Dallas Pastor Observing Ramadan

http://www.examiner.com/article/kera-exclusive-dallas-muslims-inspired-embracing-the-ramadan-fasting-um-pastor

UMCPastor.Reverend Magruder.ImamYasin.RamadanDaily

When Reverend Wess Magruder, Senior Associate Pastor of First United Methodist Church of Rowlett, told his friend and neighbor Imam Yaseen Shaikh, Imam of the Islamic Association of Collin County, that he was going to observe the Muslim fast of Ramadan with his Muslim friends, Yaseen Shaikh replied in his British accent: “It’s intense.” Surely the experience has been intense, not only because the pastor is not used to a 30 day long fast, abstaining from food and drinks for 15 hours a day, but because thousands of readers have been following the pastor’s story through his daily blog and through a previous examiner article as well. Moreover, the experience turned into an interfaith exchange where Muslims received a fresh perspective of fasting and the pastor found new friends and new spiritual discipline.

KERA’s “Think” interviewed yesterday the two Texan “amicos,” the Muslim imam and the Christian pastor. Krys Boyd presented her two guests who talked about their Ramadan-fasting experiences albeit coming from two different faith traditions. Rev. Magruder said that he decided to fast in order to show solidarity with his Muslim friends, like Imam Yaseen, who are observing a month-long fast. Having been looking for ways to deepen his own spiritual life, he noticed the deep truth to Muslim fasting. But while he thought he would be fasting alone in his Christian environment, focusing on his spiritual development, he found out that in order to get the most of the experience he had to break his fast in community, with his Muslim friends. “Everyone treated me as if I were a member of the community,” he said. Thus, he started accepting invitations for the break-fast meals, “iftars,” from different communities throughout the DFW metroplex. Last night, he broke his fast at the Islamic Center of Irving’s civic iftar, and Friday, he is invited to an iftar at the Al-Hedayah Islamic Center in Fort Worth.

View slideshow: Methodist Minister observes Ramadan

Dallas UM Rev. Magruder honored at Islamic Center of Irving during yesterday's Ramadan Civic Iftar

Photo credit:

Photographer Alia Salem

Magruder said he was surprised at the response of his fasting experience, which he blogs about. He gladly received the support from his Methodist and Christian friends, who, he said, probably laugh at him for being so much calmer during his fast. His congregation is very interested, he said, in opening discussions and asking questions about Islam. However, he did not anticipate the Muslim response which started after Imam Yaseen shared the pastor’s blog with his congregation. The blog further spread beyond the metroplex, all over the country, and crossed the oceans. Muslims from all over the world are commenting on the pastor’s blog with words of encouragement, support, and advice to manage his fast. Watch WFAA-TV exclusive.

So how does Rev. Magruder act like a Muslim during Ramadan? From his Christian experience with fasting, Magruder knows how to focus on the moment when he feels the hunger; it’s the moment when he becomes aware of God. But with the Muslim fast, he’s always hungry and always conscious of God. Furthermore, besides studying his Christian tradition, the pastor has been reading some verses in the Qur’an, the Muslim holy book. He has even participated in the Muslim prayer last weekend when he prayed next to his friend, Imam Yaseen. “And when my forehead touched the carpet on the ground, I found myself deeply awed. I was struck by my vulnerability. I was kneeling forward, head down, neck bared. There is no more vulnerable position than that.” Magruder wrote on his blog on August 1st. “What I experienced in that posture was ‘the fear of the Lord,’ which is a Jewish phrase that doesn’t mean ‘fear’ in the sense of the human emotion of horror or dread, but an overwhelming feeling of awe, the kind that takes your breath and speech away.”

Rev. Magruder told KERA’s Boyd that he was planning to integrate Muslim fasting in his spiritual life beyond Ramadan, and when asked whether he would advise his congregation to try the fast, he replied that many people might be willing to follow his example. He also discussed how fasting made him calmer and more serious and reflecting. And as a Christian, he said, he would continue building bridges and meditating on fasting.

Muslims, including Imam Yaseen, feel inspired by Magruder’s experience, which provides Muslims with a fresh perspective about fasting. Yaseen didn’t think that his friend would last that long. Describing the spirituality of fasting, he said: “Beyond the flesh and bone, we have a spiritual aspect that needs to be fed.” Thus, the fast is a detox for the body and the spirit. “Ramadan is a training ground to build a connection with God and continuity within community.”Magruder explained how Jesus fasted for forty days and ignored Satan’s temptation by saying “Man shall not live by bread alone but by the every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” He said: “When we fast we are focusing on our true identity; we are not just physical beings.”

The Dallas tale of the Muslim imam and the Christian pastor is gaining national coverage, sending signs of hope for our national unity. An example of interfaith compassion and not just tolerance, this story is food for the soul. “America is full of truth seekers,” Imam Yaseen said about Americans who love to open their hearts and minds and ignore media stereotypes. Most importantly, this story is a Ramadan blessing for all the Muslims fasting this month, and for many people like Reverend Magruder.

More Articles:

Why a Dallas UM pastor is observing the Muslim ...

• http://www.examiner.com/article/why-a-dallas-um-pastor-is-observing-the-muslim-fast-of-ramadan
• http://www.onestopnewsstand.com/dallas/why-a-dallas-um-pastor-is-observing-the-muslim-fast-of-ramadan
• http://www.examiner.com/article/kera-exclusive-dallas-muslims-inspired-embracing-the-ramadan-fasting-um-pastor

When Islamic atheism thrived

It is so refreshing to read this article, not that it surrenders to orthodoxy, but it is about freedom. I have come to see Islam as a religion of freedom and co-existence and not a rigid system to beat up on people for conformity. No one has to agree with a few assertions of the scholar Abu Bakr Al-Razi but, imagine the freedom he enjoyed. Alhamdu Lillah, we are blessed to be in America, we have that freedom here despite the social pressures and ill-talk by a few behind the backs.

God has not and will not sign a deal with Muslims, Jews, Hindus or Christians behind other’s backs.  It is not God, if he privileges a few over the other. The beauty and key value of Islam is Justice! God practices what he says, that is, he will not judge any one till that elusive day. You and I do not have the right to judge any one. We do have the right to punish for civil and criminal infractions but not in the matters of faith.  

Islam and Judaism can relate with Atheism in one respect; neither religion collapses God into an image or a word. It is not a being and not an entity, it is just the abstract energy that is colorless odorless shapeless and imagine-less. I am glad for our differences.

Mike Ghouse
Committed to cohesive societies
www.MikeGhouse.ne t
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When Islamic atheism thrived

It's astonishing to read about the freedom of expression afforded to Muslims in the 10th century, in contrast to our own times
Amira Nowaira

Freethinking is perhaps not one of the strongest suits of modern Islam. For one thing, the list of books that have been banned for challenging prevalent religious orthodoxies and sensibilities during the past hundred years is disconcertingly long.

Modern Islamic clerics and scholars in various Muslim countries are often highly selective of which part of the Islamic heritage to emphasise and bring to light. Out of the countless and varied sources from centuries of vigorous debates, commentaries and controversies, they seem to dig out, and revel in, interpretations that are hopelessly conservative or frustratingly and grotesquely at odds with the life of modern Muslims.

It may therefore come as a surprise to many people that there is a long and vibrant intellectual tradition of dissidence and freethinking going back to the Middle Ages. The Islamic thinkers of the early medieval period expressed ideas and engaged in debates that would appear strangely enlightened in comparison with the attitudes and views adopted by modern Islamic scholarship.

This is the basic argument presented by From the History of Atheism in Islam by the renowned Egyptian thinker Abdel-Rahman Badawi. Published in Arabic in 1945, the book was reprinted only once in 1993. It discusses the work of the Islamic philosopher-scientists of the medieval period and the way they upheld reason, freedom of thought and humanist values, while questioning and often refuting some basic Islamic tenets.

Although many of those thinkers, according to Badawi, did not attempt to disprove the existence of God, they lashed out against the notion of prophethood and argued against the privileged position occupied by the Prophet Muhammad and his followers.

Most prominent among those scholars was Abu Bakr al-Razi (865-925 CE) who believed in the supreme importance of reason. He argued that the mind had an innate capacity to distinguish between good and evil, and between what was useful and what was harmful. According to him, the mind did not need any guidance from outside it, and for this reason the presence of prophets was redundant and superfluous.

Al-Razi directed his most vehement attack against the holy books in general, including the Qur'an, because he saw them as illogical and self-contradictory. He also believed that all human beings were equal in their intellectual capacities as they were in all other things. It made no sense therefore that God should single out one individual from among them in order to reveal to him his divine wisdom and assign him the task of guiding other human beings. Furthermore, he found that prophets' pronouncements and stories often contradicted those of other prophets. If their source was divine revelation as is claimed, their views would have been identical. The idea of a divinely-appointed mediator was therefore a myth.

Al-Razi understood the hold of religious belief on society, which he attributed to several factors. Firstly, systems of beliefs spread mainly through the human propensity for imitating and copying others. Secondly, religion's popularity rested on the close alliance between clerics and political rulers. The clerics often used this alliance to impose their own personal beliefs on people by force whenever the power of persuasion failed. Thirdly, the lavish and imposing character of the attire of religious men contributed to the high regard in which they were held by common people. Lastly, with the passage of time religious ideas became so familiar that they turned almost into deep-seated instincts that were no longer questioned.

In examining this chapter of Islamic history, regardless of the validity or otherwise of the views expressed, one cannot help feel amazed at the fact that the Islamic thinkers of the 10th century had the freedom to discuss and publish their "unorthodox" ideas, while the Islamic world now cannot, or will not, deal with any form of intellectual dissent. It might be reasonable to suggest then that the problem of Islam does not lie in inherited texts and traditions, but in interpretation. The Islamic heritage, like its Christian counterpart, is made up of a huge body of commentaries and interpretations that were produced in various periods of history to address problems specific to their age. We need to remember that the Christian scriptures have not changed since the middle ages. It was in the name of these very texts that innumerable so-called heretics were burnt at the stake.

There is little doubt that Islamic scholars have the task and the responsibility to review tradition and re-emphasise the human values of tolerance and freedom of thought. They do not have to look far for these values. All they are required to do is to reach deep into their own cultural coffers to retrieve the pearls and discard the dregs.

Courtesy Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/may/10/islam-freedom-expression?fb=optOut

Norway, Terrorism & Counter Terrorism

Firstly, we the people of all faiths, traditions and nations condemn the disgusting terrorist attack on Norway, killing at least eight and injuring scores. We extend our sympathies to the families and the victims of mindless terrorism.


Secondly, it is time to get rid of all the Terrorism experts that disgrace our television screens, Radio, Print and the Internet. Their advice to bomb and annihilate others has not worked and will never work. We cannot be safe if we keep threatening others with our might. Non-Violence approach will ensure that we all can live with freedom and without the fear of someone sticking it to us in our vulnerable moments.

Thirdly, it is time to re-consider a long term policy on Terrorism; we cannot shut down terrorism with terror, when people take a position they dig in their heels and do more harm to themselves and others. Fact, religion, reason and logic are out of question for them, it’s you or me.

Full article is publication pending and will be available at www.TheGhousediary.com or http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/07/norway-terrorism-counter-terrorism.html

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. Over a 1000 articles have been published on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, India and cohesive societies. Two of his books are poised to be released this fall on Pluralism and Islam. He is available to speak at your place of worship, work, school, college, seminars or conferences. His work is indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/

 

Happy July fourth, my speech at Ahmadiyya Muslim Conference

http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/07/happy-july-fourth-my-speech-at.html

Muslim role in American Independence
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My speech at Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s
63rd Annual Convention/ Salana Jalsa
Saturday, July 3, 2011 m Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

THEME:: Islamic Concept of Freedom
A video will be uploaded upon availability

SPEECH FOLLOWS THE NOTE

Dr. Imam Yusuf Zia Kavakci inspires me, a long time ago, he had said, “ you have the ability to bring the umma together” and Alhamdu Lillah I have made several efforts in bringing Muslims togther including Ahmadiyya, Bohra, Ismaili, Kurdish, Shia, Sufi, Sunni and Warith Deen Muhammad Muslims on a number of occasions. Indeed, you will find a few examples at - http://www.mikeghouse.net/MuslimSpeaker.MikeGhouse.asp
Sunni Muslims believe that Jesus will come back in the end times as the Messiah, whereas the Ahmadiyya Muslims believe that Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad  is the Messiah. As a Muslim without bias, I honor their belief without believing what they believe. Other than this singular difference, there is not much of a difference at all. From Adhan to Salat, fasting to Zakat and other arkans to Hajj, they are same, indeed Prophet Muhammad holds "exactly" the same place in their tradition as with other Muslims. I urge Sunni Muslims to open their hearts and minds towards fellow Muslims. Surah 49:13: "O mankind! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. The noblest of you, in sight of Allah, is the best in conduct. Allah Knows and is Aware." Muslims from post colonial era may never be able extricate themselves from what is given to them, but the next generation in America will be open enough to see Muslims as Muslims and nothing but Muslims based on Shadah at its core.

We have to honor the uniqueness of each group of Muslims, indeed Prophet Muhammad had given us guidance and prophesised  that we will eventually form 72 groups, and encouraged us to race in doing good things for the good of humanity, all of us will earn God's grace in the process, but one of us will be showered with bonus for doing the extra good. Only Allah knows that and we cannot pre-empt Allah in juding any one of us. Indeed, we have to be respectful of God and Prophet's prophecies.

About 7000 Ahmadies from across the United States gathered in Harrisburg this Independence Day weekend to celebrate their 63rd Annual convention. The Ahmadies are one of the first group of Muslims to establish their mission in the United States (1920) and they are holding their conventions since 1948.

It was an outstanding program, topics were relevant and the event ran like a precision machine. Everything was on time and seldom a speaker exceeded the given time. I enjoyed the simplicity of lunch and breakfast– lentil, pita bread and fruits served in hygenical environment, shortest imaginable lines, clean tables, clean floors, clean bathrooms, it was a joy to observe the details. It remided me of the efficacy of the Ismaili Muslims whose events are adminitered with perfection. There were several members from the State department and video and written messages from members of congress, governors and other dignitaries were a part of the presentation. They have initiatied an award program to honor those who have served the interests of humanity, among them was a Congresswoman from California. Two of the several programs that were fascinating were;  Science and God, and Nile will not stop.

This weekend The Islamic Association of North America held their convention in Chicago and I believe some 40,000 people attended the program. Jazak Allah for the success every where. There are several such conventions and I hope we can participate in all.

I appeal to you to consider writing a proposal urging all Muslim organizations to plan on a joint convention in 2012 before the election. Let’s hear and listen to each other without judgements. If we can't do that in America, then no one else can do it and if we don’t articulate this need to race together in doing good, then no other nation will. We have to create a template for other nations to consider. Muslims together can become participants and contributors in the world peace for the good of humanity.

I value the humanitarian work done by Ahmadiyya, Bohra, Ismaili, Kurdish, Shia, Sufi, Sunni and Warith Deen Muhammad Muslims. There is indeed a net gain for Islam collectively, and we must appreciate them all. Islam is universal and it is universal enought to absorb all of us in its embrace.

Let’s learn to respectfully disagree on certain issues but at least know all the great things we do and become a catalyst for each other’s growth.

Here is the outline of my speech, Insha Allah the video link will be added upon availability.
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As-Salam o Alaikum
Upon declaration of our independence on July 4, 1776, two of the first three heads of states who recognized the sovereignty of the United States were Muslim. That is two out of three recognitions came from Muslims, invariably we have been a part of America from the word go.

Morocco was the first state to recognize the independence of the United States of America, and they signed the Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship; first of its kind. Friesland, one of the seven United Provinces of the Dutch Republic, was the next to recognize American independence (February 26, 1782) and Tippu Sultan, the King of Mysore State (India) was the third. According to Dr. Range Gowda, Tippu Sultan’s historiographer, the congratulatory letter to America is preserved in a French Library.

It was a coincidence, that General Cornwallis who surrendered to George Washington in the battle of York Town in 1781 was the hired gun to defeat Tippu Sultan through deceit in the 4th war of Mysore against colonialism in 1799.

What does July 4th mean to Muslims in America?

Freedom is one of the most cherished values of humanity and I am pleased to share its arrangement in American and Islamic space. Both emphasize the freedom of conscience, justice and liberty.

Please be aware that a few men in Islam, America and other religions don’t live up to the ideals of their own faith, while the majority cares and wants to get along with other.

The very first step on American soil puts a smile on an immigrant’s face; if not you, it has happened to your parents, grand or great grandparents. It’s the same exuberance you witness on a baby’s face when she stands up for the first time, same exhilaration when a toddler eats the food on his own for the first time or the freedom written all over the face of a student when he or she graduates from school. Indeed, that was my feeling when I walked in to the Immigration center at JFK Airport some thirty years ago.

The next step for an immigrant is to earn his or her Citizenship and take the pledge, “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Reciting, “One Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” is like coming home for Muslims. Indeed, Islam rests on the foundation of Tauheed, the oneness of God, oneness of universe and oneness of mankind with liberty and justice. If Qur’aan, the holy book of Muslims can be summed up in one word, it would be justice. Justice imbues a sense of security and trust among people leading to peace and prosperity. Our country started out with the constitution that no other nation on the earth had done before.

Not a day goes for Muslims without expressing their gratitude for the first Amendment, gratitude is a part of our tradition and just about every Muslim says Alhamdu Lillah, praise the lord in the course of normal conversation. The First amendment reads “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” It is this law that has opened all of God’s creation in America to worship God every which way they know God.

Muslims cherish this freedom and see the corollaries in Qur’aan and strongly wish that the Muslim nations follow the Madinah treaty where Jews, Christians and others were treated as one community and one ummah,  the treaty reads the Jews have their own religion as Muslims have their own to practice. The Conditions of peace and war and the accompanying ease or hardships must be fair and equitable to all citizens alike. A Believer will not make the freedman of another Believer as his ally against the wishes of the other Believers.

Qur’aan declares in 2:256, “There shall be no compulsion in matters of faith” one is free to believe and practice his or her own faith as he or she chooses to. In verse 6 chapter 109 of Qur’aan, the guidance on conducting a civil dialogue is concluded with, “Unto you, your moral law, and unto me, mine.” In essence the faith is in the heart of the believer as beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. It is respecting the otherness of other in America that Muslims honor every day.

Muslims thank God each time they hear the Equal opportunity Mantra, “You will not be denied an opportunity based on your race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” Invariably they think of the speech Prophet Muhammad delivered in his last sermon, “All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor does a black have any superiority over white except by piety and good action."

As American Muslims, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

American Laws holds the criminals individually responsible for their crimes; it is your heinie that is hauled off to the jail. You parents, siblings, spouse, kids, community or religion are not responsible for your actions. Muslims know that well, on the Day of Judgment you stand alone with your deeds, the good things you have done to fellow beings count in your favor, while your parents, spouse, kids and leaders will be busy with their own accountability. You are on your own!

The Prophet tells his own daughter that she will not get a free pass to paradise because she is a daughter of the prophet; she has to earn it on her own through good deeds to fellow beings, such is the emphasis placed on individual responsibility.

“You are innocent until proven guilty” sounds like a verse from Qur’aan. An observant Muslim recites that God alone is the judge and we must refrain from judging others, they do that at least 17 times a day and some do it 51 times. Muslims love the wholesomeness of Justice and they love America.

I urge every one of us to commit to building a Cohesive America where no American has to live in apprehension of the other. Let our nation

Indeed, the essence of freedom is directly proportional to the ability to question oneself, question one's own faith, myths and prejudices about others and find answers to set one free.

God Bless America and God bless our men and women in the uniforms protecting our freedom.

Happy 4th.

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker, writer and a frequent guest on Hannity show and nationally syndicated Radio shows and Dallas TV, Radio and Print Media. He presides America Together Foundation and is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. Over 1000 articles have been published on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, India and cohesive societies. Two of his books are poised to be released this fall on Pluralism and Islam. He is available to speak at your place of worship, work, school, college, seminars or conferences. His work is encapsulated in 27 blogs, four websites and several forums indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/

TEXAS FAITH: Should churches be able to hold services in a public school?

10 PANELISTS RESPOND

William McKenzie/ Editorial Columnist  Tue., Jun. 21, 2011 | Permalink

This week's question comes courtesy of Texas Faith panelist Cindy Rigby, after she read this New York Times article.

The story deals with an evangelical church using a New York public school for its services. According to the article, the church does not pay rent. It instead pays the fee for the custodians.

As the story indicates, this is not the only church to use a New York public school for its services. Churches, mostly evangelical ones, use at least 60 of them.

The Supreme Court, as well as various equal access laws, have held that schools must give religious groups the same access to their facilities that they do all other clubs. But then, as this story indicates, an appellate court ruled in June that New York City could prohibit churches from holding worship services at a public school. As author Katherine Stewart put it, "Using the school system to subsidize houses of worship...risks violating the constitutional ban on the establishment of religion."

But does it? Does the holding of a church service in a public school imply an endorsement of a particular religion?

As you consider this week's question, I would ask you to think about how you would feel if a church group that you support or like wanted to do the same. How would that affect your views? And what separates a church from holding a service there versus, say, an AA group?

We have not dealt with a church/state question, so thanks to Cindy for bringing up the issue.

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

Katherine Stewart's comment in the op-ed piece at the NY Times is wise. As she writes, "In a city blessed with an uncountable number of faiths, it's foolish to get schools tangled up in religion."

Indeed, holding of a church service in a public school implies a tacit endorsement of a particular religion. The group may or may not be affixing their version of the religion on the school building, but it will eventually monopolize zoning and steer (chase) others away.

A conservative value would be what is good for the goose has got to be good for the gander. To build cohesive societies where trust is the norm, and where commitment to the idea of a society where no one is apprehensive of the other becomes customary, we have to treat everyone justly. Fairness ought to be valued by all including the conservatives.

When I and my interest become subservient to the interest of the society at large, no one will lose. In business, one has to be aggressive and selfish to succeed. However, when it is at the cost of other, both will lose at the end.

As a pluralist and a Muslim, I have no problem with "a church that runs a Gender Affirming Ministry Endeavor associated with the movement to "cure" gay men and lesbians," or if the, "movement that instructs its members to pray for a Christian "reformation" of American education and for the election of like-minded political leaders," or a religious group that teaches evolution. All of them should have the access and freedom to preach what they want.

The real problem is why would I want to subsidize a group to use taxpayer's funding?
Muslims have great examples to offer. The mosque in Richardson does not lend its cultural hall to any activity that is ascribable to a particular denomination, including a few groups who celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad. A few years ago, Turkey, a Muslim majority democracy, had banned reciting verses from Quran in a city event where people of other faiths were participants.

Indeed, I would urge the ministries using the school for church to hang on to the conservative values of peace and safety for every American, and volunteer to ease out of the situation and not create an entanglement for the school. Let this not be an entitlement.

Even if the school has one child who is an Atheist, Zoroastrian, Native American or a Wicca, he or his parents must have equal access to the facilities to preach his take on the issues. We are a leading civilization of the free world, and we ought to be worth emulating by other nations to create a better world for the benefit of all of God's creation. The best thing for the school is to untangle itself from any religious affiliation.

 Ten Panelists have responded to the question and continue for the other 9 at -http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/06/this-weeks-question-comes-cour.html

Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a speaker, thinker, writer and a frequent guest on Hannity show and nationally syndicated Radio shows and Dallas TV, Radio and Print Media. Over 1000 articles have been published on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, India and cohesive societies. Two of his books are poised to be released this fall on Pluralism and Islam. His work is encapsulated in 27 blogs, four websites and several forums indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/.

Prophet Muhammad in Hindu Scriptures

http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/03/prophet-muhammad-in-hindu-scriptures.html

I glad to read the following article Prophet Muhammad in Hindu Scriptures. There is a plethora of articles on Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) being mentioned in the Vedas, Bible and the Torah, what does this mean to us or the others?

We need to critically ask ourselves, is it possible that Christians can claim Jesus was the one mentioned, or even Krishna was the one mentioned? What about Guru Nanak and Bahaullah? Even if Prophet’s name was mentioned by name (usually it is interpreted), how does it change anything? All prophets of God have common traits.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was chosen by God to communicate his message, he was the prophet and the messenger but he was not the creator of the religion, he was not the negater of the other messengers but the updater of the message of God “to live in harmony and balance” delivered by the messengers in every, tribe, communities and nations.

Islam is not a religion of Muhammad (pbuh), it is a religion of oneness of the creator, oneness of mankind and oneness of the universe, when the whole world acts as one family, the Tauheed, then there will be synergy, one feels the joys and pains of others and focus will shift to living in harmony; the ultimate of the universe and the creation for its survival and continuation.

Things will change and must change for the good of humanity, as Muslims we also need to work on cleaning our house, we need the Bin Laden’s and the Wahhabi ideology to see the universality of Islam and when we become an exemplary community, people will value the system that creates a peaceful, harmonious and prosperous communities.

We don’t need miracles, we just need to live the simple life God has blessed us with, and follow Muhammad (pbuh) teachings in how to live a life of peace and harmony.

Mike Ghouse is committed to nurturing the pluralistic values embedded in Islam – www.WorldMuslimcongress.net

http://onislam.net/english/reading-islam/about-muhammad/his-character/435389-muhammad-in-hindu.html#authordes

By Jamal Badawi

Muslim Intellectual — Canada

Thursday, 07 December 2006 00:00

The advent of Prophet Muhammad is mentioned more than once in the Hindu scriptures. Hindu scriptures are divided into three basic categories: Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas. There are differences about the age of those scriptures; some people believe that they go back almost 4,000 years.

One of the amazing prophecies in these Hindu scriptures is the one on the tongue of Maharshi Vyasa, a Hindu saint, that states that the land of Arabs will be corrupted by the evil doers — maybe a reference to the pre-Islamic pagans; and that Mahamad — a slight adulteration of the name Muhammad — will come and guide those who went astray. He will be circumcised, bearded, eloquent; he will create a great revolution; he will announce the call for prayers; he will eat of the meat of lawful animals but not of the swine; and he will fight against irreligious nations. All these descriptions meet Prophet Muhammad (Vidyarthi).

Bhavishya Purana, one of the most important Puranas, includes another prophecy that states that in a foreign country a spiritual teacher whose name is Muhammad will come; he will be a dweller of Arabia; he will gather a large force to fight or kill the devil; and God will protect him from his opponents.  

Prophet Muhammad Mentioned in the Upanishad
Some Hindu scholars consider the Upanishads scripture to be superior to the Vedas, because they impart divine knowledge and teach how the human soul can get nearer to its Maker and Master.
 

The most important  prophecy in it is the one that mentions the coming of Prophet Muhammad by name, and the Muslim testimony of faith — there is no God but Allah — is repeated more than once in it.

As a result of the clarity and explicitness of that prophecy, some Hindus actually enter into Islam, which has led some Hindu scholars to claim that perhaps this prophecy was written by a Hindu pundit who converted to Islam. But this is refuted because this prophecy was referred to in some of the ancient Hindu books that predate the advent of Islam or Muslims to India (Vidyarthi). In the Allo Upanishad, the following description of God is given: the name of the deity is Allah, He is one, the King of all the world, He is the Magnificent, the Greatest of all, the Best, the Most Perfect, the Holiest of all, the Nourisher of the whole world, the Manifester of the earth and the space, and the Lord of all creation.

He created the sun, the moon, the stars, and the heavens. He is the Nourisher of all the birds, beasts, animals that live in the sea and those that are not visible to the eye. He is the remover of all evils and calamities, and Muhammad is the apostle of Allah.

Prophet Muhammad Mentioned in the Vedas

The third basic category of Hindu scriptures is called the Veda. In the Atharva Veda, it is mentioned that the praiseworthy among people shall be praised; it is known that the name Muhammad in Arabic actually means "the praiseworthy."

It also states that the promised prophet will be a camel rider, which is interesting because Indian prophets were forbidden to ride camels. Prophet Jesus, according to the New Testament, rode on an ass but not on a camel, but it is well known that Prophet Muhammad rode a camel.

The seventh mantra also speaks about someone who is going to be a guide to all people, and Prophet Muhammad always emphasized that he was not sent to a particular people, like Israelites alone or Arabs alone, but to the whole world.
The sixth mantra speaks about some of the brave people who vanquished without a battle and that the number of their opponents was 10,000, which could be a reference to the battle of the allies or the trench that took place during Prophet Muhammad's time. The number of the people who put a siege around Madinah were indeed 10,000, and they were vanquished without a battle because God sent a hurricane that finally, after a long siege, forced them to leave.

In the Rig Veda, it speaks about a person who is described as truthful and trustworthy, powerful and generous who will be famous with 10,000. All these are the characteristics of Prophet Muhammad, and the number 10,000 could be a possible reference to the number of the Companions of Prophet Muhammad who entered Makkah victoriously.  

Works Cited
Vidyarthi, Abdul Haq. Muhammad in World Scriptures. New Delhi: Adam Publishers, 1990.

Dr. Jamal Badawi is a professor of management and religious studies, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Aljazeera Exec Khanfar's inspiring speech

Wadah Khanfar: A historic moment in the Arab world (TED)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbn0taB5Yjk

Follow up on Asia Bibi Petition

Appeal for Justice to Pakistani Asia Bibi and Mercy to mankind

            The following note is in response to the comments floating on the internet in the last few hours.  Please read some of the comments, an amazing mind-set is in the works. http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/01/follow-up-on-asia-bibi-petition.html

As people of faith, also should be known as peace makers, we cannot cause people in conflict to dig in their heels and take positions, we have to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill for the ultimate good of all. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) applied that method in many of his examples.  I hope you understand the avoidance of such language in the petition.   

Three (of the thousands on my list) individuals wrote, “It is too much. You are really becoming a problem for Ummah. Why are you aggravating the situation? Do you know what are you are going to lose - your both the worlds perhaps?” Another one writes, “Islamically, insults and abuses against the Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, count as acts of war and rebellion against a justly created Islamic entity. The Qur'an commands terrible punishment for such acts of war. “Finally, the third one writes, “Salman was a shame on Islam”.

Those were the right wingers among Muslims, a minuscule, statistically insignificant number of people but can become players by shining the media light on them. These guys are fodder for the other right wingers;  among Republicans and the Fox people. The left on the other hand shouts that we have to declare a war on right wingers. Mahatma Gandhi had aptly said an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.

Prophet Muhammad’s wisdom comes as guiding light; follow the middle path. Every one has a God given space, if we can learn to respect that, conflicts fade and solutions emerge. Keeping that in mind, we have crafted the appeal with a clear goal of finding solutions, which is a deep desire in all parties.

As moderates we are an overwhelming majority, we can express our support to the middle path and ask the extremists to study the prophet and spread goodness in his name and not oppression.

Please sign the Appeal for Justice to Asia Bibi and Mercy to mankind in Pakistan that is if you agree with the content:

http://www.petitiononline.com/Asiabibi/petition.html

Appeal for Justice to Asia Bibi and mercy to mankind

To:  The People, Ulema and Government of Pakistan

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is a mercy to mankind, he is indeed a blessing to the humanity and rightfully known as Rahmutul Aalameen. There are innumerable examples of forbearance, forgiveness and kindness of the prophet (pbuh) towards those who insulted and even tried to harm him.

One of the most famous stories, often repeated is about an old lady who threw trash on the prophet every time he passed in front of her door. One day, the trash was not thrown. Concerned, he asked the neighbors and found that she was sick. He knocked on her door to and offered help. Overwhelmed with kindness and love, she chose to become a Muslim.

Once on way to the city of Taif, the Prophet was pelted with rocks by miscreants, his associates wanted to retaliate, even the arch angel Gabriel offered to help bring relief to the situation. The prophet said no, instead he asked God to forgive them, because he was the last messenger. If they are destroyed to whom would he preach? He hoped that if not them, their progeny at will accept the God-sent message to mankind.

He enjoined us that "if any one eats a full meal when his neighbor is hungry or starving, then he is not from among us". He never said 'Muslim neighbor'. He loved humanity and asked Muslims to be role models of charity, kindness, concern and love to all.

What was the need for the Prophet to have endured such painful experiences? It was to guide humanity towards kindness, and shape long term solutions for peaceful communities and the greater good of the society at large. He was committed to mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill, indeed he was the ultimate peace maker, the mercy to mankind.

As Muslims we need to keep his message of kindness alive and bring to fruition what he was all about; Rahmutul- Aalameen. Let the mercy and kindness he taught become a blessing to the universe and continue to shower on humanity.

We appeal to the Ulema, thoughtful people and the Government of Pakistan to give life to the examples of the Prophet in representing to Asia Bibi. What would Rahmutul Aalameen have done?

Asia Bibi is not a Muslim and is relegated to menial work that is considered unclean (Napak) by others, who consider themselves to be good Muslims, denied her water from the common source. Is this not a most egregious insult, and the denial of water, the same as denial to sustain life?

First of all he would not have denied Asia Bibi the water of life, indeed in another famous occurrence a person fed water to a thirsty animal and the Prophet had said God will grace the person for that act of kindness. He would have been kind and magnanimous and would probably have us pray for Asia Bibi’s well being. God loves the forgivers and those who repent.

As Muslims we need to keep his message of kindness alive and bring to fruition what he was all about; Rahmutul- Aalameen. Let the mercy and kindness he taught become a blessing to the universe and continue to shower on humanity.

We owe an apology to Asia Bibi, her family and the Christian community. We should build goodwill in our and their hearts.

We ask the people of Pakistan to seriously debate about the blasphemy laws. The violent silencing of Governor Salman Taseer calls for an immediate need for a discussion on the topic. Islam is about free will and as Muslims we need stand against any oppression towards any human being following in the footsteps of the prophet. Amen!

1. Mike Mohamed Ghouse, World Muslim Congress, USA
2. Imam Zia ul Haq Sheikh, Islamic Council of Irving, USA
3. Dr. Mirza A. Beg, World Muslim Congress, USA
4. Dr. M. Basheer Ahmed, USA
5. Dr. Nauman Anwar, USA
and
1. Bishop Ijaz Inayat, Pakistan
2. Dr John Dayal, All India Christian Council, India
In humility, we submit this appeal to bring Rahmat (Mercy) and Justice to every human being.

Sincerely,
The Undersigned

Mike Ghouse
www.MikeGhouse.net