Stop the attacks or face our wrath - OPC threatens South Africa

The Oodua People's Congress, OPC. has given a 48-hour ultimatum to the South African government to stop the xenophobic attacks going on their country or incur the wrath of the group. At a press conference in Lagos today April 21st, the founder of the group, Dr Frederick Fasheun warned that nobody has the monopoly of violence.
"While the Nigerian government and the rest of the world seek a diplomatic solution to this season of madness, the OPC hereby warns that South Africa must end this rash of xenophobia within 48 hours. These ill-advised attacks are capable of bringing out the beast in the best of men. And we will not watch as fellow Nigerians are wantonly killed in cold blood. Enough is enough. South Africans must know that nobody has a monopoly of violence. They must halt the killings, the maiming and the looting of foreigners’ shops in their country. These incidents of xenophobia will provoke reprisals against South Africans and their interests in other lands. Thus, beginning with the belligerent Zulu King, all South Africans involved in these attacks should be arrested immediately and prosecuted for crimes against humanity.”he said
According to Dr Fasheun, what the group will do if the attacks continues cannot be revealed now but said South Africans should remember they have many businesses in Nigeria
      "South Africa has many business interests in Nigeria but of course, you do not expect me to reveal what we will do until the time is right.”he said

Jonathan urges Muslims at Eid-el-Maulud to pray for peaceful elections

President Goodluck Jonathan has felicitated with all Nigerians of the Islamic faith as they commemorate the birth of Prophet Mohammed today.

‎The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati‎, in a statement said President Jonathan urged them to offer special Jumat prayers for successful and peaceful elections in Nigeria next month.

The President reassured Muslims and all other Nigerians that the Federal Government will do all within its powers to ensure that the General Elections in February are free, fair, credible and violence-free.

He expressed the believes that this is essential to guarantee that Nigeria remains politically stable and continues on a steady path to the fulfillment of its peoples’ collective vision of a strong, united and prosperous nation.

The President also called on all adherents of Islam in the country to seize the opportunity of the New Year and Eid-el-Maulud holidays to reflect deeply on the need for a greater application of the Prophet Mohammed’s teachings of piety, charity, tolerance, justice and peaceful co-existence with others in the collective effort to overcome current national challenges.

The President assured the Islamic faithful and other Nigerians that his administration will continue to be guided by the ideals of fairness, equity and justice for all in its leadership of the country and that on his watch as President, no Nigerian will ever be discriminated against on the basis of religion, ethnicity or social standing.

He reaffirmed his personal commitment to working diligently and tirelessly to ensure the successful implementation of the Federal Government’s agenda for national transformation and urges Muslims and all other Nigerians to support the continuation of the present administration’s efforts to build a better nation.

He wished Nigerian Muslims a happy and peaceful Eid-El- Maulud.

Boko Haram: Kalu commends Armed Forces, Police

Eminent businessman and former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Kalu, has applauded the Nigerian armed forces, police and other security agencies for their patriotic efforts in curbing insurgency facing the nation.

He explained that the military and police remain a great asset in ensuring internal peace and security.

Kalu made the remarks on Thursday at a meeting with a group of Nigerian professionals based in London .

He said::”Boko Haram is a collective challenge and we must bury our political, ethnic and religious differences to overcome the menace. For Nigeria to be great, all hands must be on deck to ensure the indivisibility of the country is not jeopardized. I personally salute the noble role our security operatives had been playing in fighting terrorism.

According to the former governor, the efforts of the international stakeholders are commendable. However, we still count on the support of advanced countries like United States of America, England and China among others in the provision of equipment. The weapons being used by terrorists in Nigeria are more sophisticated than those of the Nigerian military.

Kalu who advocated exchange programmes in capacity building between Nigeria and advanced countries explained that in order to have an edge above terrorists, the Nigerian armed forces and police need to update their knowledge on intelligence .

The former governor while acknowledging federal government’s efforts in fighting terrorism, called on policy makers to increase budgetary allocation to the armed forces and police for improved welfare.

Wada Signs N129bn Kogi State 2014 Budget

The Kogi state governor, Captain Idris Wada has assented to this year budget just as he said that the state will now go into massive projects across the state.

Governor Wada while signing the budget commended the Sate House of Assembly for the quick passage of the budget as he solicited the continued co-operation between the executive and the legislative arms of government in the state.

The governor stressed that such unity will boost the development of the state adding that with the signing of the budget, the state will now go into massive project execution in order to improve upon the living standard of the people of the state.

The Speaker of the Kogi state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Momoh  Jimoh Lawal while presenting three copies of the budgets for Governor Wada’s assent, re-affirmed the commitment of the Legislative arm to join hands with the executive body in its efforts to move the state to the next level.

Oxidation in the blood

Allaah Almighty Says (what means): “No! Rather,
what they have earned has rusted up their hearts."
[Quran 83:14]

The term ‘rusted’ used to describe hearts in verse
of the chapter Al-Mutaffifeen may be a reference to
biochemical reaction that takes place in the heart—
Allaah knows the truth. Rust is the result of iron
reacting with oxygen – oxidation.

The oxygen we absorb from the air is carried
through the body thanks to the iron in the
hemoglobin in the blood. During this process, the
oxygen reacts with the iron in the blood. This
means there is a constant process resembling
rusting in the blood in the human body, and
therefore in the heart, the center of the circulation
system.

An excess of iron in the blood can even lead to
premature aging in all the body's cells by causing
rust-like oxidation. In the disease known as
`hemochromatosis,' caused by excess iron
accumulating in the body, iron produces toxic
effects and causes organs such as the liver to
collapse. Since this is the result of iron oxidation,
this phenomenon is often described as organs
`rusting' or `rust accumulation' in organs. In the
journal Science News, Dr. Sharon McDonnell
describes the iron oxidation in cells making up
organs as `rusting'.

Another reference says this about the disease:

"...those with hemochromatosis absorb iron, storing
it in their organs. Over time, it accumulates in toxic
amounts, causing organs to fail because they
literally rust."

It is only possible to identify the reaction of iron with
oxygen in the body—oxidation in the blood—in
laboratories with highly advanced equipment. The
fact that such a comparison, so compatible with the
scientific data, appears in the Quran is an evident
miracle, given the time when the Quran was
revealed. The fact that the Quran also contains
countless other pieces of information all in
agreement with modern science is another sign that
it is the revelation of Omniscient Allaah, our Lord
and the Creator of all things.

The mother’s womb with its secure protection
Allaah Almighty Says (what means):

"Did We not
create you from a liquid disdained? And We placed it
in a firm lodging for a known extent. And We
determined [it], and excellent [are We] to
determine.” [Quran 77: 20-23]

And, "And certainly did We create man from an
extract of clay. Then We placed him as a sperm-
drop in a firm lodging. Then We made the sperm-
drop into a clinging clot, and We made the clot into
a lump [of flesh], and We made [from] the lump,
bones, and We covered the bones with flesh; then
We developed him into another creation. So blessed
is Allaah, the best of creators.” [Quran 23: 12-14]

The above verses about the creation of human
beings contain fundamental information from the
field of embryology. The description of the womb as
a "secure receptacle" indicates an important
feature that has been better understood through
modern science—Allaah knows the truth. The
process that begins with the zygote, produced by
the sperm and egg cells coming together and
continues until the emergence of a complete human
being, made up of trillions of cells all working in
harmony, takes. The word "makeen," translated as
`secure' above, also suggests such meanings as
`unshakeable, sound, resolute, powerful, fixed and
safely put in place.' The word "karaar" also means
`location, stability, permanence and place of
settlement: These words very wisely describe the
womb as a sound and safe location.

The mother's
womb provides insulation against external agents,
light and sound, and particularly protects the baby
against shock and pressure.

Located in the pelvic cavity, the womb is well
protected by the thick and strong bones that
surround' endometrium’ on the inside, helping bear
the weight of the embryo until the end of pregnancy.

This structure made up of powerful muscles is
ideally constructed for the baby's growth and
development. During pregnancy, the ligaments
attaching the bones in the region together become
thicker and longer. These ligaments that attach the
top of the womb to the strong pelvic bones make
the womb strong and stable.

The embryo also has a source of the heat, water,
oxygen and nutrients it needs during the course of
its development. The mother's womb undergoes
many changes that enhance its strength during
pregnancy. Together with the muscles, ligaments
and elastic tissues it contains, there is also an
increase in the number of blood vessels and
nerves. The womb is thus able to increase 20 times
in more elasticity. The constant changes in the
womb continue even after the embryo has grown
into a healthy baby many hundreds of times larger
than its initial state. The womb now changes in
such a way as to permit the baby to exit in a
healthy manner.

During pregnancy, another most miraculous state of
affairs regarding the protection of the baby comes
about. The baby is also protected against internal
threats. When a foreign body enters the body, such
as during an organ or bone—arrow transplant, the
host's defense system begins reacting, and this
can sometimes lead to fatal consequences. But that
never happens to the fetus, and the mother's
immune system does not regard it as a foreign
body. It is extraordinary how the mother's immune
system tolerates foreign genes from the father;
because the baby is 50 percent foreign body.

Marianne van den Heuvel, a scientist from Guelph
University, describes this as `fascinating' and
continues: `That was always a puzzle from an
immunology standpoint because the fetus is
actually foreign. It's part of the mother and "It's
part of the mother and also part of the father. It
should be rejected by the body...,” but, by the will of
Allaah, no such thing happens, and the womb
remains a very safe and secure place .

All the information about embryology provided in the
Quran is in full agreement with modern medicine.

This information, which has emerged through
advanced technology, is one of the clearest proofs
that the Quran is the revelation of our Lord, the
Creator of all. It is also revealed in the Quran, which
is full of information from hundreds of years ago
that sheds light on the scientific world of today, that:
Allaah Almighty Says what means:

"And in the
creation of yourselves and what He disperses of
moving creatures are signs for people who are
certain [in faith]." [Quran 45:04]

Photo: Kogi State University lecturer killed

A Kogi State university lecturer in the Faculty of
Agriculture, Prof Otitolaiye was killed on Friday Nov.
21st in the state. According to students who are
asking police to investigate his murder, he was on
his way to to eat at a place near Stadium Road in
Ayingba, when some armed men double-crossed
his vehicle at gun point, put him inside their vehicle
and drove away.

His body was found the next day Saturday Nov.
22nd at Ejule village in Ofu LGA of Kogi state. They
say his wife is heavily pregnant. The police have
started investigating the incident.

Justice: Islam’s ultimate value

Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): "And the
heaven He raised and imposed the balance. That
you not transgress within the balance. And
establish weight in justice and do not make
deficient the balance.” [Quran 55:7-9]

These verses of the Quran, which are mentioned in
the chapter Ar-Rahmaan, or “(God) the All-
Merciful” stand out in their emphasis of the
importance of justice because they unite justice
with the important theological principle of Allaah’s
Khalq and Amr or His “Creation and Command.”

These verses make justice both the basis of the
creation and its source of continuity (by
commanding justice). This is true because, in
essence, the balance is the symbol of justice and
its means of realization at the same time.

Heavens and earth were originally created with
justice in a balanced way and they can only (or
were meant to) continue with it.

Muslims accepted
this magnificent guidance and ultimate value of life,
more than 1400 years ago. The great Commentator
of the Quran, Imaam Abu Ja'far At-Tabari (d. 310
AH) expounded the aforementioned verses, saying,
“Allaah created Heavens and Earth by (and in)
justice so that all things in them exist (and interact)
by (and in) justice.”
And there is not a single nation, past or present, but
that it has asserted its claims of honoring justice
and being just. Yet, the justice they claimed, at
times, meant nothing more than what the “powers
that be” wanted. Or sometimes justice represented
what is recognized and utilized by a majority or a
certain religion or ethnicity. What humans mean by
justice, in other words, may differ in its meaning
and means from one nation to another. It is
interesting to note that Socrates (killed in 339 BC)
defined justice as the, “Will of the powerful,” and it
is also interesting that this applies the vast majority
of the time in situations when religious values are
absent or weak. It is even more interesting that
some of the theories man has, overtime, developed
using ‘rationality' and empiricism, and which
exceedingly tilt the balance of justice in favor of the
powerful or the rich, still flourish in modern times
and continue to find advocates or even unabashed
supporters who will kill or die for them.

In one of the 100 or so verses which deal with
the essentials of justice and fairness, the Quran tells
us of this perversion of justice that sometimes
occurs in the course of human events. Verse 25 of
the chapter (57) Al-Hadeed, “the Iron,” pregnant
with meanings and profusely poignant, lay bear the
reality about the roots of injustice among people.

Many people mention being motivated by hearing
this verse recited just once. Allaah Says (what
means): “ We have already sent Our messengers
with clear evidences and sent down with them the
Scripture and the balance that the people may
maintain [their affairs] in justice. And We sent down
iron, wherein is great military might and benefits for
the people, and so that Allaah may make evident
those who support Him and His messengers
unseen. Indeed, Allaah is Powerful and Exalted in
Might.” [Quran 57:25] So many points of benefit, so
much to learn and live by. For one, the balance of
justice is mentioned along with the Books, guidance
from Allaah, to indicate that true justice needs a
compass to save itself from relativism and free
judgment from personal drive. This also means that
the interpretation of Allaah’s Guidance must be free
from whims and ignorance, and this effort to free
one’s self from whims and ignorance is what
Muslim scholars—who are the interpreters of
Allaah’s Final Message— term Ijtihaad. The point is
that Allaah’s Guidance entails that only people of
knowledge who are able and honest may interpret
Divine texts. Ignoring this prerequisite has led—in
many times and places—to gross justifications and
evil consequences. Without this guidance, man has
done enough to give Socrates’ definition of justice
precedence over any other.

Another point worthy of our attention here is the fact
that Allaah is reminding us that He has provided the
messengers with iron to go along with the guidance
and the command to establish justice. Man has
known, for untold centuries, that he cannot institute
justice in almost any walk of life, or protect justice
whenever needed, without the power of iron.
But the intent of the message of this verse is
unambiguous. Allmessengers from Allaah, who
were sent to various nations throughout history,
came with the very same message.
The implication of this is so profound, especially for
today’s Muslims.

We must acknowledge and respect that loving and
establishing justice is a human trait, not an attribute
of the Muslim Ummahalone. In fact, our scholars
have long asserted, based on the aforementioned
verses among many others, that Allaah grants
supremacy to a just government or nation even
though it may be disbelieving, and He takes away
supremacy from an unjust government or nation
even though it may be believing. This is how just
the Islamic worldview is.
And a Muslim would not be completely truthful to his
belief without accepting this view.

Muslims should
support justice and those who seek it and they
should feel happy every time justice triumphs.

But judging by the current situation of most Muslim
countries and communities around the world, it is
not difficult to see that we have strayed from
justice.

To lure it back home, we need to mend our ways
and make them coincide with the guidance of our
Kitaab (the Quran) first.

Obligation of the Five Daily Prayers

Prayer is the most obligatory of the Five Pillars of
Islam next to the Two Testifications of Faith, and it
was ordained in the best and the most perfect way
for an act of worship. Prayer includes many of the
acts of worship, like the remembrance of Allah
Almighty, the recitation of the Quran, standing
humbly before Almighty Allah, bowing, prostration,
supplication, and Takbeer (uttering the words
‘Allahu Akbar’).

Prayer is also the head of the physical acts of
worship, of which none of the religions brought by
any of Allah's messengers is void.

Prayer, unlike all
other acts of worship, was enjoined by Almighty
Allah on His messenger, Muhammad the Seal of
Messengers, on the night of Al-Mi’raj (the
ascension of the Prophet ). This is an indication of
its greatness, a confirmation of its being obligatory,
and a sign of its high status in the Sight of Allah.

There are many hadeeths indicating the virtues of
prayer and showing its being obligatory on all
Muslim individuals. The fact that prayer is an
obligatory act of worship is primarily known in
Islam. So, whoever denies this fact is considered to
be an apostate.

Linguistically, prayer means invocation; Allah, the
Exalted Commands the Prophet to 'pray' for the
believers, saying (what means): "…And invoke
[Allah's blessings] upon them..." [Quran 9: 103]

According to the Sharee'ah (Islamic Jurisprudence)
, prayer is defined as a special kind of sayings and
deeds beginning with takbeer and ending with
tasleem (saying ‘assalamu alaykum wa
rahmatullah’). It is called 'prayer' because it
includes invocation. During prayer, the worshipper
is in a state of invocation through worshipping
Almighty Allah, praising Him, or supplicating Him for
something.

This is why it is called ‘prayer’. Prayer was
decreed by Almighty Allah on the night of Al-Mi'raj
before Hijrah, as five prayers to be performed every
day and night at specified times by every legally
accountable Muslim. Allah, the Exalted Says (what
means): "...Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon
the believers a decree of specified times." [Quran
4: 103]

Those prayer times are the times pointed out by
Allah's messenger through his words or his deeds.
Allah, the Exalted, Says (what means): "And they
were not commanded except to worship Allaah,
[being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth,
and to establish prayer and to give Zakah. And that
is the correct religion.” [Quran 98: 5]

In addition, in many verses of Allah's Glorious Book
(the Quran), Allah, the Exalted Says: “And establish
prayer..." [Quran: 2: 43]

Almighty Allah also Says (what means): [O
Muhammad], tell My servants who have believed to
establish prayer…” [Quran 14: 31]

Moreover, Allah, the Exalted Says: "So Exalted is
Allah when you reach the evening and when you
reach the morning. And to Him is [due all] praise
throughout the heavens and the earth. And (Exalted
is He) at night and when you are at noon." [Quran
30: 17-18]

Therefore, it is obligatory for whoever reaches one
of the specified times of prayer, being adult and
sane, to perform it, excluding women in a state of
menstruation or postnatal bleeding.

Scholars
unanimously agree that it is not obligatory for
women in the aforesaid two cases to perform
prayer, nor to perform it later after purification. On
the other hand, whoever is in a state of
unconsciousness, as in sleeping, fainting, and the
like, has to perform the prayer at the moment when
they wake up or recover to the normal state. Allah,
the Exalted, Says (what means): "...And establish
prayer for My remembrance." [Quran 20: 14]

In addition, the Prophet says: "Whoever misses a
prayer out of oversleeping or forgetfulness, let him
perform it once he remembers it."

A guardian of a child has to command him to
perform prayer when the child reaches the age of
seven, though it is still not obligatory for him. But
the purpose is to make the child interested in
prayer and used to it. Thus, the child and his
guardian will be rewarded when the former
performs prayer, for Allah, the Exalted, Says (what
means): "Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgment]
with a good deed will have ten times the like thereof
[to his credit] ...” [Quran 6: 160]

Moreover, when a woman showed the Prophet a
young boy who was with her, saying:"Does this one
have to perform Hajj (Pilgrimage), O Messenger of
Allah?" He replied, "Yes, and you will have a
reward."

So, a guardian has to teach his child how to perform
prayer and how to perform ablution for it. A
guardian has also to beat his child if the latter is ten
years old and neglects prayer, for the Prophet said:
"Command your children to perform prayer when
they become seven years old, and beat them for
(not performing) it (i.e. prayer) when they become
ten years old; and arrange their beds (so that boys
and girls sleep) separately." [Ahmad, At-Tirmithi,
Abu Dawood, and other compilers of hadeeths]

It is also impermissible to perform prayer later than
its due time, for Allah, the Exalted Says (what
means): "...Indeed prayer has been decreed upon
the believers a decree of specified times." [Quran
4: 103]

The meaning is that prayer has specified times at
which it has to be performed. A prayer is
impermissible to be deferred except for those who
would like to combine it with the following prayer,
provided that the said prayer can be combined with
another, and that the case is among those in which
combining two prayers is permissible as well as the
person being one who is allowed to combine
prayers in this way. As for delaying performing a
night prayer until the morning, a day prayer until the
night, or the Fajr (Dawn) Prayer until sunrise, it is
by no means permissible, whether the reason is a
state of major ritual impurity, minor ritual impurity,
or anything else. Rather, one has to perform them at
their specified times, regardless of one's state.

A person might happen to be detained in hospital
where he is confined to a bed that he cannot leave
to pray, or cannot change the impure clothes he
wears, or cannot find pure earth to perform
tayammum (dry ablution) instead of ablution to
pray. Some ignorant people in this case defer
prayer on the pretext that they will perform it later
when possible. In fact, this is a grave mistake and a
means of missing prayer whose reason is
unawareness and lack of juristic consultation. What
they have to do is to perform prayer at its specified
times regardless of their states. Their prayer will be
sufficient, even if it is performed without
tayammum or in impure clothes; Allah, the Exalted
Says (what means): "So fear Allah as much as you
are able..." [Quran 64: 16]

Even if they pray without facing the Qibla (the
direction of Qa'bah), provided they are unable to
face it, their prayer is still valid.

The prayer is the basic pillar of Islam, and the main
difference between a Muslim and a disbeliever. So,
whatever good deeds one might do are useless if
one is negligent of prayer, we ask Almighty Allah for
safety.

The Final Examination by Wakili Abdulmuluku Musa

It baffles me to see my young Muslim brothers and sisters using their time to read for six hours or more than that in a day, all because they want to pass their school examination.
This exam I am talking about is been written on a sheet of paper and the most annoying part is that the exam is been set by a human being like you and I.
This person setting the exam has the same brain as we do, has the same brain as we do, has the same eye and body or "Are the teachers no linger human being?".
  My question to the youth is "How prepared are you ready for the FINAL EXAMINATION?. Final examination is when we shall all face our Creator and God wont write his question in a paper, God will ask you and its just one question.
  ARE YOU PREPARE FOR THE FINAL EXAMINATION.

ABU Admission List Now on School Portal – 2014/15

Ahmadu Bello University, ABU admission list for the 2014/2015 academic session is out.

The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria provisional admission list that contains the names of candidates offered provisional admission into the university various undergraduate programmes for the 2014/2015 academic session is out.

ABU admission list has been successfully uploaded online and it is accessible for free.

Check ABU Admission List

To access your ABU admission status, kindly visit the university admission status checking portal @ http://putme.abu.edu.ng/. Enter your JAMB registration number where required, select your state and finally click the Login button to access your ABU admission status or click here to check it.

Note: This is for both DE and UTME candidates.

MSG Team congratulates all the candidates that made it to ABU Admission List for the 2014/2015 academic session.

ISIS says Islam justifies slavery – what does Islamic law say?

Professor Bernard Freamon teaches courses on modern-day slavery and human trafficking at Seton Hall University School of Law in New Jersey and also specializes in Islamic Legal History. He is currently writing a book, “Islam, Slavery and Empire in the Indian Ocean World.” The views in this article are his alone.

By Professor Bernard Freamon

In the past few months, the world has witnessed horrific accounts of the enslavement of thousands of innocent Yazidis and other religious minorities by ISIS partisans in Iraq and Syria.

In a recent article in its online English-language magazine, ISIS ideologues offered legal justifications for the enslavement of these non-Muslim non-combatants, stating that “enslaving the families of the kuffar [infidels] and taking their women as concubines is a firmly established aspect of the Shariah or Islamic law.”

The article argues, based on a variety of Shariah sources, that ISIS partisans have a religious duty to kill or enslave members of the Yazidi community as part of their struggle [jihad] against their enemies.

This argument is plainly wrong, hypocritical and astonishingly ahistorical, relying on male fantasies inspired by stories from the days of imperial Islam.

It is also an affront to right-thinking Muslims everywhere and a criminal perversion of Islamic law, particularly its primary source, the Glorious Quran.

Jurists around the world acknowledge that there is now a universal consensus recognizing an irrefutable human right to be free from slavery and slave-trading.

This right, like the rights to be free from genocide, torture, racial discrimination and piracy, has become a bedrock principle of human affairs. ISIS seeks to remove Islamic jurisprudence from this universal consensus by citing Quranic verses that recognize the existence of chattel slavery.

Citation to Quranic verses on chattel slavery at first blush seems to make this point because the Quran, like other religious texts, accepted the existence of chattel slavery as a fact of life at the time of its revelation.

It is also true, however, that the Quran established an entirely new ethic on the issue of slavery and ISIS’s selective use of certain Quranic texts to justify contemporary chattel slavery ignores this fact.

First, consistent with the new ethic, the emphasis in all of the revelations on slavery is on the emancipation of slaves, not on their capture or the continuation of the institution of slavery. (See, for example, verses 2:177, 4:25, 4:92, 5:89, 14:31, 24:33, 58:3, 90:1-12.)

There is not one single verse suggesting that the practice should continue. Further, the Quran makes no mention of slave-markets or slave-trading and it repeatedly exhorts believers to free their slaves as an exemplification of their piety and belief in God.

Perhaps the best example of this emancipatory ethic is chapter 90, which is explicitly addressed to the Prophet Muhammad. It posits that there are two roads one can take in life and that the “high road” is the one that leads the righteous human being to free slaves.

The Prophet followed this exhortation, exhibiting a great solicitude for the material and spiritual condition of the slaves in the society around him. His example inspired his companions to emancipate thousands of slaves and, in an oft-quoted statement, he remarked that he would meet the man who “sells a free man as a slave and devours his price” on Judgment Day.

This is an explicit condemnation of trafficking in free human beings.

It is true that there are reported examples from the Prophet’s life that describe him as giving and receiving slaves and he even used slavery as a tool of conquest in war.

He freed all of his individually owned slaves and the wartime circumstances in those reports were very unique, involving specific people who engaged in war or treachery against him.    [Read more…]

Articles of Faith

A Muslim believes in the following 6 articles of Faith:
 

1. Oneness of God                                                                 
A Muslim believes in ONE GOD, Supreme and Eternal, Infinite and Mighty, Merciful and Compassionate, Creator and Provider. God has no father or mother, no son or daughter. None is equal to Him. He is God of all humankind, not of a special tribe or race.

God is High and Supreme but He is very near to the pious thoughtful believers; He answers their prayers and helps them. He loves the people who love Him and forgives their sins. He gives them peace, happiness, knowledge and success. God is the Loving and the Provider, the Generous, and the Benevolent, the Rich and the Independent, the Forgiving and the Clement, the Patient and the Appreciative, the Unique and the Protector, the Judge and the Peace. Many of these attributes of God are mentioned in the Quran.

God creates in humans the mind to understand, the soul and conscience to be good and righteous, the feelings and sentiments to be kind and humane. If we try to count His favors upon us, we cannot, because they are countless. In return for all the great favors and mercy, God does not need anything from us, because He is Needless and Independent. God asks us to know Him, to love Him and to enforce His law for our benefit and our own good.

2. Messengers and Prophets of God                                          
A Muslim believes in all the Messengers and Prophets of God without any discrimination. All messengers were mortals, human beings, endowed with Divine revelations and appointed by God to teach mankind. The Holy Quran mentions the names of 25 messengers and prophets and states that there are others. These include Adam, the first Prophet, along with Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, the last of the Prophets (peace be upon them all). The key message brought by all Prophets was the same: to believe in One God and not to associate partners with Him, to stay away from sins and to lead a life devoted to earning God’s pleasure.

3. Revelations and the Quran                                                  
A Muslim believes in all scriptures and revelations of God, as they were complete and in their original versions. Muslims believe in the original scriptures that were given to previous messengers; for example David received the Psalms (Zabur), Moses the Torah (Taurat) and Jesus the Gospel (Injeel). However, the previous scriptures do not exist today in the original form in which they were revealed.

The Quran is the last testament in the series of divine revelations from God, and Muslims recite and turn to it for guidance in all aspects of their life. It comprises the unaltered and direct words of God, revealed through the Angel Gabriel, to the final Prophet, Muhammad, peace be upon him (pbuh), some 1400 years ago. The Quran is unique because it is the only revealed book that exists today in the precise form and content in which it was originally revealed.
The Quran is unrivaled in its recording and preservation. The astonishing fact about this scripture is that it has remained completely unchanged over the past fourteen centuries, a fact that is attested to by both non-Muslim and Muslim scholars alike. There are no versions of the Quran and every copy in the world remains identical, word for word in its original language Arabic. Muslims to this day continue to emphasize the importance of memorizing the Quran word by word, as a whole or in part, recognizing that it is the Speech of God and not a book written by Muhammad (pbuh), as sometimes erroneously thought.

4. Angels                                                                                   
Angels are a creation of God. They are purely spiritual and splendid beings that require no food or drink or sleep. They have no physical desires or material needs. Like other creations of God, Angels spend their time worshiping God. In contrast to human beings, Angels do not have free Will – they can only obey God and do not have the ability to disobey Him. Each Angel is charged with a certain duty. Angels cannot be seen by the naked eyes.

5. Day of Judgment                                                            
A Muslim believes in the Day of the Judgment. This world as we know it will come to an end, and the dead will rise to stand for their final and fair trial. On that day, all men and women from Adam to the last person will be resurrected from the state of death. Everything we do, say, make, intend and think are accounted for and kept in accurate records. They are brought up on the Day of Judgment.

One who believes in life after death is not expected to disobey God. They will be ever-conscious that God is watching all their actions and the angels are recording them.

People with good records will be generously rewarded and warmly welcomed to Paradise. People with bad records will be fairly punished and cast into Hell. The real nature of Heaven and Hell are known to God only, but they are described by God in familiar terms in the Quran.
If some good deeds are seen not to get full appreciation and credit in this life, they will receive full compensation and be widely acknowledged on the Day of Judgment. If some people who commit sins, neglect God and indulge in immoral activities seem superficially successful and prosperous in this life, absolute justice will be done to them on the Day of Judgment. The time of the Day of Judgment is known by God alone.

6. Predestination

A Muslim believes in the ultimate Knowledge and Power of God to plan and execute His plans. God is Wise, Just, and Loving, and whatever He does must have a good motive, although we may fail sometimes to understand it fully. The believer should have strong faith in God, recognizing that their own knowledge is limited and their thinking is based on individual consideration. In contrast, the Knowledge of God is limitless and He plans on a universal basis. Humans should think, plan and make sound choices and then put their trust in God. If things happen as they want they should praise God. If things do not happen as they want they should still praise God, recognizing that He knows best what is good for the affairs of mankind.