“INVITE ALL TO THE WAY OF LORD, WITH WISDOM AND BEAUTIFUL PREACHING, AND ARGUE WITH THEM IN WAYS THAT ARE BEST AND MOST GRACIOUS!”

(AL-QURAN 16:125)

Islam is a universal religion. It is meant for all mankind. ALLAH is the Lord of the whole universe. Therefore, Muslims have been allotted with the duty of conveying his message to the entire universe. To develop a better image of Islam among all humans, we should be very sensitive towards our duty. Revealing Islam as the best code of life, we should share its preaching to whom this knowledge is not yet conveyed.

In most of the cases, it is usually not sufficient to mention only positive aspects of Islam. As many non-Muslims are not convinced with this positive nature of Islam because there are few questions at the back of their minds which are remained unanswered. For the time, they may agree with your contentions, but deep in their minds they have few ambiguities; like the possibilty of marrying more than one woman by Muslim men. During preaching, we should give a free hand to non-Muslims to reveal their points of view and criticism.

To prove Islam as the best religion of the world, Muslims need to take some physical and mental steps.

Muslims should read Quran every day. As the Quran is a direct speech of ALLAH. It’s a way of guidance for Muslims. Islam emphasizes on treating people gently. Islam strictly prohibits terrorism. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said :

“Don’t kill women and children and non-combatants and don’t kill old people or religious people ….”

Muslims, therefore, request from the media and the people not to use annoying phrases such as “Muslim terrorists” when mentioning a terrorist attack.

According to Islamic teachings, men and women should be treated and respected equally so that this world comes to know that Muslims are not cruel, instead Muslims are against brutality. Muslims should allow their women equally to seek knowledge and education. Since from the beginning of Islam, there were no restrictions and prohibition for women to seek education and employments.

Muslims must be clean to represent their religion as purity is half of faith. A Muslim should never miss his prayer and try to pray at MASJID as much as possible. Muslims can show Islam as the best religion for all mankind by uniting the Muslims around the world. ALLAH said in the Quran:

“Hold fast altogether by the rope which ALLAH (stretches out for you) and be not divide among yourselves: and remember with gratitude Allah’s favor on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love so that by His grace ye became brethren”. (Verse 013, Al-i-Imran).

Muslims should avoid division by ignoring all kind of local nationalism. Muslims are largely divided due to their sectarian beliefs in the name of Islam. By taking these measures, Muslims can influence the image of Islam and show it as the best religion of the world.

About the author

I love to write creative articles. I have been writing on different social and religious topics for 2 years now. Give me a creative topic and I will write it for you.

View the Original article

For decades now the US government has had a system for categorizing terrorist organizations. Some groups classified as “designated terrorist organizations” include Hamas, Hezbollah, and Kurdistan Workers’ Party. It is very uncommon, but sometimes a designated terrorist organization can be de-listed. The Irish Republican Army and Kosovo Liberation Army are two such examples.

The Kosovo Liberation Army was founded in the early 1990′s in response to the genocide taking place against Albanians. They bombed police stations and cafes where Serbian officials were, and in the process many civilians were killed. Although these acts were a reaction against a genocide, the US government considered them to be terrorist activities and listed the KLA as a designated terrorist organization.

But in 1999, the United States intervened in Kosovo to stop the genocide, effectually embracing the KLA’s cause. Not that they condoned the bombings that killed civilians as well as Serbian officials. However, they did recognize that even this “terrorist organization” was fighting for a legitimate cause, and it was de-listed as a designated terrorist organization. After the Kosovo War ended, the KLA became the Kosovo Protection Corps, which worked with NATO to provide security to the province.

Terrorist activities should always be condemned. No situation, no matter how dire, justifies terrorism. However, the motives behind terrorist activity should always be examined closely. The United States helped stop a genocide by fighting for the same cause as a designated terrorist organization, and in the end this “terrorist organization” helped build a stable government.

Another group that was de-listed as a designated terrorist organization by the US government is the Palestine Liberation Organization, or PLO. According to its original charter its goal was to liberate Palestine through armed struggle, and it sought to accomplish this through attacks against Israeli officials and civilians. However, at the 1991 Madrid Conference, the US de-listed the PLO as a designated terrorist organization, and in 1993 the PLO recognized Israel’s right to exist. Today, the United Nations recognizes it as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Like the KLA, this former terrorist organization that fought against a genocide is now working to form a stable government.

Perhaps the US will learn from its victory in Kosovo and, while condemning terrorism, fight for the PLO’s cause in Israel and Palestine. Who knows, they might stop another genocide.

About the author

I grew up in conservative Christian circles in the American South, and majored in theology at an Alabama Southern Baptist college. Without really understanding why, I believed that Muslims were to be avoided at all costs, and we have to unilaterally support Israel. Like many young adults, after college I wasn't sure at all of what I wanted to do with my life, so I traveled to the Middle East for a year and a half. Most of the people I met were descendants of the Palestinian refugees forced out of their homeland in 1948, when Israel was recreated. I fell in love with Arab culture, and realized that on the world scene, Arabs have no voice. Living in the Middle East gave me fresh new eyes to read the Bible, and interacting with Arab Christians, especially Palestinian Christians who live in Jordan, caused me to question all the dogmas regarding Israel with which I had grown up.

Living in the Middle East also gave me the courage I needed to pursue my lifelong dream of being an author. My first book, A Theology of Chaos, will come out this next spring. I plan to use the profits from it to support organizations in the Middle East that are fighting for justice. I have written some short stories as well, which you can find on smashwords.com under my full name, Margaret Elysia McColley.

I now live in New York City, where emergency procedures for a potential terrorist attack are constantly updated, and where the sharp divide between Christians, Muslims, and Jews can be clearly seen on posters in the subways. My goal in life is simple: to end terrorism in my lifetime, by giving a voice to social injustices that compel terrorists to violence.

View the Original article

The expression ‘Magic’ refers to a very old practice still performed in present by the magicians for the purpose of harming humanity or in order to amaze the audience by creating unbelievable illusions. However, with reference to the Islamic teachings, it is strictly forbidden and one who is pleased by magic or practices magic is said to be a disbeliever to Islam.

Magic has been defined in two ways, that is, ‘Real’ and ‘Illusionary’. The ‘Real magic’ refers to the tricks that are being performed on someone so as to cause that targeted person’s death, to make him sick or to cause abnormal mental state.  This type of magic is casted on any specified person through magical spells, potions and rituals which cause serious harm to the targeted person, however, various ways are also being defined in the Quran to get relief from such false acts.

The later kind ‘Illusionary magic’ refers to the magic performed by the street magicians  in order to entertain people with such tricks that make them astonished as what they are being shown is next to impossible. Some of the tricks performed as illusionary magic are: getting disappeared with the blink of an eye and then returning from somewhere else within seconds,  cutting anybody’s head off and within no time presenting that person alive, display of cards trick etc.

The term ‘Magic’ has appeared several times in Quran and considered to be as ‘shirk’. It is being strictly prohibited in Islam as it has been stated that the one who tends to learn or teach magic, let it be the real one or the illusionary one is said to be a disbeliever and will not be forgiven for his false act.

“They followed what the Shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulaiman (Solomon). Sulaiman did not disbelieve, but the Shayatin (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Harut and Marut but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, “We are only for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us)” (Surah Baqrah)

With reference to the above verse taken from the Holy Quran, it is clearly stated that magic was performed by the two angels Harut and Marut, sent by Allah for the purpose of trial, so as to test the mankind. The people were also warned and advised by Harut and Marut, not to learn and teach magic, because if learned, they will then become the disbelievers of Islamic teachings and would not be forgiven, however, the Shaytan disbelieved and taught magic to mankind.

According to some of the Islamic scholars, it has been stated that the person who practices magic should be killed for his act of deceiving people without even asking him to repent as the knowledge of magic cannot be erased out from his heart, and the one who deceives people through magic is an apostate.

View the Original article

Islam teaches us the difference between halal and haram. Halal means what is obligatory in Islam, while harm means what Islam stops us to do. The religion Islam teaches Muslims the way of living and gives guidance in every path of life.

Every person must learn Islamic teachings by getting in some Muslim academy where they should learn Islam, learn Muslim culture and Arabic language.  These teachings extend in all areas of life, both for personal lives and for professional or economical lives. Islam gives detailed regulations of follow halal way of doing business that is fair and balanced. Muslims must recognize that material goods, earnings and wealth are all the properties that belong to Allah, and they are just his trustees. There are certain fundamental principles in Islam that teaches us to behave honestly and responsibly to follow proper economic system that is proposed by the religion Islam.

The first fundamental principle of the halal way of doing business says that Muslims should not earn interest in business. It means earning money in a wrong way is restricted in Islam. Usury is strictly forbidden in Islam, and those who are getting usury in their business will allow them to get the blessing of Allah. Being Muslim, this is the only halal way of establishing a business where there is no usury and no doubling or multiplying of investments. Islam prohibits all the transactions that are interest based.  The second fundamental principle says that Islam forbids the gaining of wealth or any property by making frauds, cheats, and by deceiving someone. Injustice is not allowed in Islam, and so people must play good and true in their business.

The third fundamental principle of halal way of doing business says that it is the guardian must not take the property of an orphan. People must not cheat them for making their own business. That means for getting money for your business, you cannot deceive anyone who has no one for the support. It is considered a sin in Islam. The fourth fundamental says that people who are doing business of gambling, sales of alcohol, or doing business of lotteries, are all bad means of earning. Gambling, lotteries or production and sales of alcohol are considered haram means of doing business. According to the next fundamental principle, Muslims must behave responsibly and carefully while spending money in the business. They should not waste money in haram things or in unnecessary things.

The next fundamental principles of halal way of doing business say that people who are doing some businesses and are economically strong, they must pay Zakat. Those Muslims who own their own business and are financially strong must always pay some fixed amount of money in the form of Zakat. Zakat can be given to needy people and those who are disabled. There are so many Arabic quotes you can learn in the Quran which will give an evidence of all these principles.

View the Original article