This column is dedicated to Imam Dr. Yusuf Zia Kavakci. The following two pictures were from the Unityday USA event, which was an inter-faith and intra-faith event. There is only one Islam, but each one of us sees it differently. While there is hardly a disagreement on "many" a key issues, we certainly disagree on some. I dedicate this to our Imam Dr. Yusuf Zia Kavakci, who has encouraged me to do my individual share of work in bringing the ummah together, those words have constantly motivated me and I continue to strive towards that goal.
We have to learn to accept that God has created us as unique beings; each one of us has his own different thumb print, his own DNA and his own ID. He did not punch us out like the Farishtas (angels) on his mass production machine, each one of us was made unique; one at a time.Among Muslims of all hues we will get 100% consensus on the subject of Tauheed (Oneness of creation), Muhammad (pbuh) the last Prophet, and several other items that most will agree. However there are areas we differ and perhaps partially agree, such as the format of Hijab, Prayers, women leading the prayers, Public Sharia (deals when more than one person is in the equation), divorce, conversions and a few other issues, we have the God given right to have a different perspective. No one should even dream of compelling anyone to conformity, it simply goes against the human Fitra (nature). God loves his creation and shares his wisdom with us in Qur’aan that there is no compulsion in matters of faith.
Over the centuries we have learned to accept different perceptions of the same "fact" as to what prophet said in his last sermon. While the Shia believe that the prophet assigned the role of leadership to his family members, the Sunnis believe that no one was assigned to lead them and their version is “I am leaving the book to you to read and understand” whereas the Shia version adds the progeny to the book. How does that matter, when both agree that on the day of judgmeent ( or reflection in solitutude) it is what we do to others, how we treat others that matters.
Among Shia’s we differ and hence we have the Shia, Bohra, Ismaili and a few more classifications. Among the Sunnis we have the progressives, moderate, Barelavis, the Deobandis, the Nahadtul ulamas, the Wahhabis, Salafis etc, and within each we have several others like Ahle Sunnat, Sufis, Kurds, and a few more. Then we also have the Ahmadiyya and Warith Deen Muhammad Branches. Each group is claiming to be rightly guided by the Quraan.
Please note that I am using the language of "we" , a few comments rolled in and said that they thought I was Shia, and few that I was a Sunni, which is Ok, but do you think Prophet Muhammad would recognize these labels? He will not, however, he knew that there will be differences and made it easy for us - by acknowledging with a metaphoreic number of 72, meaning there will be a large number of divisions. Quraan is bold about it when it says, we have created you into different nations, tribes and communities, then adds, so that you may learn to know each other to figure out creating a conflictless world,which is usually referred to as Kingdom of Heaven, a Christian term which translates into Tauheed (oneness) in one sense.
Who is really right then? Should the large numbers among Sunnis give them the right to be right? Didn’t prophet have only two people supporting his mission for a while? Did their numbers make them wrong? Does Shia’s claim to the family of Prophet make them right? Guess what, all of us are right, we have to have the humility in us to respect other point of view. No one has to be wrong for us to be right; it is a difficult thought for those binary people who see things in black and white, it is like pulling the earth from beneath them, they feel threatened to even consider the idea that all of us could be right, some how they are conditioned to believe some one has to be wrong for them to be right. We have to get out of the mode of seeing others from our limited point of view without giving them the same right.
The differences are legitimate and we must accept them instead of fighting who is right, only Allah will decide that, not now, but on that elusive Day of Judgment. Indeed, we differ on some issued but not all, and we must be cognizant of this. We need to fight the temptation that acknowledging other Muslims's tradition as good as ours, will somehow diminish our own tradition, it does not.
When God calls on us on the Day of Judgment, it is our deeds that matter. In Islam, the idea of Munkir- Nakir, the angels (your own conscience) who register your bad and good karma exists; signifying the freedom one has to pile up either side and live with its consequences in terms of anguish (Hell fire) and serenity (Jannah). A good deed is your clear responsibility to the creation; life and matter.
Our Unity should be based on the Shahada (Pledge) to bring justness and peace to the world at large, also referred as Aalameen. We are Muslims, the peace makers, and when we band together, it is to do “good” and not to be against some one, such unions are false and won’t last.
What you do with your Deen is your responsibility as what I do is mine. Neither of us is answerable to any one but God. Islam is large enough to accommodate all our differences.
The Neocons of all faiths (http://hatesermons.blogspot.com/2008/03/neocons.html ) have successfully created hostility between Iran and Saudi Arabia, between Hamas and Fatah, between Shia’s and Sunnis and between us. Do we need to blame them? Absolutely not, we need to understand our own dumbness in allowing others to place wedges between us. It is time for us to wake up and join in with our differences to repair the world. God has given us this opportunity to be the peace makers of the world, first let’s have peace between us and extend that to the world.
Would you pledge to yourselves, that when some one highlights the differences within us, you would say;
- The differences are God given” so is the “free will” and as an individual I am committed to peace within and peace for all, that is what Islam means.
- God guides me to know each other, so together we can create a kingdom of peace for all the seven billion of us.
- I understand that my safety hinges on safety of others that surround me and I cannot have peace when others around me aren't.”
I further pledge that;
I would resist all temptations to mis-represent the otherness of other traditions. No matter what any one tries to get me to say negatively about Sunni or Shia, Ismaili or Bohra, Ahmadi or Wahhabi or any faith for that matter. I will refrain from talking ill about others (applies to all faiths and traditions) and present them not to make them look bad or make mine look better, but for people to know what is that they believe without classing them.
No matter where I go, I want people to see me as a peace maker, some one who is bent on mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill.
I don’t want people to be afraid of a Muslim or his beard or her Hijab, instead they should say OMG, here comes a Muslim, a peace maker, the truthful, the trustworthy and the Amin.” Amen!
It will take ten years to change the world around us. Would you do your share?
We can take this message to the world, each one of us have to do our part.
Dedicated to Dr. Imam Yusuf Kavakci. The following two pictures were from the Unityday USA event, which was an inter-faith and intra-faith event. Written and sent to Dr. Kavakci on 2/4/2010 1:20:58 A.M. Central Daylight Time and he responded back, that efforts will take time.
Original at: http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2010/04/there-is-only-one-islam.html
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
All divisions are motivated by "me, me and my way". usually differences are political in the sense "my understandiang is the right one". they find safety in a environmnet that subscribes to their ideas.
Adam was the first man who conquered the element of fear and accepted the diverse enviroment around hiim and figured out co-existence over the illusory environs of the paradize, where no conflict or thereat existed for his survial. Other species were bent on destroying the others for survival. Adam turned this around and learned to co-exist and manage the diversity without destroying it. Adam perhaps may be the first man from an evolution and creation perspective. He could fit in both places, we have to learn not to resrtict God's words to creation.... See More
On the other hand, God has intentionally created us to be diverse, look at each aspect of our biology, it is unique, so should our emotions be and our beliefs be. The different traditions are in place and we have to learn to respect them, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge. ...
There is no need for any one attempt to make all Muslims think, act, talk and look alike - that is not human nature and Quraan addresses that very well. Like there is no compulsion in belief, I have created different people so that you learn to know each other
----
The easiest thing for me was not to write about this topic at all; some responses are belligerent and some are naïve; the first thing that came to my mind was the Fox News and the Christian Neocons, who incessantly itch to hate someone with vengeance, Muslims at this time conveniently fill that vacuum for them. It was interesting to observe that Muslim Neocons also have the same need to fill that hate vacuum and the Ahmadiyya Muslims fill right in for them.
Some wise man said, no one will criticize you, if you are dead. It is politically expedient to go along, that is precisely the problem in the world today. I’d rather speak up and speak out and take some crap instead of letting things go. The need for us, intra-faith and interfaith is to step up the work for creating a better world to live; an inclusive world is the right formula at the end of the day.
Jazak Allah Khair.
Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916
www.WorldMuslimCongress.com and
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/
Mike Ghouse is a thinker, writer speaker and an activist of pluralism, interfaith, co-existence, peace, Islam and India. He is a frequent guest at the TV, radio and print media offering pluralistic solutions to issues of the day. His websites and Blogs are listed on http://www.mikeghouse.net/
~~~
Comments: http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2010/04/there-is-only-one-islam.html#comments
Jazakallah khair. You have spoken the truth! I will practice and share. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteMr Ghouse is good intentioned but sometimes too idealist, perhaps more than the God intended the world to be.
ReplyDeleteThen he gets upset we others don't measure up to his idealism.
Sorry Mike.
Mike, you are right on target with "kingdom of heaven" meaning a "world without conflict." "Kingdom of heaven" is metaphor, but basically it means oneness with God first, and then spiritual oneness with others in the sense of do no harm, live in peace, joy, etc., in a world without conflict. We are all one spiritual family (not one religious family).
ReplyDeleteGod is the "king" in the word "kingdom" which implies we each must have the king's pesonal guidance to achieve heaven on earth. God knows our prejudices, etc., and will root them out - these prejudices are "hell on earth." Both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures speak of our personal relationship with God in this earthly life, therefore, heaven on earth is achievable. Blessings, Marylou
In a message dated 4/11/10 11:27:33 PM, MIKEGHOUSE@aol.com writes:
Quraan is bold about it when it says, we have created you into different nations, tribes and communities, then adds, so that you may learn to know each other to figure out creating a conflictless world,which is usually referred to as Kingdom of Heaven, a Christian term which translates into Tauheed (oneness) in one sense.
My Dear Ghous, I do realise the pain you are taking to unite all the Muslims sects. Uniting sects is OK we have only minor controversies but having a different religion and having a new Prophet and not accepting the wordings of Islam also giving different versions of Islam is not acceptable. Whether it is Sunni , Shia Dew bandi or any sect they all believe that there will be no Prophet after Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa Salllah o alai he Wasalam and Hazrat Isa will again come in this world not as a child but as grown up , he will l and in Damascus from a minar and fight with Dajjal and kill Dajjal at Lud a place in Israel. He will follow Islam and will not preach a new religion. He will not lead anew religion. Wahi has stopped for ever and Jabriel or any angel will not bring message of Allah to any human being.
ReplyDeleteIf any one deviate from this he cannot be accepted as ???????????. secondally no Muslim Aalim will praise non Muslim for having piety with Muslim and ask Allah to bestow the shadow of non Muslim on Islam. i wish you read the books by Ahmadies and then think.
irza Ghulam Ahmed cllaims to have been getting guidence from Allah through his angels Teechi and Meechi in other words getting Wahee. He claims that He is n fact Muhammad. I have very thoroughly read wordings of Mirza Gulam Ahmed and found him very very fond of British Empire and has mnany times written that it is blessing of Allah that he is living in British Empire and also he has opposed Jihad at many places. I feel if the spirit of jihad is taken away from Muslim they will reduce to nill. Dear Mr Ghous I have lot of regard and effection for you. In fact I go even more steps ahead of you.
I say we all are decendent of Hazrat Adam and creature of Allah. Allah has given birth to all of us so except having religious difference we should be friendly to all. I question where Allah says do not help non Non Muslim, where does Allah says to call Non Muslim as bad. All the religions were created by Allah and finaly Allah purified all and gave final religion as Islam and our holy Prophet has said any one calling himself as Muslim but deviating from basic of Islam is Murtid. Please for Allahs sake see the doings of Ahmadies. They are having friendly relations with Israel they are against Pakistan and call other Muslims as Kafir. Do you think these few millions Ahmadies are only muslim and rest are all Kafir. They have not been accepted by any Arab country Govrnment or people as Muslim. Thay are forbidden to enter Kaba. Why? Must be some reason. Only a few percentage trying to call Ahmadies as Muslims cannot be right and rest of the world as wrong. Have you ever attended their prayers. In Islam irrespective of any sect we all are ready to say prayers behibd any Imam. See Kaaba and and Masjid Nabvi all Muslim pray behind one Imam except Ahmadies. Why they have to have a seperate city in an Islamic country and do not allow other Muslims to settle their. My Dear Ghous there are many questions which even an Ahmady cannot reply. I had and did question them but got no satisfactory reply. In Lahore at our Mosque there are Shias , and many more who offer prayers togather behind one Imam except Ahmadies. When I asked them why? they say we do not accept you as Muslim. Still I pray for your success because my thinking is all the human being have been created by Allah and must live togather like brothers because we are decendent of one father and one mother so waht if ae have different believe color or tribe. Iftekhar Alavi
very well said br iftikhar.
ReplyDeletei certainly do not want to get involed in this matter. i let Allah be the judge. But since Br.Iftikhar brougt it up I would like
to point out one incident that will make Br.Iftikhar case stronger. When I was in Germnay in 1970 I was living in the student housing over the summer because there were rooms available due to the vacation period. My neighbour was an Ahmedi and I did not have any problem with hime we got along very well and as a matter of fact we were dining together and helping each other where we could. One day my friend visited me around the evening time we went to the kitchen for a cup of tea and unfortunately when I closed the door, I forgot to pull out the key from inside and we were locked out. In Germany the doors are only opened using the key. It was Asr time, I had already prayed my Namaz but my friend didn't. So I asked my neighbour Ahmed if he would allow my friend to say the Asr prayers. At first he hesistated but then he said OK give me some time.
I thought may be needed the time to clean up the room or something. Time passed by and it was getting closer to Maghrib, I knocked his door and he flately refused to allow him to pray in his room. I was still waiting for somebody to open my door, in the meantime my friend prayed in the kitchen area.
I never asked my neighbour what the reason was for not allowing to say the prayers and till today I do not know.
Khuda Hafiz
MShafi
@Iftekhar Alavi:
ReplyDeleteI am afraid you don't give yourself the time or opportunity to find out truth, and you have raised some complete fabrication against Ahmadiyya Muslims. I encourage you to go to the official Ahmadiyya site wwww.alsilam.org and find the truth yourself. You are welcome to quote something from authentic Ahmadiyya sources but to fabricate completely the facts is quite dishonest of you.
I will provide some information to set the record straight.
You Say:
"Whether it is Sunni , Shia Dew bandi or any sect they all believe that there will be no Prophet after Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa Salllah o alai he Wasalam "
This is untrue. See below references of some leading deobandi, brelvi and sufi scholars who believe prophets can come. Your other objections are similarly unfounded or misrepresentation of the facts.
Mujaddid Alfe Saani, Hazrat Shaikh Ahmad Farooqi Sarhindi:
Quote:
Following the advent of the Khatmur-Rosul, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), the attainment of prophethood by one of his followers, as a subordinate and in service of the Holy Prophet, will in no way offend or be in conflict with his status as Khaatamur-Rosul. No doubts need be entertained in this regard.
(Makoobat vol. 1 Maktoob 301 pg. 432)
Hazrat Shah Waliullah Dehlavi, Mujaddid (reformer) of the 12th Century:
Quote:
The end of prophethood with the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) only means that there can now be no prophet for the people who will bring or introduce a new Shariah.
(Tafhimate- ilahiyyah vol. 2 pg. 72-73)
Maulana Rumi:
Quote:
Exert yourself in the service of faith to such an extent that you be granted prophethood within the Muslim Ummah.”
(Masnawi Maulana Rum vol. 5, pg. 42)
Brelvi scholar Maulavi Abu Al Hasnat Abdul Haye of Farangimahal, Lucknow:
Quote:
The advent of a mere prophet after the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) or in his lifetime is not an impossibility. To introduce a new law is indeed not permissible.
(Dafiul-Waswas 2nd edition page 16)
and
Quote:
Ulema Ahle-Sunnat also subscribe to the view that following the advent of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) no law-bearing prophet can come. The prophethood of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) is wide in scope. Any prophet who would now come would be from the Ummah and follow his Shariah.
(Majmuah Fatwa Maulvi Abdul Haye vol. 1 pg. 17)
Al-Tirmizi (died 308 A-H.):
Quote:
The notion that the term ‘Khatamun-Nabbiyeen’ signifies that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was the last prophet is erroneous. What glory and majesty is there in being the last? What wisdom underlies this interpretation? It is an interpretation put forth by the imbeciles and the illiterates.”
(Khatam- Alauliya pg. 341)
Maulana Qasim Nanutwi (founder of Darulaloom Deoband):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sw6Qyqjh04 [Urdu]
Views of early scholars like Ibn-Arabi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V1x-6EREeA [Urdu]
@Mohammad Shafi:
ReplyDeleteI don't know what point you have tried to make from a one off incident that you had with some Ahmadi. I don't see any problem with any person having any personal preferences in his dwellings. Some people are just shy or are not that social, this has no bearing on the sect they belong to. It's rather ungracious of you to have to put an incident like this and a clear proof that you guys don't find anything really problematic in Ahmadis hence resorting to such non-issues. However let me show you what is problematic by any standard. It is the brutal persecution and killing of Ahmadis perpetrated and supported by a large number of sunni and shia scholars, public and states. This does indeed indicate a serious problem at their end.
Here are just some examples;
PAKISTAN: No action taken against Geo TV presenter who incited Muslims to murder members of Pakistan minority on air
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2008statements/1694/
PAKISTAN: Two murdered and 15 charged as discrimination against Ahmadis continues unabated
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2009statements/1947/
Islamic Authority in Malaysia Bans Moderate Muslim Mosque
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/may012009/malaysia_problems_5-1-09.php
Ahmadiyya Mosque Demolished by Mullahs in Indonesia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie9I8ru1Gtg
Protesters burn Indonesian mosque
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7370650.stm
Ahmadiyya Persecution in Bangladesh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VJnNab2zYI
I just have two points, first what Mr. Ghouse meant by saying that Tawheed is "Oneness of creation".. As far as i understand, in my religion, which is Islam Wal-Hamdulillaah, i know that Tawheed is "Oneness of Allaah", NOT oneness of creation.. If you can explain what you've mentioned in your "lenghthy" article regarding this point, it'll be really appreciated..
ReplyDeleteSecond, do you - Mr. Ghouse - know that our prophet Muhammad PBUH said - in a very authentic Hadeeth - that HIS Ummah (i.e. Muslims) will divide into 73 sects; all of them "falsely" claim - except one - to be true Muslims and all of them WILL be in the hellfire except this one.. Then, when further questioned about this winning sect, he replied: "...Those who are restrictly following JUST the Quraan and my Sunnah..
So, what do you mean by stating the Bohra, Ismailiyyah, etc are Muslims.. Is being belonged to Islam just a word to say..? I am really surprised.. Also, Wahhabies are not existing in the real life.. This name has been created by the Anti-Islamic western countries to defame the Muslims following the Hanbali Mazh'hab, particularly in the Arab Pinnansula.. Furthermore, Wahhabism (a very funny synthetic word, isn't it..?) is not an Islamic Mazh'hab at all..
IThird, i wish Imam Br. Dr. Yoosuf Kavakci to respect his history as an Imam in North Texas metroplex by staying away from any anti-Islamic, un-Islamic and/or nonsense inter-Faith or Tri-Faith conferences, panelist meetings, dialogues, gatherings and alike that may shake more his already "very shaken" image in the eyes of the Muslims of this locality..
lastly, is your real name "MIKE" ? The reason i am asking is that I heard from some one of your close contacts in Dallas area that you have changed your birth Muslim name to this one, is that true..?
Thank you in advance for your prompt reply..
A Muslim resident of Dallas who is ALWAYS confused because of Mr. Ghouse's "so-called" Islamic articles and activities
@Iftekhar Alavi:
ReplyDelete"They have not been accepted by any Arab country Govrnment or people as Muslim."
Most Arab governments don't care but since when have these womanising dictators became God's representatives on earth?
"Thay are forbidden to enter Kaba. Why? Must be some reason"
Same reason as Holy Prophet was barred from Kaaba.
"Only a few percentage trying to call Ahmadies as Muslims cannot be right and rest of the world as wrong."
Most of the rest of the worlds thinks Islam is false and don't believe in Holy Prophet.
"Have you ever attended their prayers. In Islam irrespective of any sect we all are ready to say prayers behibd any Imam."
When these sects call each other kafir then praying behind each other is hypocritical.
"Why they have to have a seperate city in an Islamic country and do not allow other Muslims to settle their."
Which city are you talking about? If you mean Rabwah then have you ever been there? There are many non-Ahmadis living there. Only recently they confiscated one of the Ahmadiyya mosques there; thepersecution-org.blogspot.com/2010/01/ahmadiyya-mosque-handed-over-to.html
This is position of Ahmadis in supposedly "their own" city is that anyone can confiscate their property and they can't do anything.
"My Dear Ghous there are many questions which even an Ahmady cannot reply."
So far I've not seen even one. All I see is fabrication and misrepresentation on your part.
"In Lahore at our Mosque there are Shias , and many more who offer prayers togather behind one Imam except Ahmadies. When I asked them why? they say we do not accept you as Muslim."
Please see this video till end and tell me which sect does not call others non-Muslim/kafir; youtube.com/watch?v=X01htQUvKcQ These are prominent scholars issuing these fatwas.
This is not happening since today, been happening for 1400 years. So what is your point?
@Iftekhar Alavi:
ReplyDeleteBelow I remove some more misconception.
"Hazrat Isa will again come in this world not as a child but as grown up , he will l and in Damascus from a minar and fight with Dajjal and kill Dajjal at Lud a place in Israel. "
Where does it say all these things? Can you provide references? Seems you are just describing the stories that you heard without actually checking the facts.
"He will follow Islam and will not preach a new religion. He will not lead anew religion."
That's what Ahmadis believe too.
" Wahi has stopped for ever and Jabriel or any angel will not bring message of Allah to any human being."
Where does it say that? There is actually at least one hadith that says Allah will send wahi to the person who will come as Isa to guide in the later days.
"He claims that He is n fact Muhammad."
This is complete fabrication. Please provide reference.
"I have very thoroughly read wordings of Mirza Gulam Ahmed and found him very very fond of British Empire and has mnany times written that it is blessing of Allah that he is living in British Empire"
In the context that during British Empire Muslim were given full freedom of beliefs as opposed to rules of Sikhs before them who had put prohibitions on Muslims. In that matter rule of violent jihad does not apply. The same view was held by Syed Ahmad Raza Brelvi who fought with Sikhs (who were violent and oppressive towards Muslim) but not with British in the same period for the same reason. (No disrespect to Sikh. I understand when religion is mixed with politics in any religion problems have occured).
" and also he has opposed Jihad at many places. I feel if the spirit of jihad is taken away from Muslim they will reduce to nill."
The violent Jihad. As the jihad in this day and age is spiritual and intellectual same as what Mike is doing here. So most Muslims follow the same principal of Jihad as Ahmadis do then what is the objection?
" Dear Mr Ghous I have lot of regard and effection for you. In fact I go even more steps ahead of you."
If you say so.
"They are having friendly relations with Israel"
A complete fabrication. Please provide proof.
"they are against Pakistan"
Another complete fabrication, please provide proof. See what a few Ahmadis have done for Pakistan, can you match that?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdus_Salam
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Zafrulla_Khan
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhtar_Hussain_Malik
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iftikhar_Janjua
" and call other Muslims as Kafir."
Sunnis and Shias are calling each other kafir for 1400 years and killing each other too. Deobandis and brelvis call each other kafir and kill each other too. When has an Ahmadi killed anyone despite many Ahmadis been killed by Sunis and Shias?
"Do you think these few millions Ahmadies are only muslim and rest are all Kafir."
What about Shias, Brelivs, Deobandis, Agha khanis, Drues and many others? Which of these do you think are Muslim? Then I'll provide you fatwas of molvis who call them kafir.
Dear Mr. Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI hope you respect your own opinion and give a name to it.
- As a Muslim, which you claim to be, you are entertaining gossip abuot my name, I would have asked them, have you verfied it? You can read about my name at: http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-name-is-mike-ghouse.html
- You don't know anything about the Imam, do you know Prophet Muhammad was the first person to initiate Interfaith dialogue? If you don't please find out on the website www.worldMuslimCongress.com
Jazak Allah Khair
Salaam Mike
ReplyDeleteThe statement
Among Muslims of all hues we will get 100% consensus on the subject of Tauheed (Oneness of creation), Muhammad (pbuh) the last Prophet is not accurate, given your Subject.
The Ahmadiyya most assuredly DO claim a prophet after Muhammad (astaghfirullah) although they will generally twist their tongues and attempt to talk in circles around this issue. Actually research into the writings and sayings of their pseudo-prophet Mirza Ghulam Qadiani make this crystal clear.
Hiding from this truth does not serve Allah nor Islam.Perhaps you meant to say REAL Muslims?
Masalaam
Waleed,
ReplyDeleteAs much as I know, the believe Mirza Ghulam Muhammad was the promised Messiah, they do believe that Prophet Muhammad was the last prophet and they follow the same Quraan. The have been citing their authentic website in the previous comments, please refer to it and check out.
From my point of you, I do not see the need for them to believe exactly the way Sunnis, Shia, Bohra or Ismailis believe. As long as they believe in God and the Prophet, they are Muslims, submitters to the will of Allah as transmitted by Muhammad. Let me add the will of Allah; follow his guidelines and live in harmony.
Hi Mike
ReplyDeleteI hope you will note that there are mroe than one Anonymous.
Wassalam
@aleed Kavalec:
ReplyDeleteMay I ask where is the requirement to believe in Holy Prophet being the last prophet to be a Muslim? Please quote authentic sources only. To make it easy for you, try to find the word last in kalima shahada. Did God forget to put it there and you will correct him?
May I ask where is the requirement to believe in Holy Prophet being the last prophet to be a Muslim? Please quote authentic sources only. To make it easy for you, try to find the word last in kalima shahada. Did God forget to put it there and you will correct him?
Also read in various hadith and ayat, and all they mention are things like believe in prophets, angles, books, the final day etc but NEVER in the LASTness of prophet hood. Please feel free to check.
PLEASE NOTE:
ReplyDeleteAll the messages are not endorsed by the moderator or the writer of the blog. All views will be posted without regard to whether I subscribe to it or not.
On the question of the lastness of the prophet, Prophet Muhammad was indeed the last prophet. God reveals to Muhammad that on this day, the deen, the faith, or systems to run a good life are complete, it was right around his last sermon.
Personally I do not subsribe to the writes comment, but he has the right to question and I value that
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI can't give my name, you know why? Because i am one of your "so-called" friends and i don't like to lose you.. Confrontation is of NO VALUE..
As for the prophet Muhammad PBUH was doing interfaith, yes, he was but he NEVER EVER compromised his faith as you do.. He was telling them the truth about their religion, conveying to them the divine message he got from Allah.. He NEVER told them the crab that studded your articles like "....all religions are the same and equal".. Saying so is a frank BLASPHEMY (Astaghfirullah).. Go and ask Imam Yoosuf about that.. I am sure he will not betray the knowlredge he has..
During my 18-year residence in Dallas, nothing bothers me and insults my religion more than the contents of your suspicious "pseudo-Islamic" articles.. That's a fact for me which you may not agree with..
Mike, go study Islam on an Academic base before involving your self in these hyper-sensitive activities.. It will be against you in the heareafter NOT for you.. Ignorance is not an excuse.. Because if someone is ignorant, s/he must keep quite..
Do NOT take Islamic knowledge lightly.. Rather, take it more seriously and professionally than medicine or physics or engineering or alike of the worldly sciences..
No doubt, Imam Yoosuf has done an unexcusable mistake by letting you answer some Qs about Islam from audience.. Anyways, all of us know Imam Yoosuf very well.. He always does similar things to survive , not bec. it is correct.. May Allah foregive him and us.. Ameen..
And you mike should have been wise enough to decline answering, simply because you are not qualified to do so..
Tell me the truth, would you accept to be a panelist in a medical professional conference where all the speakers are physicians or Medical instructor/professors..?!!!!!!!!!!!
Allah hafiz
ANONYMOUS # 3
P.S. I apologize for my tone.. It should be better and nicer.. However, i did so bec. i feel it was the straw that broke the camel's back.. Please foregive that..
"On the question of the lastness of the prophet, Prophet Muhammad was indeed the last prophet."
ReplyDeleteThen Mike you would not have any problem considering all those scholars who think prophet can still come as non-Muslim. Let's get over it once and for all.
Thanks
"consider non-Muslim" purely academically speaking of course...
ReplyDeleteFor Mr. Anonymous who is arguing about the lastness of prophethood represented in Prophet Muhammad PBUH, i state here that considering otherwise is an overt blasphemy, if insisted upon after knowing the truth.. That's why the Kulafaa' Ar-Raashidoon like Abu Bakkr As-Siddeequ and Omar Ibn Al-Khattaab (May Allaah Be Pleased with both of them) have fiercely fought and killed Musayilimah Al-Kazzhaab (the liar Musayilimah) and Sajaah (a lady who claimed to be the first female prophet shortly after prophet Muhammad PBUH passed away); both of them claimed the prophethood and they were ordered to be killed by the unanimous agreement among the real scholars of that time; i.e. the Sahaabah (Prophet's companions).. While doing that, the Sahaabah declared the verdict based on the fact that there will be NO prophet after prophet Muhammad PBUH (it's also mentioned in a very authentic Hadeeth when the prophet Muhammad PBUH said it frankly that "..Laa Nabyyia Ba'dee, i.e. there will be no more prophets after me") until the end of life on earth, i.e. until the day of resurrection (Yawm-ul-Qiyaamah)..
ReplyDeleteAnonymous # 3
Dear Anonymous friend,
ReplyDeleteMay you be drenched in peace, showered in peace and speak, think and talk peace.
I am glad you wrote what was biting you, and I hope and pray that it frees you. That is my wish and prayer for you.
I am simply a student and will continue to learn. I am pleased to share with you that I was born as a Muslim and have been a cultural Muslim all along, but had drifted away as I did not like the translations of Qur’aan I read and were pointed out to me. Then I read a verse in Bhagvad Gita, “finding the truth is one’s own responsibility” coupled with that the incessant attacks on Islam in the last century made me want to give a sincere try in understanding Islam. Not to please anyone but for me to understand it myself.
Alhamdu Lillah, I feel very much in tune with the spirit of Qur’aan and Islam and I consider myself a devout Muslim, Islam means the following to me:
1) Harmonious living with what surrounds one; people and environment.
2) Justice is the bottom line value to sustain peace and prosperity in a society.
3) Valuing the physical and spiritual space of an individual.
4) Life is a continuous act of balancing and religion helps one achieve it.
5) Oneness of creator – a state of conflictlessness, aka the kingdom of heaven.
6) The universal principles express in Quraan and practices by the Prophet.
7) Free will and individual responsibility to maintain harmony.
To be a Muslim is to be a conflict mitigater and a goodwill nurturer. Religion is about humility and not arrogance. Islam gives me those values I was looking for and I thank God for removing the element of fear in me. I’m free and I am a Muslim.
Islam values free will, it is the human nature to be free.
Mr. or Miss Anonymous, you are appreciated for your honesty and hope that has freed you. I will not even want to know who you are, but your message is what it is, and I got it.
One of the most beautiful values of Islam is the individual responsibility it inculcates in an individual – No one but you are responsible for the blissful state of mind or the anguish and finding the truth is your own responsibility.
I am a Muslim, not for you and not for others, but for myself.
Thank you.
Mike Ghouse
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI really need to apologize again for my inappropriate tone in my previous comments.. I still feel and strongly believe that you are a decent and kind person, but unfortunately nothing is perfect in this life..
Mike, i promise not to comment anymore in your blogs bec. i think now that i have to stop doing so according to the last verse from Soorat Al-Kaafiroon in the holy Quraan: "... Lakom Deenokom Wa Liya Deen.." i.e. You have your religioin and i have my religion, i.e. you have your own way and i have my own..
However, i still have an endless hope in Almighty Allaah to guide you to the truth and to guide you to stop quoting from the false books like "Bhagvad Gita"..
Mike, believe me these books that you do not only like to quote from, but you also memorize more than the book that you supposedly belong to; i.e. Qur'aan, are all books of "Dulaal" i.e. Misguidance, and "Idulaal" i.e. misguiding, even if they look superficially nice and wise..!!!
Please please please forget about your history of being raised among Non-Believers in India (i.e. Hindu, Bohra, Ismailyyih, Ahmadiyyah, and alike) and stop complementing them and their absolutely false Aqeedah (faith)..
I want to narrate a short story of prophetic Hadeeth when Omar Ibn Al-Khattaab(may Allaah Be Pleased with him)visited one of his jewish friend in Al-Madinah where he asked him about the most recent revelation that came to his prophet (i.e. Prophet Muhammad PBUH).. Omar replied by reciting on him the most recently revealed chapter of Qur'aan.. Then, the jewish man told him in a very happy tone that he has something similar from the Tawraah (i.e. the old testament), that was revealed on his prophet; i.e. Moosa PBUH..
Omar was very happy and took it to show it to the prophet Muhammad PBUH.. You know Mike, Omar; the narrator of the Hdeeth, said:"The prophet PBUH got angry as i have never seen him angry like before.." and prophet Muhammad PBUH started immediately deleting what's written on this piece of paper with his saliva while shouting at Omar: "..Are you still in doubt o' Ibn Al-Khattaab.." 3 times.. Then, he (PBUH)told Omar that the Quraan is more than enough for you and for all Muslims (his real followers), though what was written in this paper was not anti-Islamic or offending or insulting Islam at all, rather it was somehow similar to the latest Quraan revelation..
I hope you get the message this time..
And finally, remember Mike that our prophet PBUH taught us that every one will be in the hereafter with the people whom he loved and whom he loved to associate with in the Donyia (i.e. life)..!!!!
If his beloved ones are in the heaven (i.e. Jannah), he most likely will be with them, and if in the Fire (i.e. Jahannam), he most likely will be with them.. So, you may choose with which group you'd prefer to be..
Again, this is my last comment.. I promise not to write any more comments here after this one..
Peace be with you..
Anonymous # 3
Dear Anonymous;
ReplyDeleteMay you be drenched in peace and speak, think and talk peace.
Thanks you for expressing in behalf of 0.0001% of Muslims, they needed expression and I welcome it.
I request you to take the time to fully comprehend the beauty of Sura Kafirun, it is an epitome of a chapter for civil dialogue and civil conduct, indeed, I would teach a college course just on it. (Read my understanding of it, if you wish - http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/2008/07/sura-kafirun-un-believers.html
I presume you are a fully practicing Muslim and I expect you to recite “God is the Master of the day of judgment” at least 17 times and at most 51 times a day, if you still did not get the meaning of it, please take the time to understand the full meaning of it. No one but God can judge on the matters of faith.
Bhagvad Gita is a great book of wisdom for every one to cherish, it is a self help book, it answers the moral dilemmas one faces in his or her daily life. I love this book, as I do the other holy books. You do not have a right to say anything about it, without knowing about it.
I am thankful to the Almighty for giving me birth in India, the land of many of his glories. By the way, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was raised in a similar environment and that is why he believed in interfaith dialogue, and he one of the first religious leaders to initiate it. He also governed a pluralistic society where Jews, Christians and others practiced their faiths freely, because prophet believed in Allah’s wisdom of free will (Q 2:256).
I am challenging the authenticity of the Hadiths you have quoted, some one has misquoted it – It is not reflective of the Prophet.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the person I’d love to emulate and God help me, I am learning about him more and more and I like it. He would not be displeased with me, at all.
My friend, please see the universality of your beautiful religion – God is universal and so is Muhammad (pbuh). They belong to the entire mankind, not just you and I. His message for the people to live a harmonious life on earth and not to make groups.
Jazak Allah Khair
Mike Ghouse
Salaam All
ReplyDeleteSir, I fail to comprehend why we think Ahmadiyya are non-Muslims. If criterion is that Muhammad PBUH is/was the last Messenger and Prophet of Allah then why all most all sects await second coming of hadhrat (Isa) PBUH? The difference between Ahmadiyya and so-called us Muslims is only that We are still waiting for the (last Messenger/Prophet) Jesus, to come. However, Ahmadiyya's last 'Messenger/Prophet' had arrived and gone.
According to the Qur'an, the Most honouable Muhammad was/is the Last Messnegr/Prophet. That is why he has been proclaimed mercy to the whole mankind of all times. I see very little difference in belief between the two. I, as a Muslim believe there will be no Messenger/Prophet ever to come. Those who believe otherwise, should re-examine their beleif. The Qur'an states that on the day of judgment - The Messenger would say; my people had forsaken the Qur'an -(25:30). Allah may guide us all towards the right path.
Hanif
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI have promised that i'll not comment anymore.. However, you dragged me to it again..
Mike, please understand that i never undermine India as a country.. It seems to me that you want to misunderstand me IN PURPODE..
I just stated that your upbringing around Hindu has vinfluenced your way of thinking and belief 100% (go back to your narration of story of your marriage when you wanted two Hindus to be witnesses on your marriage contract despite the very "straight-forward" confirmed order of our prophet PBUH to have only MUSLIM witnesses who are Baalighi.e. adult, A'aquil i.e. sane, Raashid, i.e. mindful).. And all what Imam Yoosuf did at that time to save time and energy that may be consumed/wasted in argument with you, that in turn will end up with you seeking other Imam to conduct your marriage with those Hindu witnesses, is that he wisely cooled you down by tricking you in a very diplomatic way that he increased the number of "so-called" witnesses to 5 or 6 (it may be 1000 if you want), but finally i am sure that the names of real witnesses OFFICIALLY in the document were of 2 Muslim men only, isn't that true?..
BTW, all other denominations' followers do the same and they never compromise their religion like us.. I do not wahy.. But it really really really sad..
As regards to the authenticity of the quoted Hadeeth, you must do your "serious" homework first by searching for it before judging it in such a negative way.. That's absolutely wrong and unfair for yourself, NOT for the Hadeeth, bec. the Hadeeth status will remain the same whether you do this homework and then respect the outcome or not..
As for Soorat Al-Kaafiroon, again i beg you not to "practice medicine while you are not a physician and you never studied medical subjects and at least medical jargon and then got graduation degree from an accredited medical school".. I hope you understand me this time.. What did i mean by saying that..?..
I mean: the holy noble Quraan can NEVER bt interpreted by lay people according to their "Hawaa" ..Tafseer-ul-Qur'aan must be done by academic scholars who spent their life learning (not in their homes by themselves, but) under supervision, Ijaazah and license from other Ulamaa' and scholars.. This is the only accepted and approved way among humanity in accepting someone's interpretation of Quraan, otherwise it will be looked at as just individual thoughts that are unfounded, even if look otherwise (that's why i am absolutely against claiming a "deceptive" and "misleading" title: "ISLAMIC THINKER".. In order to attain this level, you MUST AND MUST AND MUST study first on an academic level (you are still young and enthusiastic)..
Lastly, to answer M. Hanif, i say to him that you have gone very far in misunderstanding the essence of coming back of Jessus.. Islamically speaking, Jessus (Eesaa) PBUH will come back NOT as a last prophet, but as another divine miracle granted to a prophet whose mission was postponed to a certain appointed time.. The proof of what i say is that he will NEVER come back with any message; whether old or new (please note that every new messenger must be sent with a divine message).. Not only that, if you read and ponder deeply at the prophetic Ahaadeeth(s) of his coming back (PBUH), you will find out that he will declare ISLAM as his faith and religion and he will follow an Imam leading Fajr prayer in Damascus, Syria (where he will descend on wings of 2 angels).. This Imam will beg him to lead the prayer but he will decline, bec. he came back for another mission, yet he is an overt practicing Muslim.. His biggest mission is to reject and deny any blasphemy or trinity that were done on his behalf and to kill the anti-christ in Palestine..
Peace be with both of you..
Anonymous # 3
BTW, i forgot to mention an extremly important fact which is that "Ahmadiyyah" are NOT Muslims.. Their "Shirk" is "obvious", man.. Come on..
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, "Nation of Islam", "Bohra", "Ismaeeliyyah", and other sect i don't like to name here are absolutely pesudo-Muslims..
Please note that Not every one who claims to be belonged to Islam is really so..
I have hundreds of evidences to support this fact..
Peace..
Anonymous # 3
Dear All, AOA:
ReplyDeleteThere are many sects amongst the Muslims and many of them believe(led by their religoius scholars)that the 'others' are either non-believers or in 'grave error' with regard to their beliefs. Such an error in Belief, they say, is serious enough to push them close to a state of non-belief and thus condemnation in the hereafter. Many sects of Shias exist(they don't endorse each other). Similarly Ahamadiyya are under suspicion. Amongst the Sunnis they have their 'Catholics' and 'Protestants' (those who believe and revere saints and those who think such reverence is a sin.
Friends, the Mullahs(the guardians of our Faith) deal with the issue of sects with esoteric arguments which are very hard to understand even for an educated person. Most of us(99.999% of 1.7 Billion Muslims) remain in the sect we are born in and think that they are 100% correct and others are less so. There is no solution to this issue. The only option is to Tolerance and Prayers. In the holy Quran, it is written, again and again, that the final arbiter of many differences will be God Almighty and that would be on the Day of Judgment.
Divisions do exist in all other religions and they have not been able to solve this issue, either. They also call each other 'Kaffirs'(non-believers). I think if someone calls me deficient in my religion, I will not mind it but try to serve other human beings to demonstrate that the top priority of any religion is to serve the less fortunate amongst us. I am reminded of the poem "Abu Ben Adam" by Leigh Hunt. Please google it to read it. It is one of the most spiritual pieces of literature ever produces. Peace of All(Wassalam).
I was born in a Sunni house and remain a Sunni. My father was inclined towards association with 'holy men' and I find myself doing that. I pray the Prayer of Fatiah( "---Lead me onto the path of those who have found favor with you---) and I believe that anyone who does that with sincerely will not be led astray by a God who is most Compassionate and most Merciful. He does not let such people go astray. This is HIS nature as well as promise.
FAROOQ KHAN
Dear Iftekhar Alavi Sahib,
ReplyDeleteAssalamo Alaikum,
I have read your slanderous views about Ahmadis and notice the same usual rhetoric which has been carried on by the Moulvis for years. If you really want to have a sincere and honest discussion about the true beliefs of Ahmadis, I can initiate that and respond to various questions you have raised. But I would like to recuse myself if the objective is to ridicule them and try to prove them as some creation which is sub-human.
But let me make few things clear about what Ahmadis believe.
1. We believe with unshaken belief that the Holy Quran is the final Divine book revealed upon our belived Holy Prophet (saw) which has complete guidance for the entire mankind till the day of Judgement. It is with us in its original script, nothing has been changed and nothing will be changed in it as God Himself has promised to safeguard it. I was asked a question in an inter-faith meeting in a church by a Pastor, "Why has God promised to save this book from interpolation and not the other books whereas they were also from God?" The answer to this question was that this is meant to be a guide for the entire mankind till the day of Judgement and it also embraces all the relevant teachings from the previous books and this book also teaches us to believe in all the previous books and Messengers.
2. We also firmly believe that our Holy Prophet (saw) is 'Khatam-annabiyyeen ' as mentioned in the Holy Quran.
3. Our Holy Prophet (saw) has been given the tiltle of 'Rehmatullil Alameen' by God Himself, which implies that he is a source of mercy and blessings for the entire mankind and all the creatures. He is our role model and we have to seek guidance from his life and deeds to mould our lives. Have we ever thought how much we as Muslims practically follow him? We have made it our habit to slander and ridicule all those people who do not agree with our views and according to some we do not even hesitate to persecute them and think we shall go to heavens because of this. When our Holy Prophet (saw) was hit with stones by non-believers during his trip to Taa-if, his response was that of 'Rehmatullil Alameen and prayed for them with deep concern and passion for those people instead of letting the angels destroy that town. Is this the example we follow when dealing with non-believers today? Even when our Holy Prophet (saw) had the numerical and military superiority over the Non-believers at the time of 'Victory of Mecca' to revenge all the atrocities committed against him and his followers, what he did was unprecedent in any history by forgiving all of them. Because he was 'Rehmatullil alameen' and compassionately wanted all the mankind to come into the fold of Islam and did not want a single soul to be hurt. This is in contrast to what some Non-Muslims and unfortunately even some Muslim scholars have written that Islam was spread by sword.
I would request you therefore, to ponder into these thoughts as a compassionate human being and a follower of 'Rehamtullil Alameen' and see the entire mankind with the eyes of our beloved Holy Prophet and not with the eyes of todays Moulvis who thrive on enemities and hatred by fueling controversies.
Sincerely.
Suhail Kausar
AOA
ReplyDeleteVery well said. Just what I would have said.
Nauman
dear ahmadies
ReplyDeleteyou simply reject hundred of hadis of tajjal and esa from muslim,buhari,that means you reject the words of mohammed (saw),you quote from thease hadis (buhari,muslim)for your points,all the family (huzoor)photos of mirza sahib were in the hall room,beero,cash box of ahmadies,(it is real)it is very against of islam you people really never reed the books of mirza gulam ahmed sahib,i think no one will get that books.i challenge you ,why dont you translate all the books of mirza sahib in all languages and make publicity ,if it happens that will the end of ahmadiyyath alla
We have been hearing that Islam is a religion of peace, and in fact that Islam means peace. Both of these assertions are in error. Islam means submission. Check with any good Muslim dictionary and "submission" will be the definition of Islam. Redefining the word Islam is an attempt to deceive people about the real nature of Islam. The argument is made based upon the idea that the Arabic word salaam means peace. The word "Islam" shares a common root with salaam, therefore Islam means peace also. It is true that Islam and salaam share a common root, but according to the dictionaries, they do not mean the same thing.According to A Basic Dictionary of Islamic Words by M Zakiuddin Sharfi, Islam means, "Submission or resignation to the will of Allah, completely. He does not define salaam, but does note that one of the ninety-nine attributes of Allah is as-Salam, meaning "The Peaceful One'.A common greeting is Arabic is "as-Salam-u'Alaikum." This means "Peace be upon you." It is easy to see that it is not Islam, but Salam. Do not be deceived by claims that Islam means peace. It means submission. Islam has always been a religion of violence. Islam means war, persecution and death.Let's see what the Qur'an actually says.The Qur'an tells muslims to kill and go to war to fight for Islam: Quran, chapters (Surahs) 9:5; 2:191; 2:193; 3:118; 4:75,76;....Fight for Allah: "And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers, (Quran 2:191). Fight those who do not believe in Allah or the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and his apostle, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth (i.e. Islam), (even if they are people of the Book), until they pay the tax with willing submission and feel themselves subdued. (Surah IX:29)....Seize them and slay them wherever you find them. (Surah IV:89,91).....60 percent of the Koran talks about violence/war/jihad.As you can see, the Qur'an definitely teaches that it's people are to fight for the cause of Islam. This list of verses is important because they are within the holy book of Islam. What are we to conclude if a Muslim is to take the Quran seriously? Is he not obligated to slay non-Muslims, to go to war, to kill those against Islam, etc.? Isn't this what the verses are teaching? Yes, they are and this is the source of Islamic terrorism.Stand up and speak up!Truth alone Triumphs!When you criticize Nazism you are not criticizing the Germans. Similarly criticizing Islam does not mean being racist to Muslims.
ReplyDeleteI need to ask a question. My friend said that there is 4 ways of praying/ believing in Islam. She said there are 4 imams, and there are different types of rules. is that true?
ReplyDelete