific magazine In its latest edition published in Europe last month, the world-renowned scientific magazine American Scientific carried a report regarding creationist activities in Europe and Turkey. The largest part of the article was devoted to Adnan Oktar, better known under the pen-name Harun Yahya, and his activities. Adnan Oktar’s work on the subject of “Darwinism” was described as follows in the magazine: … For a couple of years, there has been a book defending creation. Millions of copies of the book “Evolution Deceit” have been sold in a year. This book has a great impression on us, as well. Adnan Oktar’s Activities on the Subject of Darwinism in Seed Magazine In its September edition the well-known magazine Seed devoted wide space to Adnan Oktar’s ongoing world-wide activities. The article described the Science Research Foundation, of which Adnan Oktar is the honorary president, which engages in scientific activities against the invalidity of the theory of evolution as “the most effective and powerful organization” in the world. The article also included the following statements: He's the 50-year-old founder of Bilim Araştirma Vakfi ("Scientific Research Foundation"), a creationist organization mounting one of the most potent offensives against evolution outside of the United States. They are instructing passers-by that evolution cannot explain biology's complexity and is against the word of God. But unlike its western counterparts, Oktar's group claims Darwin is responsible for communism, fascism, and terrorism. Terrorists, according to Oktar, are "social Darwinists hiding under the cloak of religion," while communists, still active in Turkey, are in "bloody alliance" with Darwinism. "Evolution is a communist and fascist belief," offers Tarkan Yavas, BAV's president. "The Muslim community understands that now." Turkey is among the most Western of Muslim nations. It teaches evolution in its schools, but, even so, appears to be losing the science education battle. In 1985 the minister of education mandated that creationism be included in science textbooks. By the late 1990s, the BAV was attacking scientists who opposed a creationist curriculum via slander and death threats. The cumulative damage to science has been significant. Ümit Sayin, a neurologist at Istanbul University and outspoken critic of Turkish creationism, estimates that the number of university-educated Turks who understand evolution has dropped to 20 percent from 40 percent over the past 15 years. BAV, founded in 1990, grew from the Turkish fringe into a global media empire. Oktar claims to have 4.5 million followers worldwide, who read his hundreds of books and essays and have seen the dozens of television documentaries that BAV produces and provides free of charge to Turkish TV stations. BAV's Web sites offer downloadable PowerPoint presentations and questions to challenge science teachers. The foundation organizes anti-evolution conferences and petitions and runs a telemarketing scheme to sell books by Harun Yahya (Oktar's pen name), which are available globally in 29 languages. In August, Science published an analysis of global public attitudes toward evolution showing that, out of 34 sample countries, the US and Turkey had the lowest acceptance of Darwin's theories. Famous Scientists Have Turned to God Francis Collins was president of the US National Human Genome Research Institute, which conducted the famous Human Genome project, the results of which were announced in 2001. He recently published a book titled The language of God. The book describes the factors that led Collins to believe in God ,who is the president of the American national Genome Research Institute which conducted the Genome project. In his book, Collins says that the scientific findings drew him closer to God and that the Genome project has revealed God’s creation to him. How Did Britain Reach This Point? A report headed “How Did We Reach This Point? In the 15th of August, 2006, edition of the famous British daily The Guardian was astonished to note that 30% of British students did not believe in evolution, and stated that this level had been much lower in the past. It is also said that “evolution is about to disappear.” Turkey and the USA: The Countries with the Fewest Believers in Evolution John Derbyshire’s column in the magazine National Review, based in New York, described creationism in Turkey in these terms: “Out of 34 countries, the U.S. and Turkey have the lowest acceptance of Darwin’s theories… The leading activist in Turkish Creationism is Adnan Oktar, pen name Harun Yahya, founder of BAV… ( I personally think that they have strong activities as Discovery Institute does.) Confessions of the Scientists Time, Newsweek and Wired, regarded as the most important current affairs magazines in the USA, devoted the covers of their editions in the first week of November to “religion.” The former atheist Dr. Francis Collins, regarded as the world’s most eminent gene expert, commented in an interview as“The perfection of our genetic structure is God’s artistry. Scientific development will provide the signs of God’s existence. We will prove that the genes making people belivers can only be active miraculously.” The Turkish Public Do Not Believe in Evolution The effect of the work revealing the invalidity of the theory of evolution is also reflected in the results of various public opinion polls. According to one poll, the results of which were recently published by the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV), the level of those saying “the theory of evolution is true” stands at 10.7%, compared to 87.4% for those saying “God created man.” According to this poll, 11 out of 100 people in Turkey believe in the theory of evolution, in other words that living things are the result of chance, that they came onto being “spontaneously” over millions of years. In the late 1970s, on the other hand, 75% of Turkish citizens believed that the theory of evolution was true. Today, that figure has dropped to 11%. There is no doubt that one of the major factors in this change is, through Allah, the works and activities of Adnan Oktar. Under the pen-name Harun Yahya, Adnan Oktar has written more than 50 books and published many documentary films about the invalidity of the theory of evolution and the fact of creation, and has opened dozens on web sites upon the subject. In addition, articles under his real or pen-names have appeared in more than 300 magazines and newspapers, and his documentaries are regularly broadcast on 273 local and regional TV channels. The Science Research Foundation and Foundation of Preserving National Values, of which Adnan Oktar is honorary president, have held more than 2000 conferences in the majority of Turkish provinces, districts and townships. Another finding announced in the TESEV report is that 93.2% of Turks describe themselves as “religious.” The latest scientific findings have dealt a severe blow to materialism and Darwinism. All the frauds and lies of evolutionists, who have deceived people over the last 10 years by the use of all kinds of methods of deception, have now been unmasked. Ministerial Announcement: “Evolution Is a Lie” Polish Deputy Education Minister Miroslaw Orzechowski has said that Darwin’s theory is a “lie” and should not be taught in schools. In a statement recently issued at the Ministry of Education, the Polish Education and Deputy Education Ministers said “The theory of evolution is a lie!” and “In the same way that wrong should not be taught instead of right, lies such as the theory of evolution should not be taught.” ‘Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Falsehood is always bound to vanish.’ (Surat Al-Isra , 81) In the light of the latest developments we have witnessed throughout the course of this article we may say that materialist philosophy that inspires atheism is now in its death throes and, by the will of Allah, mankind has in the 21st century begun returning to the true purpose of its creation by being freed from such deceptions. No matter what efforts materialists and atheists may make to prevent the spread of religious moral values, no matter how much they attempt to hinder the light of Allah, Darwinism, the basis of their world view, has now collapsed. They no longer have any basis for their efforts to prevent the spread of religious moral values. This fact is being recognized by more and more people every day, and people across the planet are turning back to faith and religious virtues. The way that many famous scientists admit that living things are created is a striking development showing that the theory of evolution has come to the end of the road and that the number of its adherents is falling every day. The latest scientific findings have dealt a severe blow to materialism and Darwinism. All the frauds and lies of evolutionists, who have deceived people over the last 10 years by the use of all kinds of methods of deception, have now been unmasked. However, this must not lead believers in God to any relaxation as the struggle against Darwinism is not yet finished, and it must not finish; Darwinist propaganda is still going on unceasingly. Believers need to forge a powerful alliance against this propaganda, which is constantly maintained through newspaper and magazine articles, documentary films and television programmes, and which is particularly aimed at the young. Everyone must be told, by the use of developing technologies and by monitoring scientific advances, how this perverted ideology is worthless and of the kind of dangers it poses. As the numbers of those who see that the theory of evolution has scientifically collapsed and that Darwinist propaganda consists of hollow indoctrination increases, the nightmare of Darwinism will, by Allah’s will, be eradicated. The intellectual struggle against Darwinism and atheism waged by believers who mobilize all the means at their disposal in order to attain Allah’s approval will end in the finest manner for all mankind. Work carried out in honesty and togetherness will be a means whereby truth is victorious and superstition is vanquished, as our Lord promises in the Holy Qur’an. This promise by the Almighty Allah is a source of enormous enthusiasm and excitement for all believers: Rather We hurl the truth against falsehood and it cuts right through it and it vanishes clean away! Woe without end for you for what you portray! (Surat Al-Anbiya, 18) With the intellectual eradication of Darwinism, which leads to lack of faith and atheism, religious moral values will quickly spread, and peace and security will rule the world. By the will of Allah, people will very soon turn in floods to the true faith and, as promised by our Lord, the radiance of Allah will rule the entire world.

Posted by keith2009 at 02:20

Say: “Death, from which you are fleeing, will certainly catch up with you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible and He will inform you about what you did.” (Surat al-Jumu‘a: 8) Unaware of the existence of Allah and the hereafter, the members of the society of “ignorance” behave “as if they will never die.” In this society, death continues to be one of the words that is never pronounced. While making plans, death is ignored outright. They pile up fortunes as if the life of this world is perpetual. Since these plans pertain entirely to this world, those who recall death are labelled “killjoy.” This is one of the most evident indications of the distorted rationale upon which ignorant unbelievers base their lives. Since “every soul shall taste death” (Surah Al ‘Imran: 185), a life based on feigning ignorance of death is surely established on a rotten foundation. However, man must employ his intellect: - Since he is granted the desire to live forever, he must think why his life should be restricted to 60-70 years. - He should recognise as an unwise rationale, the assumption that avoidance of the thought of death is a way to keep death at distance. This is behaving just like an ostrich with its head in the sand. - He should grasp the fact that Allah, Who has shaped him into a most perfect body out of a sperm, has the might to recreate him and to give him a new life. - Finally, he must keep in mind that Allah, Who promised and asserted in hundreds of verses that He would recreate him after death, will surely keep His promise. All of the above will lead him to comprehend that death is not a form of disappearance, but a transition to the hereafter. - In this case, he may also understand that fear of death is senseless. In fact, fear of death will not avail him; death is inescapable. Everybody will die at a predestined time. Those who fear death are warned in the Qur’an as follows: …They are concealing things inside themselves which they do not disclose to you, saying, “If we had only had a say in the affair, none of us would have been killed here in this place.” Say, “Even if you had been inside your homes, those people for whom killing was decreed would have gone out to their place of death.”… (Surah Al ‘Imran: 154) Death, which is a door to the hereafter, brings bliss and salvation only to those who have spent their lives in compliance with Allah’s good pleasure. For those who turned away from Allah, on the other hand, death means utter destruction and the beginning of a horrible disaster. The Qur’an informs us that once death comes, the regret felt by those who have forgotten Allah—as if they would never die—will be of no avail: There is no forgiveness for people who persist in doing evil until death comes to them and who then say, “Now I repent,” nor for people who die disbelievers. We have prepared for them a painful punishment. (Surat an-Nisa’: 18) When death comes to a wrongdoer, he says, “My Lord, send me back again, so that perhaps I may act rightly regarding the things I failed to do!” No indeed! It is just words he utters. Before them there shall stand a barrier until the Day they are raised up. (Surat al-Mu’minun: 99-100) Everybody who has not devoted his life to Allah will live to suffer this regret unless Allah wills otherwise. Consider that life is too short, that there is a real eternal life after the life of this world, and that one is entitled to attain eternal life, provided that he earns the approval of Allah in this world; - We must concern ourselves with the real life, due to begin after death, more than with the life of this world, which is short and worthless next to the eternal abundance promised. That is why, believers who conceive of this fact are of those whose “sincerity has been purified through earnest remembrance of the Abode.” (Surah Sad: 46) - It is senseless to be deceived by the insignificance and deceptive allure of the world and become deeply attached to it. Neither possessions, nor beauty, neither power, family, nor fame can accompany a person to his grave. What is left in the grave is only a body wrapped in a shroud, which undergoes a rapid process of decay after burial. - What will be taken to the hereafter are the good deeds and acts of worship done to earn the approval of Allah. There, the temporary blessings of this world (health, beauty, wealth and so on) will, in their most perfect forms, be given back to man for all eternity. - One who fails to comprehend this fact and, remaining niggardly avoids spending his wealth in Allah’s way, eventually ruins his eternal life in the hereafter and does harm to his own soul: Here you are then: people who are called upon to spend in the Way of Allah and then some of you are ungenerous! But whoever is ungenerous to the cause is ungenerous to himself. Allah is Rich and you are poor. If you turn away, He will replace you with a people other than yourselves and they will not be like you. (Surah Muhammad: 38) Those who fail to grasp this and become deeply attached to this world strive to attain a so-called “immortality,” for which reason they desire to “leave something in this world by which people may remember them.” This desire appears in various forms: - Some try to leave “works of art” behind, so that “their name may live on.” About this attitude, the Qur’an says: Will you build a tower on every hilltop, just to amuse yourselves, and construct great fortresses, hoping to live for ever? (Surat ash-Shu‘ara’: 128-129) - This rationale best expresses itself in the desire to “raise children.” Those who place no hope in the hereafter wish to have children who will carry the family name into the future. This is mainly the reason why families prefer sons. It is stated in another verse that the desire to “have children” is merely part of the temporal pomp of this world: Know that the life of the world is merely a game and a diversion, ostentation and a cause of boasting among yourselves and trying to outdo one another in wealth and children: like the plant-growth after rain which delights the cultivators, but then it withers and you see it turning yellow, and then it becomes broken stubble. In the hereafter there is terrible punishment but also the forgiveness of Allah and His approval. The life of this world is nothing but the enjoyment of delusion. (Surat al-Hadid: 20) Of course, it is most agreeable for people to desire to raise children with good morals. However, in the twisted system of the society of ignorance, the cause of this desire is not to please Allah but to satisfy their arrogance and to leave a permanent mark behind them in this world. However, when we refer to the Qur’an, we witness the attitude of true believers; they ask for children from Allah only if this is necessary for the pleasure of Allah. Most of the prophets lived their lives without children since they did not have such an opportunity during their time and age and only asked for children from Allah when they grew too old and needed someone who would continue to communicate the message of Allah and advocate His religion. Therefore, “having children” is necessary only if it complies with Allah’s good pleasure. It is a great mistake to do this simply out of an instinctive wish to “outdo one another” and to continue their family names in the way that unbelievers do. The Understanding of Religion in the Society of Ignorance Such people as are described above, who fail to give Allah due appreciation and thus are “ignorant,” have interpreted religion in accordance with their distorted rationale and beliefs. The resultant understanding of religion shows apparent deviations from the original religion as set forth in the Qur’an. The Qur’an defines the religion brought by the Prophet Muhammad (saas) as a religion that “relieves people of their heavy loads and the chains which were around them.” (Surat al-A‘raf: 157) and as the religion that “contains no difficulties in it”: …He has selected you and not placed any constraint upon you in the observance of your religion—the religion of your forefather Ibrahim. In this, as in former scriptures he named you Muslims… (Surat al-Hajj: 78) In the Qur’an, Allah has summoned people to reflect and, recognising the erroneous beliefs and methods they hold, to turn to the lifestyle deemed to be appropriate by Allah. The society of ignorance, however, feigning not to see the explicit and comprehensible message of the Qur’an, has, in the name of Islam, fabricated a religion bogged down in bigotry. Some of the characteristics of this distorted religion are as follows: - The religion introduced in the Qur’an summons people to serve Allah alone and thus liberate themselves from the yoke of all other beings. Accordingly, since he is not obliged to seek other people’s pleasure, man is only responsible for seeking Allah’s approval. The people of the society of ignorance, however, have developed an understanding of religion not as a way to seek Allah’s pleasure and hence liberate themselves, but as a social institution. This conceives of religion as a factor applying social pressure to people. Owing to this perception, this false religion has lapsed into a form, which is primarily concerned with “what people would say,”—an understanding far removed from true religion. - Having such misconceptions about religion, the society of ignorance has to a great extent identified religion with tradition. Local customs and beliefs and cultural factors have been incorporated into the religion, and “being pious” has deteriorated into “adherence to one’s forefathers’ customs.” The religion brought by the Qur’an and embodied in the exemplary life of the Prophet (saas), however, bears no similarity whatsoever to these. In the Qur’an, Allah commands man to take His limits and the sunnah of the Prophet (saas) as a measure and nothing else. Throughout history, the prophets had to struggle with those who attempted to deny the truth by quoting the beliefs inherited from their forefathers. The morality they displayed is indicated in the verse below: When they are told, “Follow what Allah has sent down to you,” they say, “We are following what we found our fathers doing.” What, even though their fathers did not understand a thing and were not guided! (Surat al-Baqara: 170) The same theme is repeated in Surat al-Ma’ida: 104; Surat al-An‘am: 91; Surat al-A‘raf: 28 and in many other verses as well. - The members of the society of ignorance, who perceive religion as a social institution and identify it with traditions, have in consequence distanced religion from rationality. However, as the Qur’an informs us, being a Muslim entails being wise. Believers are always summoned to think, to enquire and thus see the verses of Allah. Faith and wisdom are interrelated; as a consequence of exercising wisdom one attains faith, and faith grows ever more profound as one continues to exercise wisdom. The society of ignorance, however, believes faith to consist of “beliefs” alone. They perceive blind adherence to traditional knowledge as faith, whereas wisdom is the key to having a grasp of Allah’s existence and His attributes. That is why faith in Allah in the society of ignorance is of a rather weak nature. In order not to shake this anti-Qura’anic, feeble faith, they have developed an irrational stance which implies that, “pondering too much over religious issues may be harmful to one’s faith.” - This rationale, stemming from ignorance, sees no harm in introducing new principles to religion and making unlawful what is lawful. The Qur’an frequently draws attention to this “prohibitive” rationale that disturbs many people: Say: “Who has forbidden the fine clothing Allah has produced for His servants and the good kinds of provision?” Say: “On the Day of Rising such things will be exclusively for those who had faith during their life in the world.” In this way We make the Signs clear for people who know. Say: “My Lord has forbidden indecency, both open and hidden, and wrong action, and unrightful tyranny, and associating anything with Allah for which He has sent down no authority, and saying things about Allah you do not know.” (Surat al-A‘raf: 32-33) What is the matter with you that you do not eat that which has been consecrated in the name of Allah, when He has made clear to you what He has made unlawful for you, except when you are forced to eat it? Many people lead others astray through their whims and desires unchecked by any knowledge. Your Lord knows best those who overstep the limits. (Surat al-An‘am: 119) You who believe! Do not make unlawful the good things Allah has made lawful for you, and do not overstep the limits. Allah does not love people who overstep the limits. (Surat al-Ma’ida: 87) - As a result of this degeneration caused by the society of ignorance, Islam is being presented as “a religion peculiar to the Bedouins (nomadic Arabs).” Yet the facts are otherwise. Prophets have always been the most civilised people of their time. They were cultured and enlightened people with refined aesthetic values. With his palace, which is known to have been an architectural masterpiece abounding in many exquisite places, the Prophet Sulayman (as) is one of the most outstanding examples cited in the Qur’an. Being a Muslim means not being attached to traditional culture or taking pleasure in nostalgic values. It is certainly not being “oriental” or being attached to only one culture, either. Being a Muslim is to be a servant to Allah and to be grateful for the blessings granted by Him. It means striving to know Allah, drawing nearer to Him and becoming a human being with a noble character. A true Muslim is one who seeks the approval of his Creator, Allah, the Almighty, and who has distanced himself from any material or spiritual expectation other than earning His approval. This is the definition of a Muslim. BY HARUN YAHYA VISIT www.harunyahya.com 

Posted by keith2009 at 02:30

One who lives by the Qur’an will also love those who live by the Qur’an, that is, the believers. Due to their faith in Allah, believers are granted some attributes that make them worthy of love. A believer will also seek these attributes in other believers and, witnessing these attributes in them, he will cherish them. The following are the notable attributes of believers as explained in the Qur’an: • Believers serve Allah only. There is no being that they have idolised in their minds but Him. (Surat al-Fatiha: 1-7; Surat an-Nisa’: 36) • They fear Allah. They refrain from doing anything that Allah has forbidden or that is contrary to the will of Allah. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 102; Surah Ya Sin: 11; Surat at-Taghabun: 16; Surat az-Zumar: 23) • They trust Allah alone. (Surat al-Baqara: 249; Surat at-Tawba: 25-26) • They fear no one but Allah. (Surat al-Ahzab: 39) • They always feel grateful to Allah. Prosperity or destitution does not lead them to be boastful or to feel sorry for themselves. (Surat al-Baqara: 172; Surat al-Isra’: 3; Surah Ibrahim: 7) • They have certainty in their faith. The thought of turning away from earning the approval of Allah does not even occur to them. They unceasingly render their services with ever-increasing zeal and ardour. (Surat al-Hujurat: 15; Surat al-Baqara: 4) • They are committed to the Qur’an. They reorient all their deeds in compliance with the Qur’anic stance. They immediately disown an attitude once they realise it is not in conformance with the teachings of the Qur’an. (Surat al-A‘raf: 170; Surat al-Ma’ida: 49; Surat al-Baqara: 121) • They remember Allah continually. They know that Allah is ever the Hearer and Seer of everything, and always keep in mind the eternal might of Allah. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 191; Surat ar-Ra‘d: 28; Surat an-Nur: 37; Surat al-A‘raf: 205; Surat al-‘Ankabut: 45) • They know their weakness before Allah. They are humble. (However, this does not mean they are weak and thus display unconfident attitudes towards people.) (Surat al-Baqara: 286; Surat al-A‘raf: 188) • They know nothing will happen to them, except what Allah has decreed. They do not become overwrought about anything and always remain calm and put their trust in Allah. (Surat at-Tawba: 51; Surat at-Taghabun: 11; Surah Yunus: 49; Surat al-Hadid: 22) • They turn towards the hereafter; their main target is the hereafter. They also benefit from worldly blessings and aspire to an environment in this world very similar to paradise. (Surat an-Nisa’: 74; Surah Sad: 46; Surat al-A‘raf: 31-32) • They take only Allah and believers as their friends and intimates. (Surat al-Ma’ida: 55-56; Surat al-Mujadala: 22) • They are the people endued with understanding. Never losing their consciousness of worshipping, they remain cautious and vigilant at every moment. They always render services which are in the interests of believers and religion. (Surat al-Mu’min: 54; Surat az-Zumar: 18) • They strive to the utmost in the way of Allah. They struggle with disbelievers on intellectual grounds, especially with the leaders of disbelief. They never feel frustrated or weak-hearted in this struggle. (Surat al-Anfal: 39; Surat al-Hajj: 78; Surat al-Hujurat: 15; Surat at-Tawba: 12) • They do not hesitate to speak the truth. They do not refrain from telling the truth because of their fear of others. They do not mind rejecters’ ridiculing and attacking them and are fearless of human censure. (Surat al-Ma’ida: 54, 67; Surat al-A‘raf: 2) • They resort to various methods to convey Allah’s message and to summon people to Allah’s religion. (Surah Nuh: 5-9) • They do not oppress others. They are merciful and tender-hearted. (Surat an-Nahl: 125; Surat at-Tawba 128; Surah Hud: 75) • They are not carried away by their anger; they are tolerant and forgiving. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 134; Surat al-A‘raf: 199; Surat ash-Shu‘ara’: 40-43) • They are trustworthy people. They impress people with their strong personality and make them feel how trustworthy they are. (Surat ad-Dukhan: 17-18; Surat at-Takwir: 19-21; Surat al-Ma’ida: 12; Surat an-Nahl: 120) • They are accused of being sorcerers or of being mad. (Surat al-A‘raf: 132; Surah Yunus: 2; Surah Sad: 4; Surat al-Hijr: 6; Surat al-Qamar: 9) • They are subjected to oppression. (Surat ash-Shu‘ara’: 49; 167; Surat al-‘Ankabut: 24; Surah Ya Sin: 18; Surah Ibrahim: 6; Surat an-Naml: 49, 56; Surah Hud: 91) • They persevere in the face of adversity. (Surat al-‘Ankabut: 2-3; Surat al-Baqara: 156, 214; Surah Al ‘Imran: 142, 146, 195; Surat al-Ahzab: 48; Surah Muhammad: 31; Surat al-An‘am: 34) • They have no fear of oppression or death. (Surat at-Tawba: 111; Surah Al ‘Imran: 156-158, 169-171, 173; Surat ash-Shu‘ara’: 49-50; Surat as-Saffat: 97-99; Surat an-Nisa’: 74) • They are attacked and plotted against by disbelievers; they are mocked. (Surat al-Baqara: 14, 212) • They are under the protection of Allah. All plots devised against them prove to be futile. Allah protects them against all slanders and plots and exalts them. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 110-111, 120; Surah Ibrahim: 46; Surat an-Anfal: 30; Surat an-Nahl: 26; Surah Yusuf: 34; Surat al-Hajj: 38; Surat al-Ma’ida: 42, 105; Surat an-Nisa’: 141) • They are on their guard against disbelievers. (Surat an-Nisa’: 71, 102; Surah Yusuf : 67) • They treat Satan and his followers as enemies. (Surah Fatir: 6; Surat az-Zukhruf 62; Surat al-Mumtahana: 1; Surat an-Nisa’: 101; Surat al-Ma’ida: 82) • They struggle with hypocrites. They do not keep company with people displaying hypocritical attributes. (Surat at-Tawba: 83, 95, 123) • They prevent the tyranny of rejecters. (Surat al-Ahzab: 60-62; Surat al-Hashr: 6; Surat at-Tawba: 14-15, 52) • They act by consulting each other. (Surat ash-Shura: 38) • They do not long for the ostentatious lives of disbelievers. (Surat al-Kahf: 28; Surat at-Tawba: 55; Surah Ta Ha: 131) • They are not impressed by wealth or status. (Surat al-Hajj: 41; Surat al-Qasas: 79-80; Surat an-Nahl: 123) • They practise every act of worship in the best manner. (Surat al-Baqara: 238; Surat al-Anfal: 3; Surat al-Mu’minun: 1-2) • They do not follow the majority, but rather the criteria that Allah has provided. (Surat al-An‘am: 116) • They strive to draw nearer to Allah, and to serve as good examples for those who believe. (Surat al-Ma’ida: 35; Surah Fatir: 32; Surat al-Waqi‘a: 10-14; Surat al-Furqan: 74) • They are not influenced by Satan. (Surat al-A‘raf: 201; Surat al-Hijr: 39-42; Surat an-Nahl: 98-99) • They do not follow their fathers blindly. They behave in compliance with Qur’anic teaching. (Surah Ibrahim: 10; Surah Hud: 62, 109) • They do not let women be ill-treated. (Surat an-Nur: 4; Surat at-Talaq: 6; Surat al-Baqara: 231, 241; Surat an-Nisa’: 19) • They avoid extravagance. (Surat an-An’am: 141; Surat al-Furqan: 67) • They guard their chastity, wed and conduct their married lives in the way Allah desires. (Surat al-Mu’minun: 5-6; Surat an-Nur: 3, 26, 30; Surat al-Baqara: 221; Surat al-Ma’ida: 5; Surat al-Mumtahana: 10) • They are moderate while practising their worship. (Surat al-Baqara: 143; Surat an-Nisa’: 171) • They are self-sacrificing people. (Surat al-Insan: 8; Surah Al ‘Imran: 92, 134; Surat at-Tawba: 92) • They are careful about being clean. (Surat al-Baqara: 125, 168; Surat al-Muddaththir: 1-5) • They attach importance to aesthetics and art. (Surah Saba’: 13; Surat an-Naml: 44) • They do not spy on or backbite believers. (Surat al-Hujurat: 12) • They avoid jealousy. (Surat an-Nisa’: 128) • They ask for forgiveness from Allah. (Surat al-Baqara: 286; Surah Al ‘Imran: 16-17, 147, 193; Surat al-Hashr: 10; Surah Nuh: 28) Oppression against Believers The attributes of believers stated above are actually of two kinds: The first kind are those which believers display of their own volition; being a servant to Allah, self-sacrifice, and modesty can be cited amongst these. The second kind, however, are those which they evince in matters beyond their control, e.g. the plots devised against them or their being mocked by disbelievers. In fact, these are very important in enabling one to identify sincere believers. That is because many of the attributes displayed by believers are of an “imitable” nature. For instance, a hypocrite can also practise every act of worship or make sacrifices, provided that he gains from doing so. But the attributes displayed in situations beyond their control are “non-imitable,” e.g. when disbelievers subject sincere believers to oppression. This being the case, these attributes gain great importance in one’s evaluation of believers. To understand whether a community is one of sincere believers, these criteria, the immutable laws of Allah as explained in the Qur’an, have to be taken into consideration. While evaluating verbal oppression and slanders against Muslims, the events that befell Muslims in the past should be our reference point. In this sense, the Qur’an gives an account of the difficulties and slanders encountered by the early Muslims: Or did you suppose that you would enter the Garden without facing the same as those who came before you?... (Surat al-Baqara: 214) In the verses in which “trials that came to those who passed away in the past” are related, we come across a noteworthy point. The enemies of prophets and believers did not say: “These people believe in Allah and seek His approval” or “These people are not immoral like us, they possess noble values.” On the contrary, they tried to slander believers and accused them in the most unbecoming manner. Certainly, they would not dare to say: “We are rebellious against Allah and we do not observe any moral limits; we just want to oppress these people who do not serve to benefit us.” It would be unwise to expect these people to make confessions such as: “These are the people who observe Allah’s commands, whereas we are transgressors.” On the contrary, they would strive to legitimise their slanders by maligning believers and presenting themselves as “decent and honest” people. In the stories related in the Qur’an, we see the very same method being employed against the believers of the past. For example, the Prophet Nuh (as)—like all the other prophets—summoned his people to serve Allah alone. A system established on the basis of serving Allah alone surely hampered the advancement of the interests of the leaders of the society, who acquired wealth and status through a system of disbelief. Surely these leaders would not agree to say that what Nuh (as) demanded was not in their interests. On the contrary, they accused him of pursuing his own interests—“status and prestige.” The Qur’an gives an account of this situation as follows: We sent Nuh to his people and he said, “My people, worship Allah. You have no deity other than Him. So will you not take heed?” The ruling circle of those of his people who were disbelievers said: “This is nothing but a human being like yourselves who simply wants to gain ascendancy over you…” (Surat al-Mu’minun: 23-24) The Prophet Musa (as) and the Prophet Harun (as) were exposed to the same accusation. Pharaoh and his close circle said to them: “Have you come to us to turn us away from what we found our fathers doing, and to gain greatness in the land? We do not believe you.” (Surah Yunus: 78) The slanders made against believers may reach an unimaginable scale. Throughout history, Allah’s messengers have been accused of “bewitching and deceiving” the believers around them: They said, “These two magicians (Musa and Harun) desire by their magic to expel you from your land and abolish your most excellent way of life.” (Surah Ta Ha: 63) … The disbelievers say, “This is a lying magician.” (Surah Sad: 4) The main ambition of those who slander Muslims is to present an image of a Muslim who has the same vices that they themselves display. This went to such great lengths that they dared to say of the noble Prophet Nuh (as): “He is an insolent liar!” (Surat al-Qamar: 25). Another slander believers are very often exposed to is that of “insanity.” In fact, disbelievers’ failure to grasp one important rationale of believers accounts for this slander. Having no concept of “earning the approval of Allah,” disbelievers have difficulty in understanding the acts of believers that are aimed at this goal alone. They fail to comprehend why believers, who obviously pursue no interests for the services they render, devote their lives to Allah. In their eyes, such an idealistic attitude can be nothing but “insanity.” Throughout history, they have often employed this slander. Of the Prophet Musa (as), Pharaoh said: “This Messenger, who has been sent to you, is mad.” (Surat ash-Shu‘ara’: 27) Also, when denying the Prophet Nuh (as), his people said, “He is a madman.” (Surat al-Qamar: 9). Leaving these aside, believers were also accused of adultery. The Prophet Yusuf (as) and Maryam (as), the role models to follow for all faithful men and women, are noble people who were exposed to this slander. Furthermore, disbelievers accused many prophets of “being in plain error.” (Surat al-A‘raf: 60). But it would not be correct to assume that all these events pertain to the past. The Qur’an informs us that other believers may have the very same experiences. Accordingly, each believer advocating the true religion, thereby disturbing those who are far removed from the values of that religion, is vulnerable to the same accusations and slanders. We need to keep in mind that what disbelievers spread about Muslims may be part of such a slander campaign. As the Qur’an advises, prior to extensive investigation, we must avoid believing in such news spread by “deviators.” Of this Allah warns us as follows: You who believe! If a deviator brings you a report, scrutinize it carefully in case you attack people in ignorance and so come to greatly regret what you have done. (Surat al-Hujurat: 6) 

Posted by keith2009 at 14:36

Have you ever thought about the fact that you did not exist before you were conceived and then born into the world and that you have come into existence from mere nothingness. Have you ever thought about how the fragrant and beautifully coloured flowers you see everyday have come out of pitch black, muddy soil. Have you ever thought about how mosquitoes, which irritatingly fly around you, move their wings so fast that we are unable to see them. Have you ever thought about how the peels of fruits such as bananas, watermelons, melons and oranges serve as wrappings of high quality, and how the fruits are packed in these wrappings so that they maintain their taste and fragrance. Have you ever thought about the possibility that while you are asleep a sudden earthquake could raze your home, your office, and your city to the ground and that in a few seconds you could lose everything of the world you possess. Have you ever thought of how your life passes away very quickly, and that you will grow old and become weak, and slowly lose your beauty, health and strength. Have you ever thought about how one day you will find the angels of death appointed by Allah before you and that you will then leave this world. Have you ever thought about why people are so attached to a world from which they will soon depart when what they basically need is to strive for the Hereafter. Man is a being whom Allah furnishes with the faculty of thought. Yet, most people do not use this very important faculty as they should. In fact, some people almost never think. In truth, each person possesses a capacity for thought of which even he himself is unaware. Once man begins to use this capacity, facts he has not been able to realise until that very moment begin to be uncovered for him. The deeper he goes in reflection, the more his capacity to think improves, and this is possible for everyone. One just has to realise that one needs to reflect and then to strive hard. The purpose of this book is to invite people to think in the best way and show ways of doing this. Someone who does not think will remain totally distant from truths and lead his life in self-deception and error. As a result, he will not grasp the purpose of the creation of the world, and the reason for his existence on the earth. Yet, Allah has created everything with a purpose. This fact is stated in the Qur'an as follows: We did not create the heavens and the earth and everything between them as a game. We did not create them except with truth but most of them do not know it. (Surat ad-Dukhan: 38-39) Did you suppose that We created you for amusement and that you would not return to Us.(Surat al-Muminun: 115) Therefore, each person needs to ponder the purpose of creation, first as it concerns him himself, and then as it pertains to everything he sees in the universe and every event he experiences throughout his life. Someone who does not think, will understand the facts only after he dies, when he gives account before Allah, but then it will be too late. Allah says in the Qur'an that on the day of account, everybody will think and see the truth: That day Hell is produced, that day man will remember; but how will the remembrance help him. He will say, "Oh! If only I had prepared in advance for this life of mine!" (Surat al-Fajr: 23-24) While Allah has given us a chance in the life of this world to reflect and derive conclusions from our reflections, to see the truth will bring us great gain in our life in the Hereafter. For this reason, Allah has summoned all people, through His prophets and books, to reflect on their creation and on the creation of the universe: Have they not reflected within themselves. Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and everything between them except with truth and for a fixed term. Yet many people reject the meeting with their Lord. (Surat ar-Rum: 8)

Posted by keith2009 at 01:53

All prophets preached monotheism and had superior moral values and sincere faith. God reveals that His messengers were entrusted with calling their people to monotheism: We sent a Messenger among every people saying: "Worship God and keep clear of all false deities…" (Surat an-Nahl: 36) After the prophets, however, monotheism was gradually corrupted and altered by human beings. Thus, God would send a new messenger to recite His verses, warn them of the Day of Judgment and unite them again under monotheism. Following the corruption of the revelation brought by Prophet Moses (pbuh), Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was sent to call his people to God's oneness and to depart from their bigoted traditions, abandon their superstitions, and submit solely to God. For example: And when Jesus came with the Clear Signs, he said: "I have come to you with wisdom and to clarify for you some of the things about which you have differed. Therefore have fear [and respect] of God and obey me. God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is a straight path." (Surat az-Zukhruf: 63-64) I come confirming the Torah I find already there, and to make lawful for you some of what was previously forbidden to you. I have brought you a Sign from your Lord. So have fear [and respect] of God and obey me. God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path." (Surah Al 'Imran: 50-51) When Prophet Jesus (pbuh) began to lead his people and their religious leaders, many of whom had departed from the Mosaic Law, invented their own ideas of what was lawful and prohibited, and developed a formalist and bigoted form of religion, they mocked him and became hostile: When an example is made of the son of Mary, your people laugh uproariously. They retort: "Who is better, then, our deities or him?" They only say this to you for argument's sake. They are indeed a disputatious people. (Surat az-Zukhruf: 57-58) Despite mounting obstacles, the number of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) followers rose rapidly, especially among the poor. In order to put an end to Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and his message, the local Roman administrators and several Jewish religious leaders set a trap for Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and eventually decided to crucify him. The Qur'an records our Lord's response to this move: They [the unbelievers] plotted and God plotted. But God is the best of plotters. (Surah Al 'Imran: 54) Just as our Lord saved Prophet Abraham (pbuh) from the fire, He rescued Prophet Jesus (pbuh) from this trap by raising him to His presence: And their saying: "We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Messenger of God." They did not kill him and they did not crucify him, but it was made to seem so to them. Those who argue about him are in doubt about it. They have no real knowledge of it, just conjecture. But they certainly did not kill him." (Surat an-Nisa': 157) Clearly, those who sought to kill Prophet Jesus (pbuh) failed. As is revealed in other verses of the Qur'an, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) did not die but is alive in God's presence. God has revealed that He foiled the plot against Prophet Jesus (pbuh), which serves as important evidence that the prophet is alive in His presence. Our Lord foiled the plot intended to kill Prophet Jesus (pbuh). The claims made by those who maintain that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was killed consist of nothing more than speculation. The Romans, imagining that they were crucifying Prophet Jesus (pbuh), actually crucified someone else. (For more details concerning his life and ascent to God's presence, see Harun Yahya, Jesus (pbuh) Did Not Die [Istanbul:Global Publishing, 2005] After his ascent, however, Christianity gradually degenerated with the belief in the trinity. However, we can learn about the monotheistic revelation that he brought, part of what he experienced during his time on Earth, and his elevation into the sight of God from the Qur'an, which was sent to mankind by means of the Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace) and is valid until the Day of Judgment. It must not be forgotten that the Qur'an is a divine book whose words cannot be changed unless God wills them to be changed: "The Words of your Lord are perfect in truthfulness and justice. No one can change His Words. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing." (Surat al-An'am: 115) Several verses state that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is not the son of God (Surely God is beyond that!), but only one of His prophets. Some of these verses are as follows: Our Lord Has No Son The basic logic behind trinitarianism is that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is the son of God. However, God's names invalidate these claims, for in His capacity as the Lord of the Worlds, He is far removed from such comparisons ignorantly made by human beings. He is unsullied by any flaw or deficiency. The Qur'an reveals: It is not fitting for God to have a son. Glory be to Him! When He decides on something, He just says to it: "Be!" and it is." (Surah Maryam: 35) They say: "God has a son." Glory be to Him! He is the Rich beyond Need. Everything in the heavens and everything on Earth belongs to Him. Have you authority to say this, or are you saying about God that which you do not know? (Surah Yunus: 68) It is enough for our Lord to say Be! for something to come into existence. All entities are His property and His creations. All things have bowed their heads to Him and surrendered to His infinite power and might: …Everything in the heavens and Earth, willingly or unwillingly, submits to Him… (Surah Al 'Imran: 83) God is free of all causes, because He created whatever exists and happens, as well as their underlying causes. Everything happens in accordance with specific causes. For example, birth, death, learning, and ageing happen as the result of specific causes, such as time and space. Human beings live dependent on time and space. But our Lord is independent of time and space. He, Himself created time and space. It is our Lord Who created fatherhood, being a son, and having children, which are features peculiar to human life. Therefore, those who say that "God has a son" (Surely God is beyond that!) forget our Lord's incomparable names and think within the bounds of their own limited human perceptions. However, such claims are a huge lie in the sight of God. The Qur'an reveals that: … and to warn those who say: "God has a son." They have no knowledge of this, neither they nor their fathers. It is a monstrous utterance that has issued from their mouths. What they say is nothing but a lie. (Surat al-Kahf: 4-5) In another verse, our Lord reveals that "If God had desired to have a son, He would have chosen whatever He wished from what He has created. Glory be to Him! He is God, the One, the All-Conquering" (Surat az-Zumar: 4). In this verse, our Almighty Lord reveals that He has the power to create everything in the form that He wills. God's response to people's misguided belief in the trinity, which is founded on baseless human comparisons, is emphasized in the verses given below: They say: "God has a son." Glory be to Him! No, everything in the heavens and Earth belongs to Him. Everything is obedient to Him, the Originator of the heavens and Earth. When He decides on something, He just says to it, "Be!" and it is. (Surat al-Baqara: 116-117) They say: "The All-Merciful has a son." They have devised a monstrous thing. The heavens are all but rent apart, Earth split open, and the mountains brought crashing down at their ascription of a son to the All-Merciful! It is not fitting for the All-Merciful to have a son. There is no one in the heavens and Earth who will not come to the All-Merciful as a servant. He has counted them and numbered them precisely. Each of them will come to Him on the Day of Resurrection all alone." (Surah Maryam: 88-95) As stated in the verses, this concept is a monstrous thing. Our Lord, the Lord of all in heaven and Earth, is unsullied by such fabrications. Believers in the trinity also make another deviant assertion saying that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) has the same powers as God. The verse "…He has no partner in the Kingdom. He created everything and determined it most exactly" (Surat al-Furqan: 2) unequivocally denies this claim. Given that He is the absolute ruler of the universe, He has no need of any partner or helpmate. As one verse states: And say: "Praise be to God, Who has had no son and no partner in His Kingdom, and Who needs no one to protect Him from abasement." And proclaim His Greatness repeatedly! (Surat al-Isra': 111) God commanded Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace) to tell those who believe in the trinity: Say: "If the All-Merciful had a son, I would be the first to worship him". (Surat az-Zukhruf: 81) This response in the verse shows that the proponents of the trinity are in grave error. In the continuation of the above verse God reveals: Glory be to the Lord of the heavens and Earth, the Lord of the Throne, beyond what they describe. So leave them to plunge and play around until they meet their Day, which they are promised. He is God in heaven and God on Earth. He is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing. (Surat az-Zukhruf: 82-84) In these verses, God draws attention to the fact that believers in the trinity do not properly appreciate God's grandeur. They are depicted as people who play and plunge, heedless of the Hereafter's existence. All of creation belongs to God and needs Him According to the trinitarian belief, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is described as being uncreated and having powers equal to those of God. (Surely God is beyond that!) The fact is, however, that this false concept is a terrible slander in the face of the monotheistic faith revealed by our Lord to the prophets. As the Qur'an states: God, there is no deity but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He is not subject to drowsiness or sleep. Everything in the heavens and Earth belongs to Him. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, but they cannot grasp any of His knowledge save what He wills. His Footstool encompasses the heavens and Earth, and their preservation does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Magnificent. (Surat al-Baqara: 255) Our Lord is the only deity and ruler. All the universe, everything, living or not, in the heavens and Earth, animals, plants and inanimate objects, all belong to Him, for He is the One Who created them. Everything acts in accordance with His decree and exists for as long as He wills. He feeds and nourishes all living things, turns the night dark, makes the Sun bright, and creates the seasons. He created all human beings that have lived and that will ever live, and so they all owe their existence to God and depend upon Him totally. The prophets that He sent to humanity are also servants created by Him to guide their people and follow His decree so that they may serve as models to humanity. Among them is Prophet Jesus (pbuh), a servant created by God, a worthy messenger of high esteem (Surah Al 'Imran: 45). Indeed, God says this of Prophet Jesus (pbuh): The Messiah would never disdain to be a servant to God, nor would the angels near to Him. If any do disdain to worship Him and grow arrogant, He will in any case gather them all to Him. (Surat an-Nisa': 172) As revealed in the verse, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is a very devout individual who is proud to fulfill his duty of service to God and submit to Him fully. All references to his supposed divinity were produced long after he was raised to God's presence. Our Almighty Lord possesses complete dominion over all beings. Everything apart from Him needs our Lord to exist and to survive. God created the universe from nothing. All living things are born and die, and everything has an allotted life span. There is nothing in the universe that will not come to an end one day, nor any living thing that will not finally die. As the Qur'an reveals, however, "God is the First and Last" (Surat al-Hadid: 3). In other words, He has no beginning and no end. He existed before everything and will continue to exist after everything. Before the universe and its contents were created, there was only God; after the universe and its contents cease to exist, there will be only God. God, the Creator of life and time, is independent of all features of matter. God created the concepts of space and time, and thus decrees that human beings should be bound by them. No person can know what will happen a day or even an hour later. When He decrees a thing, however, He knows what its end result will be, regardless of how far in the future it will occur. Therefore, His decrees are always the truest, the best, and the wisest. All things in the universe will one day cease to exist. A human being is born, lives, and inevitably dies at the end of his or her limited lifespan in this world. This is also true for all members of the animal and plant kingdoms. Every living thing will die and will return to the ground. Our Lord, however, is Everlasting and exists at all times. Eternity belongs to Him alone. Human beings need constant care and interest throughout their lives. They spend much of their lives looking after their own bodies, making sure that they are clean, fed, and get enough sleep. God, on the other hand, has no such worries. As the Creator of all living and non-living things, He is Everlasting, Omniscient, and Almighty. He has no need of anything; rather, He gave various needs to those things He created and then told them to be aware of these needs, serve only Him, and seek everything from Him. A person's duty is to turn to God in the knowledge that he or she can continue to live and have his or her needs met only if He so wills. God reveals, with examples of the greatest wisdom, that He is the one God: Everyone in the heavens and Earth belongs to Him. Those in His presence do not consider themselves too great to worship Him and do not grow tired of it. They glorify Him by night and day, without ever flagging. Or have they taken deities out of the earth who can bring the dead to life? If there had been any deities besides God in heaven or Earth, they would both be ruined. Glory be to God, Lord of the Throne, beyond what they describe! He will not be questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned. Or have they taken other deities besides Him? Say: "Produce your proof! This is the message of those with me and the message of those before me." But most of them do not know the truth, so they turn away. (Surat al-Anbiya': 19-24) The fact is that We have given them the truth and they are liars. God has no son and is accompanied by no other deity, for then each deity would have gone off with what he or she created, and one of them would have been exalted above the other. Glory be to God above what they describe, Knower of the Unseen and the Visible! May He be exalted above all they associate with Him! (Surat al-Muminun: 90-92) Prophet Jesus (pbuh), a devout human being who believed fully in Our Lord's attributes, also believed in God's infinite might and ascribed no partners to Him. It is revealed in the Qur'an that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is the servant of God: He [Jesus] said: "I am the servant of God, He has given me the Book and made me a Prophet." (Surah Maryam: 30) It is revealed in another verse that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is mortal, and that like all other human beings He will be resurrected in the Hereafter: Peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I am raised up again alive." (Surah Maryam: 33) God created him, gave him an allotted span on Earth to preach monotheism, and then raised him to His presence to save him from those who plotted against him. When the time appointed by God comes, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will return to Earth and, in the manner decreed by God, complete his duties as messenger, for God has shaped his entire destiny, just as He has done for all people. God created every miracle performed by Prophet Jesus (pbuh), and allowed him to display them through His mercy. Throughout his earthly life, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) expressed his deep faith in God and called people to His straight path, as the following verse states: God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is a straight path. (Surah Maryam: 36) Prophet John's (pbuh) birth was also a miracle from God One of trinitarianism's alleged foundations is the miracles in the life of Prophet Jesus (pbuh). Our Lord imparted a blessing by giving Prophet Jesus (pbuh) extraordinary miracles. His life was full of miracles, from his birth until his elevation to God's presence. One of these miracles was that he was born of a virgin. The birth of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is truly a great miracle of our Lord. The Qur'an describes how Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary as a handsome, well-built man and informed her of God's will for her: although no man had ever touched her, by the will of God she became with child with Prophet Jesus (pbuh). Her pregnancy took place in a miraculous manner, independent of any earthly cause: She asked: "How can I have a son when no man has touched me and I am not an unchaste woman?" He [Gabriel] said: "It will be so. Your Lord says: 'That is easy for Me. It is so that We can make him a Sign for humanity and a mercy from Us.' It is a matter already decreed." So she conceived him and withdrew with him to a distant place. (Surah Maryam: 20-22) As can be seen from the clear language in this verse, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) came into the world by means of a creation outside the known causes, without a father. Before he was born, God had the angels inform Mary of many his attributes and that He was sending him as a blessing to his people: He [Gabriel] said: "I am only your Lord's messenger so that He can give you a pure son" ... We can make him a Sign for humanity and a mercy from Us." (Surah Maryam: 19-21) This miraculous creation is one of the so-called proofs for belief in the trinity. Although the extraordinary nature of this birth is plain to see, the birth of Prophet John (pbuh) was also miraculous. His father, Prophet Zachariah (pbuh), had prayed for an inheritor with the following words: Remember your Lord's mercy to His servant Zachariah, when he called on his Lord in secret and said: "My Lord, my bones have lost their strength and my head is crowned with white. But in calling on You, My Lord, I have never been disappointed. I fear my relatives when I am gone, and my wife is barren. So give me an heir from You to be my inheritor and the inheritor of the family of Jacob, and make him, my Lord, pleasing to You." (Surah Maryam: 2-6) Then and there, Zachariah called on his Lord, saying: "O Lord, grant me, by Your favor, an upright child. You are the Hearer of Prayer." (Surah Al 'Imran: 38) Apparently, Prophet Zachariah (pbuh) and his wife could not have a son under normal conditions. Yet he prayed with a sincere heart to our Lord for a helpmate and an inheritor. And, our Lord answered his prayer: Zachariah! We give you the good news of a boy named John, a name we have given to no one else before. (Surah Maryam: 7) The angels called out to him while he was standing in prayer in the chamber: "God gives you the good news of John, who will come to confirm a Word from God. He will be a leader and a chaste, a Prophet and one of the righteous." (Surah Al 'Imran: 39) Our Lord gave Prophet Zachariah (pbuh) the glad tiding he would have a son called John (pbuh). Like the birth of Prophet Jesus (pbuh), this too is a miraculous state of affairs—since on account of their age and health, it appeared impossible for Prophet Zachariah (pbuh) and his wife to have children. Prophet Zachariah (pbuh) said the following when he learned of the impending miracle: "My Lord! How can I have a boy when my wife is barren and I have reached advanced old age?" (Surah Maryam: 8). But our Lord, Who created the entire universe from nothing and can do whatever He wills, told him: He [God] said: "It will be so. Your Lord says: 'That is easy for me to do. I created you before, when you were nothing.'" (Surah Maryam: 9) He [Zachariah] asked: "My Lord, how can I possibly have a son when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?" He [God] said: "It will be so. God does whatever He wills." (Surah Al 'Imran: 40) The New Testament contains a similar account: Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped by fear. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear a son, and you are to name him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the holy spirit even from birth. He will bring many of the people of Israel back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Zechariah asked the angel: "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years."(Luke 1:11-18) The Originator of the heavens and earth. When He decides on something, He just says to it, 'Be!' and it is. (Surat al-Baqara: 117) Our Lord presented Prophet Zachariah (pbuh) and his wife with Prophet John (pbuh), a miracle from His presence, and endowed him with obedience, wisdom, love, sensitivity, and cleanliness right from childhood. The following is said of Prophet John (pbuh): …he had fear of God – and devotion to his parents – he was not insolent or disobedient. Peace be upon him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he is raised up again alive. (Surah Maryam: 13-15) As these verses reveal, Prophet John's (pbuh) birth was a great miracle. Independently of earthly causes, God answered Prophet Zachariah's (pbuh) prayer for a son and an inheritor in the person of Prophet John (pbuh). This great news was imparted by means of an angel, just as Mary was informed of her impending pregnancy. Given that Prophet Zachariah's (pbuh) wife was too old to become pregnant, we can see a great similarity in the birth of these two great prophets. This shows just how invalid this particular claim of the trinitarians is. The creation of Prophet Adam (pbuh) The extraordinary creation of Prophet John (pbuh) and Prophet Adam (pbuh) are proof that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was not created to be part of a triune God. According to the Qur'an, Prophet Adam (pbuh) was also created in a miraculous manner. … when your Lord said to the angels: "I am creating a human being out of dried clay formed from fetid black mud. When I have formed him and breathed My Spirit into him, fall down in prostration in front of him." (Surat al-Hijr: 28-29) These verses point to a most extraordinary creation: Prophet Adam (pbuh) had no parents, for he was created out of dried clay formed from fetid black mud. Other verses regarding creation from mud and the like read as follows: O humanity. If you are in any doubt about the Resurrection, know that We created you from dust, then from a drop of sperm, then from a clot of blood, and then from a lump of flesh, formed yet unformed, so We may make things clear to you. (Surat al-Hajj: 5) Among His Signs is that He created you from dust and here you are now, widespread human beings. (Surat ar-Rum: 20) God created you from dust, and then from a drop of sperm, and then made you into pairs. No female becomes pregnant or gives birth except with His knowledge. And no living thing lives long or has its life cut short without that being in a Book. That is easy for God. (Surah Fatir: 11) The creation of Prophet Adam (pbuh) is also similar to that of Prophet Jesus (pbuh): The likeness of Jesus in God's sight is the same as that of Adam. He created him from earth and then He said to him "Be!" and he was. It is the truth from your Lord, so do not be among the doubters. (Surah Al 'Imran: 59-60) In these verses, God reveals that He created Prophet Adam (pbuh) and Prophet Jesus (pbuh) in a similar manner: Prophet Adam (pbuh) was created out of clay and had no ancestors, and Prophet Jesus (pbuh) had no father. Both of them were created through God's command of Be! This great truth, which leaves no room for doubt, makes it clear that both prophets were God's servants who, despite their exalted status, were still completely dependent upon Him to meet all of their needs. As revealed in the Qur'an, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is fully human [God] of the East and West–there is no deity but Him–so take Him as your Guardian. (Surat al-Muzzammil: 9) In the Qur'an, God reveals to our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) that the other prophets before him were all human: We never sent any Messengers before you who did not eat food and walk in the market-place. But We have made some of you a trial for others, to see if you will be steadfast. Your Lord sees everything. Those who do not expect to meet Us ask: "Why have angels not been sent down to us? Why do we not see our Lord?" They have become arrogant about themselves and are excessively insolent. (Surat al-Furqan: 20-21) In other verses our Lord states: We have only sent before you men who were given Revelation. Ask the People of the Reminder if you do not know. We did not give them bodies that did not eat food, nor were they immortal. But We kept Our promise to them and rescued them and those We willed, and destroyed the profligate. (Surat al-Anbiya': 7-9) All of the prophets' human characteristics are described in the Qur'an through numerous examples. Mary conceived Prophet Jesus (pbuh) in a miraculous manner. However, the stages of his birth and Mary's birth-related experiences clearly reveal that his stages of birth were the same as those of all other human beings. It is not possible to interpret the Qur'anic account of his birth in any other way: So she conceived him and withdrew with him to a distant place. The pains of labor drove her to the trunk of a date-palm. She exclaimed: "Oh, if only I had died before this time and was something discarded and forgotten!" A voice called out to her from under her: "Do not grieve. Your Lord has placed a small stream at your feet. Shake the trunk of the palm toward you, and fresh, ripe dates will drop down onto you. Eat and drink and delight your eyes. If you should see anyone at all, just say: "I have made a vow of abstinence to the All-Merciful, and today I will not speak to any human being." She brought him to her people, carrying him. They said: "O Mary, you have done an unthinkable thing! Sister of Aaron, your father was not an evil man, nor was your mother an unchaste woman!" (Surah Maryam: 22-28) God created Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and blessed him with various miracles, such as raising the dead, making a bird from mud and breathing life into it, and curing the blind from birth and lepers. Such events, together with his miraculous birth without a father, are outside the laws of life to which we are subject in this world. In the Qur'an, our Lord refers to other prophets' miracles. For example, He states that Prophet Adam (pbuh) was created from dried mud without a father, and that Prophet Salih, Prophet Abraham, and Prophet Moses (peace be upon them all) performed many miracles. When Prophet Moses (pbuh) encountered Pharaoh's sorcerers, our Lord turned his staff into a serpent (Surah Ta Ha: 69). Prophet Moses (pbuh) and his people were able to cross the Red Sea, which divided so that they could escape Pharaoh and his army, all of whom drowned (Surah Ta Ha: 77-78). Like the birth of Prophet Jesus (pbuh), this too is a miraculous state of affairs—since on account of their age and health, it appeared impossible for Prophet Zachariah (pbuh) and his wife to have children. In Surat al-Isra' God reveals that He carried our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) to the place upon which Al-Aqsa mosque now stands in a single night and showing it to him (Surat al-Isra':1). It is God, the Lord of the worlds, Who enabled such miracles to take place. The fact that the prophets were able to perform such miracles does not imply that they enjoyed divine status. (Surely God is beyond that!) In fact, all of them knew that they could perform these miracles only because God willed them: Remember when God said: "Jesus, son of Mary, remember My blessing to you and to your mother when I reinforced you with the holy spirit so that you could speak to people in the cradle and when you were fully grown; and when I taught you the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel; and when you created a bird-shape out of clay by My will, and then breathed into it and it became a bird by My will; and healed the blind and the leper by My will; and when you brought forth the dead by My will; and when I held back the tribe of Israel from you, when you brought them the Clear Signs and those of them who did not believe said: 'This is nothing but downright magic." (Surat al-Ma'ida: 110) The Qur'an also refutes all claims regarding the supposed divinity of Mary and Prophet Jesus (pbuh): The Messiah, the son of Mary, was only a Messenger, before whom other Messengers came and went. His mother was a woman of truth. Both of them ate food. See how We make the Signs clear to them! Then see how they are perverted! (Surat al-Ma'ida: 75) Our Lord blessed Prophet Jesus (pbuh) with many miracles, one of which was raising Lazarus from the dead. 1308-1311, Kimbell Museum of Fine Arts, Fort Worth, Texas. The reference to eating is particularly wise, because eating, hunger, thirst, and the need to sleep are all characteristics of living things and expressions of helplessness. Given this, it is a grave error to ascribe divine status to Prophet Jesus (pbuh), who possessed all of the human characteristics mentioned in the verse. With his title of the Provider (al-Razzaq), God, the Lord of all, nourishes and imparts blessings to all living things. He is the One Who has need of nothing and nobody. However, all living things stand in need of our Lord in order to exist and survive. Another piece of wisdom connected to this matter may be the information provided about the angels who appeared to Prophet Abraham (pbuh) in human form (God knows best!) and did not eat any food: Has the account reached you of the honored guests of Abraham? When they entered his dwelling and said: "Peace." he replied: "Peace to people we do not know." So he slipped off to his household and brought a fattened calf. He offered it to them and then asked: "Do you not then eat?" He felt afraid of them, but they said: "Do not be afraid," and gave him the good news of a son imbued with knowledge. (Surat adh-Dhariyat: 24-28) Our messengers brought the good news to Abraham. They said: "Peace," and he also said: "Peace" and brought in a roasted calf without delay. When he saw that their hands were not reaching for it, he suspected them and felt afraid. They said: "Have no fear. We have been sent to the people of Lot." (Surah Hud: 69-70) God warns those who believe in the trinity and who ascribe divine status to Prophet Jesus (pbuh) in various ways in several verses, among them the following: Those who say: "God is the Messiah, son of Mary" do not believe. Ask: "Who possesses any power at all over God if He desires to destroy the Messiah, son of Mary, and his mother, and everyone else on Earth?" The kingdom of the heavens and Earth, and everything between them, belongs to God. He creates whatever He wills. God has power over all things. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 17) Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is no more than a helpless and needy servant created by God, despite his being someone beloved of, honored, and chosen by God. The Qur'an says that those who deify him are unbelievers: Those who say that the Messiah, son of Mary, is God are unbelievers. The Messiah said: "O Tribe of Israel. Worship God, my Lord and your Lord. If anyone associates anything with God, God has forbidden him the Garden and his refuge will be the Fire." The wrongdoers will have no helpers. Those who say that God is the third of three are unbelievers. There is no deity but the One God. If they do not stop saying what they say, a painful punishment will afflict those among them who do not believe. Why do they not turn to God and ask for His forgiveness? God is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat al-Ma'ida; 72-74) Thus, as God is the sole Lord of all things, no other power can delay or turn a thing back that He wills to happen. The Qur'an reveals the following about those who say that there is another deity apart from God or that God has a son: We sent no Messenger before you without revealing to him: "There is no god but Me, so worship Me." They say: "The All-Merciful has a son." Glory be to Him! No, they are honored servants! They do not precede Him in speech and they act on His command. He knows what is in front of them and what is behind them. They only intercede on behalf of those with whom He is pleased, and even they are apprehensive out of fear [and respect] of Him. Were any of them to say: "I am a deity apart from Him," We would repay him with Hell. That is how We repay wrongdoers." (Surat al-Anbiya': 25-29) Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is only a prophet The Qur'an mentions many subjects, such as the birth of Prophet Jesus (pbuh), some events in his life, his family, and the people around him. He is depicted as the Messiah, son of Mary and prophet of God. For example, he told the Children of Israel that he was sent for the following reason: I come confirming the Torah I find already there, and to make lawful for you some of what was previously forbidden to you. I have brought you a Sign from your Lord. So have fear [and respect] of God, and obey me. God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path. (Surah Al 'Imran: 50-51) A few disciples heeded his call and are referred to in the following terms: We are God's helpers. We believe in God. Bear witness that we are Muslims. Our Lord, we believe in what You have sent down and have followed the Messenger, so write us down among the witnesses. (Surah Al 'Imran: 52-53) Throughout his life, Prophet Jesus (pbuh), sent to lead a community that had gone astray to the true path, called on his people to have sincere faith and submit themselves to God. It also appears, from various verses of the Qur'an that he acted as a guide to those who had fallen into religious disagreements. Certain New Testament passages indicate that he primarily called on hypocritical, insincere religious figures and those who deceived the public behind a mask of devotion to cease what they were doing and believe in God. The Qur'an reveals this in the following terms: And when Jesus came with the Clear Signs, he said: "I have come to you with Wisdom and to clarify for you some of the things about which you have differed. Therefore, have fear [and respect] of God and obey me." (Surat az-Zukhruf: 63) If they see every Sign, they will not believe in it. If they see the way of right guidance, they will not take it as a way. But if they see the way of error, they will take that as a way. That is because they denied Our Signs and paid no attention to them. (Surat al-A'raf: 146) Like all of the prophets, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) targeted moral degeneration and atheism. He told people to abandon their injustice, immorality, and superstitions; to live by God's ordained moral values and for His good pleasure alone; to fear [and respect], love, and submit to God; and to turn away from superstitious laws and hollow traditions, to worship only God, and to turn to Him at all times. The miracles that he performed revealed that God had chosen him as His messenger, and that He supported him with knowledge and power. His depth of faith, high moral values, superior understanding, and wise explanations inspired great admiration among his people. Prophet Jesus (pbuh) displayed great patience with his opponents, put his trust in God and continued to inform his people of God's revelation despite the hostile environment in which he was living. Although he had very few helpers, he endeavored to restore his people's religion to its essence and cleanse it of all meaningless rituals and superstitious practices. Thanks to his superior understanding and wisdom vouchsafed to him by our Lord, he made highly affective addresses to the Children of Israel and told them very wise parables. Prophet Jesus (pbuh) confirmed the Torah and issued his commands according to the Gospel, sent by God as a guide and advice: And We sent Jesus son of Mary following in their footsteps, confirming the Torah that came before him. We gave him the Gospel containing guidance and light, confirming the Torah that came before it, and as guidance and admonition for those who guard against evil. The people of the Gospel should judge by what God sent down in it. Those who do not judge by what God has sent down are deviators. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 46-47) At first, only a few people responded to his call, for it demanded the end of privilege for the priestly class, who made a living out of nonsense and tradition, and for the ruling class, who denied God's sovereignty. With the spread of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) message and his growing number of followers, the cunning snares and plans laid by his opponents also increased. All of the prophets have encountered such plots, for as the Qur'an relates, the people to whom they are sent have the following attitude: Why then, whenever a Messenger came to you with something your lower selves did not desire, did you grow arrogant, deny some of them, and murder others? (Surat al-Baqara: 87) Gradually, a division began to emerge in society between the followers and the opponents of Prophet Jesus (pbuh). On the one hand was God's messenger, who described the true religion and called on people to believe in the one God; on the other was a group who was determined not to believe, no matter what miracles or evidence they were shown. The enemies of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) made themselves apparent. It is likely that some unbelievers also had initially listened to and supported him. Indeed, God reveals that: The various factions among them differed..." (Surat az-Zukhruf: 65). For that reason, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) described those who had faith and who he could trust: When Jesus sensed unbelief on their part, he asked: "Who will be my helpers to God?" The disciples said: "We are God's helpers. We believe in God. Bear witness that we are Muslims." (Surah Al 'Imran: 52) The Qur'an reveals that the unbelievers plotted to kill Prophet Jesus (pbuh). According to the New Testament, several bigoted religious leaders convinced one of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) disciples to betray him, after which they would have him arrested and delivered up to the Romans. According to that same source, these leaders could not carry out a death sentence and so prepared a trap to incite the Roman authorities, known for their cruelty and sensitivity in this matter to do it for them: They depicted Prophet Jesus (pbuh) as being an opponent of Rome: They planned and God planned. But God is the best planners. (Surah Al 'Imran: 54) Thus, his opponents sought to kill him. But they failed to do so, for God foiled their plot, raised him to His presence and caused someone else to be killed in his place. Yet the erroneous belief that the Romans crucified and killed Prophet Jesus (pbuh) remains the fundamental essence of Christianity. A large part of the Christian world accepts this, but believes that he was resurrected and then ascended to heaven. When we look at the Qur'an, however, we see that this is not the case: … and their saying: "We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Messenger of God." They did not kill him and they did not crucify him, but it was made to seem so to them. Those who argue about him are in doubt about it. They have no real knowledge of it, just conjecture. But they certainly did not kill him. (Surat an-Nisa': 157) In the continuation of this verse the situation of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is revealed thus: God raised him up to Himself. God is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat an-Nisa': 158) Their Messengers said to them: "We are nothing but human beings like yourselves. But God shows favor to any of His servants He wills. It is not for us to bring you an authority, except by God's permission. So let the believers put their trust in God." (Surah Ibrahim: 11) The truth revealed in the Qur'an is clear. Incited by the Jews, the Romans sought to kill Prophet Jesus (pbuh) but failed to do so. The expression "but it was made to seem so to them" makes their failure to do so crystal clear. God showed people someone who resembled Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and then raised him to His presence. Furthermore, our Lord also states that those who claim that he actually died have no knowledge of the truth of the matter. (For details, see Harun Yahya, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) Did Not Die, Istanbul: Global Publishing, 2005] In the early years of Christianity, several ideas emerged regarding the crucifixion. It is known that, just as revealed in the Qur'an, some Christian sects believed that he was not crucified at all. From what we know of his life, message, and prayers, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was a prophet of God, a guide to the true path, and a messenger sent down by God to warn his people. This is confirmed by He said: "I am the servant of God. He has given me the Book and made me a Prophet" (Surah Maryam: 30), as well as the following verses: And when Jesus son of Mary said: "O Tribe of Israel, I am the Messenger of God to you, confirming the Torah that came before me and giving you the good news of a Messenger after me, whose name is Ahmad." When he brought them the Clear Signs, they said: "This is downright magic." (Surat as-Saff: 6) It is not right for any human being that God should give him the Book and Judgment and Prophethood, and then that he should say to people: "Worship me rather than God." Rather he will say: "Be people of the Lord, because of your knowledge of the Book and because you study." (Surah Al 'Imran: 79) The Qur'an and the hadiths of our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) make it very clear that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) did not die and was not killed, but that he was raised to God's presence and will one day return to Earth. In fact, the hadith literature contains a great many signs regarding his second coming. (For more details regarding the second coming of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) see Harun Yahya, The Signs of Jesus' Second Coming [Istanbul: Global Publishing, 2004].)

Posted by keith2009 at 13:23

he New Testament frequently emphasizes God's infinite power and might, and describes Prophet Jesus (pbuh) as a messenger of God with human characteristics. Those few expressions that purportedly support belief in the trinity, as we will show below, clearly contradict the New Testament as a whole. All of this evidence reveals that trinitarian belief emerged long after Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was raised to God's presence. However, first we need to look at how the Qur'an, the only source from which people can obtain totally accurate information about Christianity and Prophet Jesus (pbuh), treats this belief. The Qur'an states that the Gospel was revealed as a confirmation of the Torah: And We sent Jesus son of Mary following in their footsteps, confirming the Torah that came before him. We gave him the Gospel containing guidance and light, confirming the Torah that came before it, and as guidance and admonition for those who guard against evil. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 46) As for those who believe in God and hold fast to Him, He will admit them into mercy and favor from Him and will guide them to Him on a straight path. (Surat an-Nisa': 175) By proclaiming this revelation, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) corrected the errors that had crept into the Torah. The Qur'an, revealed to Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace), states that both the Gospel and the Torah are true, but that their original forms have been corrupted. One of its verses reveals that the Qur'an confirms and conserves: And We have sent down the Book to you with truth, confirming and conserving the previous Books. So judge between them by what God has sent down and do not follow their whims and desires, deviating from the Truth that has come to you. We have appointed a law and a practice for every one of you. Had God willed, He would have made you a single community. But He wanted to test you regarding what has come to you. So compete with each other in doing good. Every one of you will return to God, and He will inform you regarding the things about which you differed. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 48) The quality of the Qur'an revealed in the above verse is of the greatest importance. Not only does the Qur'an confirm the original purity of the revelations sent to Prophet Moses (pbuh) and Prophet Jesus (pbuh), it also conserves them. Revealing their subsequent corruption and then calling Jews and Christians to the true path is a manifestation of that attribute. Christianity's place is very different at this point, because our Lord reveals that: …You will find the people most affectionate to those who believe [Muslims] are those who say: "We are Christians." That is because some of them are priests and monks, and because they are not arrogant. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 82) The truth of this verse has been seen throughout the history of Islam. The close relationship between Christians and Muslims began in the earliest days of Islam, and was further reinforced when some of the first Muslims sought refuge from Makkan persecution in Christian Ethiopia. Christians living in Muslim lands have always lived in peace, tolerance, and justice. (For detailed information, see Harun Yahya, A Call for Unity [Istanbul: Global Publishing, 2004]) Our Lord states that the Gospel was sent down as "guidance and light… and as guidance and admonition for those who guard against evil" (Surat al-Ma'ida: 46) and "as guidance" (Surah Al 'Imran: 4) to Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) people. Some verses actually invite Christians to abide by the truth revealed in the Gospel: The people of the Gospel should judge by what God sent down in it. Those who do not judge by what God has sent down are deviators. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 47) Say: "O People of the Book. You have nothing to stand on until you implement the Torah and the Gospel and what has been sent down to you from your Lord..." (Surat al-Ma'ida: 68) We have only sent down the Book to you so that you can make clear to them the things about which they differ, and as a guidance and a mercy to people who believe. (Surat an-Nahl: 64) Other verses extend a very warm welcome to Christians. In fact, the Qur'an praises Christian moral values and invites those who possess them to become even more godly. Several verses also reveal the error of believing in the trinity. For example: People of the Book. Do not go to excess in your religion. Say nothing but the truth about God. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only the Messenger of God and His Word, which He cast into Mary, and a Spirit from Him. So believe in God and His Messengers. Do not say: "Three." It is better that you stop. God is only One God. He is too glorious to have a son! Everything in the heavens and in Earth belongs to Him. God suffices as a Guardian. The Messiah would never disdain to be a servant to God, nor would the angels near to Him. If any disdain to worship Him and grow arrogant, He will, in any case, gather them all to Him. (Surat an-Nisa': 171-72) With these words, our Lord reveals just how mistaken belief in the trinity is and warns its proponents that they will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment. The belief that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is God is also clearly rejected in the verses. (Surely God is beyond that!) Our Lord reveals that those who hold such a belief have become unbelievers: Those who say that the Messiah, son of Mary, is God are unbelievers. The Messiah said: "Tribe of Israel. Worship God, my Lord and your Lord. If anyone associates anything with God, God has forbidden him the Garden and his refuge will be the Fire." The wrongdoers will have no helpers. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 72) As revealed in this verse, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is a servant created by God, a prophet who has submitted to God, possesses superior moral values, and is made superior to the worlds. In telling people of the true religion, he spoke of our Lord's infinite might and power and stated that he was His servant. Another verse reveals that those who ascribe divinity to Prophet Jesus (pbuh) do not fully appreciate God and His might: Those who say: "God is the Messiah, son of Mary," do not believe. Say: "Who possesses any power at all over God if He desires to destroy the Messiah, son of Mary, and his mother, and everyone else on Earth?" The kingdom of the heavens and Earth, and everything between them, belongs to God. He creates whatever He wills. God has power over all things. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 17) As revealed in the verse, everyone is helpless and needy in our Lord's presence. God, Who created everything from nothing, possesses absolute power and dominion over all animate and inanimate entities. Thus, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is the servant and messenger of God, a human being created by and submitted to Him. It is also revealed in Surat al-Ma'ida that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) himself rejected all claims concerning his supposed "divinity": And when God asks: "Jesus son of Mary! Did you say to people: 'Take me and my mother as deities besides God?'" he will respond: "Glory be to You! It is not for me to say what I have no right to say! If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is in my self, but I do not know what is in Your Self. You are the Knower of all unseen things." (Surat al-Ma'ida: 116) God says: "Do not take two deities. He is only One God. So fear [and respect] Me alone." (Surat an-Nahl: 51) Other verses reveal the true message that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) imparted to his people: He said: "I am the servant of God. He has given me the Book and made me a Prophet. He has made me blessed wherever I am and directed me to perform prayer and give the alms as long as I live…" (Surah Maryam: 30-31) I come confirming the Torah I find already there, and to make lawful for you some of what was previously forbidden to you. I have brought you a Sign from your Lord. So have fear of [and respect for] God and obey me. God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path. (Surah Al 'Imran: 50-51) Another verse reveals the essence of the message imparted by the prophets: It is not right for any human being that God should give him the Book and Judgment and Prophethood, and then that he should say to people: "Worship me rather than God." Rather, he will say: "Be people of the Lord because of your knowledge of the Book, and because you study." (Surah Al 'Imran: 79) Our Lord is unsullied by these erroneous beliefs, and the Qur'an reveals some of His titles: Say: "He is God, Absolute Oneness; God, the Everlasting Sustainer of all. He has not given birth and was not born. And no one is comparable to Him." (Surat al-Ikhlas: 1-4) This is the truth. God is One and Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is His servant and prophet, as were Prophet Abraham (pbuh), Prophet Moses (pbuh), Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace), and all of the other prophets (peace be upon them all). In the following chapters, all aspects of belief associated with the trinity will be set out in detail based upon the Qur'an, the Bible, and other Christian sources. for further detail go to www.harunyahya.com

Posted by keith2009 at 21:16

The creation of the universe began with a huge explosion, named "Big Bang". From this point, the universe has been expanding ever since. Scientists say that when the mass of the universe has reached a sufficient level, this expansion will come to an end because of gravity, causing the universe to collapse in on itself. It is also believed that the contracting universe will end in a fierce heat and contraction known as the “Big Crunch.” This would lead to the end of all forms of life as we know them. Renata Kallosh and Andrei Linde, professors of physics from Stanford University, made the following statements on the subject: The universe may be doomed to collapse and disappear. Everything we see now, and at a much larger distance that we cannot see, will collapse into a point smaller than a proton. Locally, it will be the same as if you were inside a black hole... We have found that some of the best attempts to describe dark energy predict that it will gradually become negative, which will cause the universe to become unstable, then collapse... Physicists have known that dark energy could become negative and the universe could collapse sometime in the very distant future... but now we see that we might be, not in the beginning, but in the middle of the life cycle of our universe. This is how this scientific hypothesis of the Big Crunch is indicated in the Qur’an: That Day We will fold up heaven like folding up the pages of a book. As We originated the first creation so We will regenerate it. It is a promise binding on Us. That is what We will do. (Qur’an, 21:104) In another verse, this state of the heavens is described thus: They do not measure Allah with His true measure. The whole earth will be a mere handful for Him on the Day of Rising the heavens folded up in His right hand. Glory be to Him! He is exalted above the partners they ascribe! (Qur’an, 39:67) According to the Big Crunch theory, the universe will begin to collapse slowly and will then increasingly pick up speed. At the end of the process the universe will have infinite density and be infinitely hot and small. This scientific theory runs parallel to the Qur’anic explanation of this particular scientific concept. (Allah knows best) (For further reference, please see, Miracles of the Qur'an, by Harun Yahya)

Posted by keith2009 at 01:57