Your Purpose in Life: Part 2 (of 3 Parts) By Dr Ahmed Adam [South Africa] Dear Reader, this section is comprised mainly of quotes by reputable people about their view on Islam and the reason for some of the ignorance that prevails in the minds of some people. My earnestness is that there are so many wonderful, kind and good people in the World who are being deceived by TV, internet comments, junk articles and the Media, that they are becoming confused between right and wrong. Hence, I am reaching out to all the good people in the world (which comprises 99%). Please read each quote slowly and ponder over it and then move on. Enjoy your reading and I hope to see you at the end, a thoroughly enlightened soul. It is not true that Muslims are filled with a hatred of the West. Muslims want modernity, but not one that has been imposed on them by America, Britain or France. Muslims admire the beautiful technology of the West, but when they look at Western society, they see no light, no heart and no spirituality. -Karen Armstrong The concept of “holy war”, as jihad is nowadays usually translated, is un-Islamic -Professor Annemarie Schimmel The Qur’an clearly says “There shall be no compulsion in Religion” (S2:V256). The belief that the Arabs swept out of the peninsula on some fanatical religious mission, a mission embodied in the term, jihad, has been substantially refuted. The concept of jihad, which is customarily but erroneously translated as “holy war”, inspires a collective fear of Islam even today. Jihad must be the most overused and ill-understood word in contemporary Islam. Literally, the word means “utmost effort” in promotion and defence of Islam. Jihad has a much wider meaning. Jihad does not mean fighting a war; it means to struggle (‘strive’) for what is required of one in obedience to God. The Qur’an does not unequivocally command believers to seek out conflict. When the faith is challenged, they are obliged to respond.-Thomas W. Lippman (Understanding Islam, 1982) History makes it clear, however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever repeated-De Lacy O’Leary (In, Islam at the crossroads, London 1923) It is extremely shameful to anyone to believe that Islam is nothing but a bunch of lies. And, it is equally shameful to believe that Mohammed is a liar. We must fight such shameful rumours. The mission that Mohammed achieved and fulfilled is still the lit candle for the past twelve centuries for approximately two hundred million people. -Thomas Carlyle, (The Nobel Prize winner, in his book, The Heroes & Hero worship’) [Ed: Today the Muslim population is 2 Billion) When stereotypical images persevere, misperceptions abound, including ‘pictures in our heads.’ The subtlest and most pervasive of all influences are those, which create and maintain the repertory of stereotypes. We are told about the world before we see it. We imagine most things before we experience them. -Professor Jack. G. Shaheen An abhorrence of Arab peoples has become firmly embedded in the American psyche. They are being collectively indicted because of the crimes, or alleged crimes, of a few -Professor Jack. G. Shaheen To begin to resist the impact of falsehood and stereotyping, it is essential to improve one’s knowledge of Islam. The word Islam means peace. Advocating brotherhood and understanding, Islam is a religion of Peace. -Professor Jack. G. Shaheen One can only wonder how long it will be before people begin to understand that just because someone is different, does not mean he is bad and that it is unbefitting to denigrate people because of their religion, colour, ancestry or country of birth-Professor Jack. G. Shaheen Arabs and Muslims have been the victims of ugly racial stereotypes in recent years. It ought to stop-Editors of the New Republic, 1980. There can be little doubt that the public’s perception of Islam has tended to be characterized by ignorance, confusion and misinformation-Professor J. L. Esposito Centuries of ignorance and widely-spread but false ideas concerning Islam have indeed prevailed in the West, thus poisoning the atmosphere. The time has come for a change. -Dr Maurice Bucaille, The Bible, The Qur’an & Science, 1976 Nobody, regardless of geographic location, will deny that the future development of his world is going to be influenced, if not determined, by what will happen in the Muslim World and to Islam itself. Could Islam, as a consequence, turn out to be the very therapy that could save the West from itself?- Murad Wilfried Hofmann, Religion on the Rise, 2001 A headscarf is perceived as appropriate in paintings if it adorns a person like Mary or Christian sisters. But the same piece of cloth stirs up negative reactions whenever a Muslima covers her head that way”-Murad Wilfried Hofmann, Religion on the Rise, 2001 Ever since the Crusades, the people of Western Christendom developed a stereotypical and distorted image of Islam. It was Christians who had instigated a series of brutal holy wars against the Muslim world. Karen Armstrong (in, Islam, a short History) Muslims are absolutely aghast when non-Muslims attempt to interpret the Qur’an for them. Muslim society views such opinions of “experts” as Euro-centrism and cultural imperialism. Nobody would ever have the audacity to even suggest to Jewish citizens how to read the Torah and the Jerusalem Talmud-Murad Wilfried Hofmann, Religion on the Rise, 2001 There is a growing appreciation that religion has helped human beings to cultivate decent values. Many western people are also becoming uncomfortable about the absence of spirituality in their lives. Islam kept the notions of social justice, equality, tolerance and practical compassion in the forefront of the Muslim conscience for centuries. Western people must become aware that it is in their interest too, that Islam remains healthy and strong. Hence the west should cultivate a more accurate appreciation of Islam.-Karen Armstrong There exists One Ultimate Source from which the entire Universe is harmoniously flowing -Lex Hixon (in his book, Heart of the Koran) The Muslims understand that everything created praises the Creator with its own silent eloquence for this is the purpose for which they were created. Thus, the entire Universe could be seen, as it were, in a religious light: that is why every human act is judged from religious viewpoints and regulated according to the Divinely revealed Laws.-Professor Annemarie Schimmel Kepler, the founder of modern Astronomy, discovered the elliptical movement of the planets. As a scientist, Kepler also believed that the Universe was created by a Creator. When he was asked why he practiced science, he said: “ I had the intention of becoming a theologian…but now I see how God is also glorified in Astronomy for ‘heavens declare the glory of God’. Kepler believed that God’s Glory is manifested in everything that He Created. Kepler shows by his endeavours that a sincere scientist finds the Creator through his endeavours. -Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) Pascal contributed mathematics (especially geometry) and physics. Besides his monumental discoveries in science, Pascal was also a deeply spiritual man. He referred to the power of God when he said, “God is the Creator of everything from mathematics to the order of the elements.” -Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) Reputed British botanist, John Ray, was an authority in both Botany and Zoology. In his famous book, ‘The Wisdom of God in Creation’, he introduced thousands of plants, insect, bird and fish species. He reported that Nature reveals the existence of a Creator. Further, he said, “the works Created by God at first, and by Him conserved to this day, are in the same state and condition in which they were first made.” Furthermore, as a deeply believing scientist, he stated, “there is for free man no occupation more worth and delightful than to contemplate the beauteous works of nature and honour the Infinite Wisdom and Goodness of God.” -John Ray (1627-1705) Robert Boyle, known as the father of Chemistry, made many revolutionary scientific discoveries. He was also a devout believer in God. He believed that there is an intelligent design in nature, which was Created by an All-Powerful Creator. Boyle taught in his lectures and writings that science and belief in God should stand side by side. In one of his lectures he said “Remember to give glory to the one who authored nature…use knowledge to bring good to mankind”-Robert Boyle (1627-1691) Isaac Newton is considered one of the greatest scientists for his contribution to the discovery of the Law of universal gravitation. In addition he formulated the concept of mass in relation to Force and acceleration, and the Laws of action vs. reaction,. In addition to his ground-breaking work in Mathematics and Physics, he wrote many critical essays rejecting atheism (that there is no god) and defending Creation (that God Created everything). He defended the idea that ‘creation is the only scientific explanation.” Furthermore, Newton believed that the mechanical universe, like a gigantic clock working non-stop, could only be the work of an all-powerful and all-wise Creator. Underlying Newton’s obsession with nature was his desire to come closer to God. In his famous writings in the Principia Mathematica, he wrote: He (God) is eternal and infinite, omnipotent and omniscient; that is, his duration reaches from eternity to eternity; his presence from infinity to infinity; he governs all things, and knows all things that are or can be done. He is eternal, infinite. He endures forever and is everywhere present. We know Him only by His most wise and excellent contrivances of things… we reverence and adore him as his servants-Isaac Newton (1642-1727) Faraday has been universally acknowledged as a remarkable and gifted scientist for his contribution to the sciences of electricity and magnetism. He firmly believed in the existence of a Creator and said:” Because One God created the world, all of nature must be interconnected as a single whole”-Michael Faraday (1791-1867) Mendel gained historical acclaim for his discovery of the Laws of genetics and the principles of inheritance. He said, “God had created the world – blind chance could not be responsible for the outcome”-Gregory Mendel (1822-1884) Pasteur is a well-known contributor to the fields of Science and Medicine. His contributions are numerous and his famous contributions include: the germ theory of disease, developing vaccines for rabies, diphtheria and anthrax, and developing the process for pasteurisation and sterilization. He said “little science takes you away from God, but more of it takes you to Him” and “the more I know, the more does my faith approach that of the peasant (i.e. the faith which is serene, complete and unquestioning)” -Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) Einstein is one of the most important scientists in history. He is also well known for his deep faith in God. Einstein was convinced that the Universe was too perfectly designed to have originated by a chance event, and a Creator with Superior Wisdom Created everything. Some of his sayings include: “I cannot conceive of a genuine scientist without profound faith” “Science without religion is lame” “In every true searcher of Nature, there is a kind of religious reverence”-Albert Einstein (1879-1955) The world is God’s Creation, and scientists in understanding the world, are simply retracing God’s Thoughts. Scientists are not creators but discoverers. The important thing about the act of creation is that it reveals the Creator. The act of creation always bears the signature of the Creator.-William Dembski, Mathematical Scientist & researcher As a matter of fact, there is teleology, purpose, and design all over the place. One cannot escape it, in the heavens above or on the earth below. To deny a Great Designer is quite illogical. -Prof Dale Swartzendruber; Soil scientist at the University of California, and also a Member of the Soil Society of America. “I argue that neither chance nor ‘pre-biotic selection’ nor physical-chemical necessity, can explain the origin of information in the first cell” -Professor Stephen Meyer Associate-Professor of Philosophy, at Whitworth College. “The world we live in and its natural laws, are very precisely set for us by the Creator, for the benefit of us humans” Professor Edward Boudreaux, Professor of Chemistry University of New Orleans Yes I am as certain that there is a God as I am certain of everything. Belief in the existence of God provides the only complete, ultimate and rational meaning to existence. Belief in God is the only ultimate reason for the absolute certainty that man is a person and something more than a parcel of matter and energy. Belief in God is the source and the ultimate basis of the most inspired conception of the Human Mind. Professor Andrew Conway Ivy (Head of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology of North-western University Medical School and Distinguished Professor of Physiology and Head of Clinical Science, University of Illinois, College of Medicine, Chicago) “Given the truth of the maxim ex nihilo nihil fit (out of nothing comes nothing), the Big Bang requires a supernatural cause. Since the initial Cosmological singularity represents the terminus of all space-time trajectories, there cannot be any physical cause of the Big Bang. Rather, the cause must transcend physical space and time: it must be independent of the Universe, and unimaginably powerful. Moreover, this cause must be a personal Being endowed with a free Will. The cause of the origin of the Universe must therefore be a personal Creator, who a finite time ago brought the Universe into existence by His free agency-Professor William Lane Craig (Professor of Philosophy, at the University of Birmingham, England). “Creation isn’t a theory. The fact that God Created the Universe is not a theory – it is true” -Dr Kurt Wise, Palaeontologist and assistant Professor of Science, Department of mathematics and Natural Science, Bryan College ‘We put Our signs into the horizons and into themselves.’ (S41V53). For the Muslim, everything could serve as an ayah, a sign from God, and the Koran repeats this truth over and over again. -Professor Annemarie Schimmel All activities begin from Him. He began the dialogue with humanity in pre-eternity by asking in the Primordial Covenant alastu bi-rabbikum, “Am I not your Lord?” (S7 V172) -Professor Annemarie Schimmel God is the absolute Truth, al-Haqq. God is absolute Wisdom, and the Muslim knows that there is wisdom in everything. For Allahu A’lam, “God Knows better”-Professor Annemarie Schimmel Mercy and Compassion are expressed in His two Names, which precede every Surah of the Koran, namely, Ar-Rahman, Ar-Raheem, “The All Merciful, the All Compassionate.” They come from the root R-H-M, which also designates the mother’s womb, and thus conveys the warm, loving care of the Creator for His creatures -Professor Annemarie Schimmel For Muslims, Allah (God) is the central fact of reality; He is the same God who revealed Himself to all the Prophets (Adam, Moses, Jesus) and finally, and most completely, to the Prophet Mohamed. This revelation to Muhammad, the Last of the Prophets, is contained in the Qur’an, the actual, literal living Word of God. A Muslims duty is obedience and submission (Islam) to the Will of God. However, the submission incumbent upon the Muslim is not that of mere passivity or acceptance of a set of rituals; rather, it is submission to the Divine Command, to strive (jihad) to actively realize God’s Will in space-time, in history. Thus, the Qur’an declares that man is God’s vicegerent or representative (khilafah) on Earth. God has given creation to man as a Divine Trust (amanah). -Professor J. L. Esposito, Director of the Centre for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University. Man needs Divine Guidance to have a correct perception of Reality. Man, unaided by Divine Guidance, is incapable of solving the riddles of Creation or of deriving those values and principles whose application in life can produce peace and harmony in man’s soul and personality -Professor Thomas Ballantine Irving, The Qur’an – Basic teachings, 1979 The Prophet Mohamed (SAW) has been described as the ‘greatest man that ever lived.” His teachings produced an ever growing base of loyal supporters who cherish his ideals that there is Only One God, that man has been born free, that man’s role is to serve God by serving humanity, that racism, slavery, discrimination and injustice are against human nature and that we have been created by God and we have to return to Him either in a state of purity or corruption of our soul. There is no doubt whatsoever, that every human being will embrace Death one day; no one can escape Death. But what happens after that? There are many man-made-speculations, but the Qur’an and the teachings of the Final Prophet, make it crystal clear, that every human being, irrespective of race, religion, gender, education, wealth, King, Queen, President, soldier from the very first human being on Earth, to the very last human being on Earth, will be Resurrected to a 2nd Creation. Then they will all be gathered in front of the One True God of all: Allah (Subhanahu Wa-Taala) , the Merciful, the Compassionate. No other “god” or “goddess” or any man-made-divine entity or object of worship will preside at this Gathering of Mankind; Allah (Subhanahu Wa-Taala) is the Sole Judge presiding over the Day of Judgement and His Decision is the Final Decision. Those people who lived their whole life believing in Him Alone will have hope in His Mercy. Those people who turn away from him or insulted Him or His Sacred Book the Qur’an or insulted His Beloved Final Prophet, all such people will be in the depths of Misery and Eternal regret and will beg to be returned to Earth so that they can rectify their mistakes. There is no coming back to Earth. Humans have 3 Major stages of Existence: A stage of Eternity before they came into existence A very short stage on Earth (under 100 years or so) A Final stage in Eternity That is, our brief life on Earth, is sandwiched between Two Eternities: the Eternity of the Past (negative Eternity) and the Eternity of the Future (Positive Eternity) The above can be detailed into the following Stages, each of which has a purpose and a time period which is definite or indefinite as follows: 1st, a Stage of Eternity before a human comes into existence 2nd, a stage between fertilisation and the first 4 months 3rd, a stage when the Angels appear and insert the Soul 4th, a stage between the 4th month to delivery and transition from water breathing to air breathing 5th, a stage from birth to the age of Understanding (usually before puberty; some scholars determine this to be at about 7 years); all children in this Stage are considered to be Muslims (after which they change to the Religion of their Parents) 6th, a stage of strength from youth to late 30’s 7th, a stage from 40 years, when Wisdom begins to embrace the human: he can either embrace this Wisdom or ignore it; this Wisdom has to do with increased Spirituality and pondering about Life and Death and the Concept of the One True God 8th, a stage that continues until the physical Death of the person. This stage ends the Life on Earth. After this Stage, no human can ever return to live on Earth again. The Stage on Earth is that of a trial to determine the purity or impurity of his/her Soul and whether he will eventually lead a life of Bliss or a Life of Misery after Death 9th, a stage in the Grave; this can be years, centuries or millennia 10th, a stage when the Trumpet will be blown for the First Time; all living beings will collapse at the sound of the First Trumpet; the duration of this Stage is Known only to Allah (Subhanahu Wa-Taala) 11th, a stage when the Trumpet is blown for the second time; everyone in the graves and those that collapsed, will all be resurrected to a new Creation and a new Life 12th, all human beings irrespective of race, religion (or atheism, agnostics etc) will all be gathered in front of Allah (Subhanahu Wa-Taala) on a Day of Judgement that will last 50,000 years 13th, the Accountability of each person in front of their Lord and Creator; the duration of this stage is different for each person, the time period is known Only by Allah (Subhanahu Wa-Taala) 14th, the completion of the Day of Judgement and the entry of people into Heaven or Hell 15th, after a certain time spent in either Heaven or Hell, there will be an announcement where all the people of Heaven will gather, and all the people of Hell will Gather at a place determined by Allah (Subhanahu Wa-Taala). Then “Death” will be summoned and brought forth, and Death will be slaughtered. An announcement will then be made, that henceforth there will be no more Death. At this news, the people of Heaven will celebrate with Joy for Eternity and the people of Hell will moan in misery because Death can no longer end their suffering. The above stages apply to all human beings irrespective of their correct or incorrect beliefs while they are on Earth. It is therefore important for all human beings to realise that the religion that they are currently following has been inherited from their parents or ancestors whether right or wrong. Very few people question their own Religion. My appeal to you, dear reader, is for you to find the True Path that will lead to your Lord and Creator and not to a man-made illusion The life of the Prophet Muhammad is a story of overpowering pathos and beauty. It is history, tragedy, enlightenment compressed into one tale. It is also a story virtually unknown to the West. -Barnaby Rogerson Muhammad, the Prophet of God, the last and greatest of that long line of men, from Adam through to Abraham, Moses and Jesus, who have struggled to bring the word of God to mankind. Even when viewed in an entirely secular perspective, he remains a superhero. -Barnaby Rogerson It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great Prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. And although in what I put to you I shall say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read them, a new way of admiration, a new sense of reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher. -Annie Besant The Life & Teachings of Muhammad, Madras, 1932, p. 4. It was the genius of Mohammad, the spirit that he breathed into the Arabs, through the soul of Islam that exalted them. That raised them out of the lethargy & low level of tribal stagnation up to the high watermark of national unity and empire. It was in the sublimity of Mohammad’s deism, the simplicity, the sobriety, and purity it inculcated the fidelity of its founder to his own tenets, that acted on their moral and intellectual fibre with all the magnetism of true inspiration -Arthur Glyn Leonard (Islam: Her Moral & Spiritual values) He was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without Popes pretensions, Caesar without the legions of Caesar: without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue; if ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by the right divine, it was Mohammed, for he had all the power without its instruments and without its supports. -Bosworth Smith (Mohammad and Mohammedanism, London, 1874, p. 92). Muhammad had in fact finally achieved victory by an ingenious policy of non-violence; the Qur’an adamantly opposes force and coercion in religious matters, and its vision – far from preaching exclusion and separation- is tolerant and inclusive.- Karen Armstrong (Islam, a short History) Undoubtedly, Mohammed is one of the greatest Muslim religious leaders.-Dr Zuwaimer (In his book entitled, The East and its customs) The good sense of Mohammed despised the pomp of royalty. The Apostle of God, submitted to the menial offices of the family, he kindled the fire, swept the floor, milked the ewes, and mended with his own hands his shoes and garments-Edward Gibbon (Decline & fall of the Roman Empire, 1823) He was by far the most remarkable man that ever set foot on this earth. He preached a religion, founded a state, built a nation, laid down a moral code, initiated numerous social and political reforms, established a powerful and dynamic society to practice and represent his teachings and completely revolutionized the worlds of human thought and behaviour for all times to come. His Name is Muhammad May Peace of God Be Upon Him. He was born in Arabia in the year 570 C. E. (common era), started his mission of preaching the religion of Truth, Islam (submission to One God) at the age of forty and departed from this world at the age of sixty-three. During this short period of 23 years of his Prophethood, he changed the complete Arabian peninsula from paganism and idolatry to worship of One God, from tribal quarrels and wars to national solidarity and cohesion, from drunkenness and debauchery to sobriety and piety, from lawlessness and anarchy to disciplined living, from utter bankruptcy to the highest standards of moral excellence. Human history has never known such a complete transformation of a people or a place before or since.-The Genuine Islam (Singapore, Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936) I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion, which appears to me to possess that assimilating capacity to the changing phase of existence, which can make itself appeal to every age. The clergymen in the middle ages, as a result of discrimination and ignorance, had painted a dim picture for Mohammed. They considered him an enemy for Christianity! However, after researching his personality, I discovered that he was a great man. He was never an enemy for Christianity; rather he should be called the saviour of humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness: I have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today-George B. Shaw (The Genuine Islam, Vol.1, No.8, 1936). [***Please share widely on all social media. Thank you for your kindness***]
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 20:49:41 +0000
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