Are you afraid to become a muslim?

 Why Islam is not acceptable to some people and it's because they fear........
 
· Losing their culture
· Circumcision
· Don't know how to speak Arabic
· Pressure from parents, friends and society
· Fasting
· Praying 5 times a day
· Changing their ways


Losing Your Culture
 It's not true that you'll lose your culture. Lots of people misunderstand this. In the West, it is thought that when somebody becomes a muslim, he becomes an Arab too. For example in Malaysia, when somebody becomes a muslim, people think that he becomes a Malay just because majority of the muslims in Malaysia are Malays.
 This confusion is only brought up by narrow minded people who don't understand. Allah has made us to many races, many cultures and many languages too. It is one of the beauty of the many creations of Allah that we have our own culture and we should appreciate it.
 
Similarly, we shouldn't be selfish of our own culture. We should share it between our muslim brothers and sisters. Islam is a religion, not a race. An English parent would give birth to an English child, but a muslim parent might not give birth to a muslim child.
 
Circumcision
 This is something which people shouldn't worry or get scared about. Circumcision does not make somebody a muslim, neither does it make somebody a non muslim. It is only a procedure of cleanliness which you right want to do to keep yourself clean.
 
It is stated in the hadith, sahih Muslim, it is a fitrah, meaning practice of the prophet.
 
When a man urinates, some of the urine gets trapped on the foreskin. It is his duty to clean it with water. The foreskin traps smega, which is a smelly chesse-like substance on the foreskin. If it is left like that, infection will occur, thus making the foreskin swollen.
 
You must understand that Islam stresses on cleanliness and circumcision is one of the ways to preserve cleanliness.
 
Some people don't want to be muslims because they fear circumcision. May Allah help you.

You Don't Know How To Speak Arabic
 You don't have to worry about that. The Arabic language has been chosen as the International language for muslims. The original form of the Quran to the humans on this earth is Arabic. So, we need to learn it in order to understand and appreciate it. It so happened that Allah chose an Arab leader, our beloved prophet Mohammed SAW to begin the mission or conveying the message of Islam to mankind. Perhaps, it's because the Arabs are hard headed people and Allah wanted to improve them. If you notice, Moses and Jesus' mission was to spread the religion to the Israelites. Islam at that time was in a different form and name and therefore, it was incomplete. It was only during the prophet's time where Allah announced that on that very day, Allah has completed the religion for mankind.
 
Translations of the Quran and other Islamic books can be found in abundance all over the world.
 
Pressure From Parents, Friends and Society
 Pressure is very normal but what we really want is the truth. There are lots of challenges in our lives. Lots of people want us to follow their ways, may it be good or bad. But the main thing we must realise that we are living for our own lives. If we do anything wrong, it is us that will suffer, not anybody else. So, it is most important that you make your own decision. If you make the correct decision, in the end, it will be you who benefit from it. Take it slowly, one at a time. You don't have to tell anybody that you are a muslim if the situation is bad. Why get yourself into so much trouble? Why tell your parents when you are still young and under their financial support and get yourself scolded badly left and right? That's not all. Words will travel to your relatives too and your relatives too will make you suffer. Allah gave us brains to think. Make use of it.
 
Fasting
 There is a reason to everything, similarly, there is a purpose for fasting. Look at the poor people. They fast even more often than us. We have a comfortable house to live in. Whenever we want food, we can easily go out to the shops to buy some. Allah wants us to feel how to poor People feel and suffer like how they suffer. You are allowed to eat when the sun is still down. But when the sun rises, you'll have to stop eating, stop smoking and also refrain from having sex till the sun is down again. It is not difficult to do so and this is only for one month. Is it too much to ask?
 
The poor people are forced to do it for all their lives. Then we'll know how lucky we are to live a comfortable live and our duty next is to help the poor.
 
Another explanation for this is that fasting is a very healthy practice. Our stomach has been working for 24 hours a day non stop every year. So, it's time to give it a rest. Besides, it'll help us slim down a bit too if we are overweight.
 
Islam is liberal. Travellers, the sick and pregnant women are not expected to fast. They can replace the fast when they are prepared to fast.
 
Praying 5 Times A Day
 How would you feel if you have been invited by the ruler of your country to see him just once in your lifetime, because he wants to listen to you and solve your problems? You'll feel honoured and great, right? But this is different.
 
The Creator of the universe wants to see you! He's asking you to approach Him 5 times a day, to talk to him, so that He can help you in your life, Insha-Allah. Isn't that marvelous?
 
As for me, the ruler of my country has never asked me to approach him before. Who am I anyway? I don't have a high status, neither am I rich. But look, what has the Creator of the universe has invited me to do. Praying 5 times a day is not taxing. Once you are used to it, you'll enjoy doing it. You should know why you are praying and the meaning words which you say, then only you'll appreciate the very essence of prayer.
 
Changing Their Ways
 We must not be afraid to change whatever we have done wrong. Allah is merciful. He forgives as long as you sincerely repent and make sure never to repeat the same mistakes again. Allah won't punish somebody who realize that he has done wrong about something and decides to return to the true path.
 
This problem usually happens to people with high status, especially teachers of religious schools. Some of them think that if they suddenly tell that they have done wrong, and tell them the correct thing, people will look down at them, and will ask them what they have been doing all this while. This action of admitting your mistakes is not shameful but rather honorable. We are human and it's only human nature to make mistakes. But it is our responsibility to check on ourselves and also help other people check on themselves and correct them if necessary.
 Compiled from various sources.
 
Permission is granted to circulate among private individuals and groups, to post on
Internet sites and to publish in full text and subject title in not-for-profit publications.
 
Note that an English translation of the Qur'an is an interpretation of the Qur'an, and does not have the perfect status as the Qur'an in its original Arabic form.





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The Amazing Occurance of Muslim Call for Prayer (Azaan) in the World

Amazing as it sounds, but fortunately, for the Muslims of the world, it is an established fact.
Have a look at a map of the world and you will find Indonesia on the eastern side of the earth. The major cities of Indonesia are Java, Sumatra, Borneo and Saibil.
As soon as dawn breaks on the eastern side of Saibil, at approximately 5:30 am local time, Fajar Aazaan begins. Thousands of Muazzins in Indonesia begin reciting the Aazaan.
The process advances towards West Indonesia. One and a half hours after the Aazaan has been completed in Saibil, it echoes in Jakarta. Sumatra then follows suit and before this auspicious process of calling
Aazaan ends in Indonesia, it has already begun in Malaysia.  
Burma is next in line, and within an hour of its beginning in Jakarta, it reaches Dacca, the capital city of Bangladesh.
After Bangladesh, it has already prevailed in western India, from Calcutta to Srinagar. It then  advances towards Bombay and the environment of entire India resounds with this proclamation.
Srinagar and Sialkot (a north city in Pakistan) have the same timing for Aazaan. The time difference between Sialkot, Quetta, and Karachi is forty minutes, and within this time, Fajar Aazaan is heard throughout Pakistan.
Before it ends there, it has already begun in Afghanistan and Muscat. The time difference between Muscat and Baghdad is one hour.
Aazaan resounds during this one hour in the environments of Hijaaz-e-Muqaddas (Holy cities of Makkah and Madinah), Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq.
The time difference between Baghdad and Alexandria in Egypt is again one hour. Aazaan continues to resound in Syria, Egypt, Somalia and Sudan during this hour.
The time difference between eastern and western Turkey is one and a half hours, and during this Alexandria and Tripoli (capital of Libya) are located at one hour's difference.
The process of calling Aazaan thus continues throughout the whole of Africa. Therefore, the proclamation of the "Tawheed" and "Risaalat" that had begun in Indonesia reaches the Eastern Shore of the Atlantic Ocean after nine and half hours.
Prior to the Aazaan reaching the shores of the Atlantic, the process of "Zohar Aazaan" has already started in east Indonesia, and before it reaches Dacca, "Asr Aazaan" has started. This has hardly reached Jakarta one and half hours later, the time of Maghrib" becomes due, and no sooner has "Maghrib" time reached Sumatra, the time for calling "Isha Aazaan" has commenced in Saibil!
When the Muazzins of Indonesia are calling out "Fajar Aazaan", the African Muazzins are calling the Aazaan for Isha.
If we were to ponder over this phenomenon thoughtfully, we would conclude the amazing fact that there is not even a single moment when hundreds of thousands of Muazzins around the world are not reciting the Aazaan on the surface of this earth.
Even as you read this material right now, you can be sure there Aazaan.           

The Eating Habits & Diet Of The Prophet By Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah

       The Prophet’s guidance with regard to food is perfect guidance.
It was described by Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah as follows:
1. When he put his hand in the food, he would say, “Bismillaah (in the Name of Allaah), and he told people to say this when eating. He said, “When any one of you eats, let him mention the name of Allaah. If he forgets to mention the name of Allaah at the beginning, let him say Bismillaahi fi awwalihi wa aakhirihi (in the name of Allaah at its beginning and at its end).” Saheeh hadeeth, narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1859) and Aboo Dawood (3767).
The correct view is that it is obligatory to mention the name of Allaah (say  Bismillaah) when eating. The ahaadeeth which state this are saheeh and are clear, with no contradictions in them.
2. When he raised the food to his mouth, he would say, “Al-hamdu Lillaahi hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubaarakan fihi ghayri makfiyyin wa laa muwadda’ wa laa mustaghni ‘anhu Rabbanaa ‘azza wa jall (Allaah be praised with an abundant, beautiful, blessed praise. He is the One Who is Sufficient, Who feeds and is never fed, The One Who is longed for, along with that which is with Him, and the One Who is needed. He is Our Lord, may He be glorified). Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5142).
3. He never criticized food at all. If he liked it, he would eat it, and if he did not like it, he would leave it and not say anything. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3370) and Muslim (2064).
Or he would say, “I do not feel like eating this.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5076)  and Muslim (1946).
4. Sometimes he would praise the food, as when he asked his family for food, and they said, “We have nothing but vinegar.” He asked for it and started to eat it, saying, “What a good food is vinegar.” Narrated by Muslim (2052)
5. He used to talk whilst he was eating, as is seen from the report quoted above about vinegar.
And he said to his step-son ‘Umar ibn Abi Salamah when he was eating with him: “Say Bismillaah and eat from that which is in front of you in the dish*.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5061) and Muslim (2022). [*At the time of the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam people used to eat together from one dish, and children would sometimes forget the correct etiquette. - Translator]
6. He would repeatedly urge his guests to eat, as generous hosts do, and as is seen in the hadeeth of Aboo Hurayrah, narrated by al-Bukhaari, about the story of drinking milk, where he repeatedly said to him, “Drink!” and he kept telling him to drink until he (the guest) said, “By the One Who sent you with the truth, I have no more room for it!” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6087).
7. When he ate with others, he would not leave until he had made du’aa’ for them. He made du’aa in the house of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Bisr, and said: “O Allaah, bless for them that which You have provided for them, forgive them and have mercy on them.” Narrated by Muslim (2042).
8. He commanded people to eat with their right hands and forbade them to eat with their left hands. He said, “The Shaytaan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand.” Narrated by Muslim (2020). This implies that eating with the left hand is haraam, and this is the correct view, because the one who eats with his left hand is either a shaytaan (a devil), or he is imitating the Shaytaan.
It was also reported in a saheeh hadeeth that he told a man who was eating with his left hand in his presence, “Eat with your right hand!” The man said, “I cannot.” He said, “May you never be able to!” – and the man never lifted his right hand to his mouth after that. Narrated by Muslim (2021). If it was permissible (to eat with the left hand), he would not have prayed against him for doing so. It was the man’s stubborn arrogance that made him refuse to obey the command, and this is the utmost disobedience which deserved this prayer against him.
9. He commanded those who complained that they never felt full to eat together and not separately, and to mention the name of Allaah (say Bismillaah) over the food so that He might bless it for them.” Narrated by Aboo Dawood (3764) and Ibn Maajah (3286).
See Zaad al-Ma’aad, 2/397-406
10. It was also reported that he said, “I do not eat reclining.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5083.
11. He used to eat using the first three fingers (of his right hand), which is the best way of eating.
See Zaad al-Ma’aad, 220-222.
The Prophet’s guidance regarding diet:
1. The Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam used to know what he was eating.
2. He used to eat what was good for him.
3. He used to eat enough to keep him going, but no so much as to make him fat. Ibn ‘Umar narrated that the Prophet sall Allaahu`alayhi wa sallam said: “The believer eats in one stomach whilst the kaafir eats in seven.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5081) and Muslim (2060).
4. He taught his Ummah something to protect them from diseases caused by eating and drinking. He said: “The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat a few mouthfuls, to keep him going. If he must do that (fill his stomach), then let him fill one third with food, one third with drink and one third with air.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1381), Ibn Maajah (3349); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (2265).