born in Hamburg, became MTV Europe’s first German presenter.

 She was awarded Germany’s most prestigious TV award, the »Golden Camera«, for her television work.

Today, Kristiane Backer hosts conferences and gala events throughout Europe, devoting herself to promoting dialogue between different faiths.

She lives in London.



Through a fateful meeting with the famous cricketer Imran Khan she travelled to Pakistan where she encountered a completely different world to the one she knew, the religion and culture of Islam.

In place of the stars of the pop scene she was meeting men and women whose lives were dominated by the love of God, men and women who cared very little for the brief glories of this world.

She began to read the Koran and to study books about the Faith.
A few years later (in 1995),

 after travelling more widely in the Islamic world and knowing that she had discovered her spiritual path, she embraced Islam in a London mosque.

In this private memoir Kristiane Backer tells the story of her conversion and explains how faith at last gave her inner peace and the meaning she had sought.

I am Fathima Liebenberg, a white Muslim woman converted to Islam in 1995. I am very proud to say! I am a Muslim,


but if it was not for my son I would never have been a Muslim.

For me it was a hard and long struggle because it cost me my job, friends and family.

My life before Islam

I was a very pious Christian who went to the Pentecostal churches.

I used to collect the street children and take them to the church and Sunday school.

My life consisted only of reading and studying the bible, until my son told me about Islam.

My son came home one day and said, "Mummy! Why don't you become a Muslim?'

I was shocked at the very idea and said, "Never'.

He said, "Mummy! Islam is such a pure and clean religion, they pray five times a day'.

That is when I decided to read the books and the translation of the Noble Quran.

The more I read the Quran, the more I was convinced that Islam was for me.

I turned to Allah and finally I found peace and tranquillity.

I hid it from my family until one day I decided to phone my brother and tell him I was now a Muslim.

My brother was so shocked, because we were very devoted and pious Christians,

and I was the only one to be converted to Islam.

My family phoned me about a year ago and told me never to contact them again as I now was no longer their sister.

I love my family very much and miss them but I know one day we will meet again. Insha Allah.

I was so happy when I received my 'Muslim Identity Card' that I felt like standing on the roof tops

and shouting out to the world that I am a Muslim.

I lost my family, but gained a new family in Islam.

My new family, the Muslims, were so wonderful, I cannot express it.

I would like to make special mention of my appreciation to the Fakrodeen family of Prince Edward St.

I love you who treated me as if I was part of the family, May Allah reward you all.

Appa Tasneem Jazakallah, when I am in your Madrasah with all the little ones, it feels like I am in Jannah

surrounded by little angels.

I am so happy that Allah Taala has chosen me to be a Muslim.

I have worn the Hijaab since I became a Muslim and will never take it out.

My only wish is to go to Macca even though I doubt that it will be possible but Insha Allah,

one day Allah will provide me with the means to reach there.

Each time I want to be closer to Allah, I read the Sunnats of our Beloved Prophet (SAW).

Paper will not be enough for everything that I wish to tell you about Islam.

I also want to say Jazakumullah to the Kazi family, and I would like to thank our Ulamas of the Jamiatul Ulama (KZN).

And to our brother Ahmad Deedat who is so ill. May Allah Taala cure you and return you back to all of us.

Islam is a way of life. Islam means peace and a Muslim is one who strives for peace through his submission to Allah Taala.

A Muslim's first duty is to Allah the Almighty and it is out of your deep love for Allah that your duties become acts of devotion.

It is no easy task for me as a white Muslim lady, living amongst Christians, but I keep my head up high and I am so very proud to be a Muslim.

So, my dear brothers and sisters if you are born Muslim but have not been a dutiful one it is not too late.

If you have not started yet, you can start tomorrow or even tonight.

Brothers and sisters, as Muslims, keep your heads up high and show the world that you are proud to be Muslims.

Yours Sister-in-Islam, Fathima Lienberg

Emad-ud-Deen Richard Leiman’s Testimony

My Childhood:

As a child I always had access to a short-wave radio I used to listen to the BBC World Service and the Middle East.

I also loved the music from that part of the world and I probably was listening to the Qur’an being recited,

but did not know it at the time.

As I grew older:

As I grew older I still listened to the BBC World Service mostly. Back then, they had a programme called

"Words of Faith" where they had a 5 to 8 minute talk given by a different religious speaker

each day of the week representing all the major religions in the UK. Out of all the speakers,

I loved it when the Muslim spoke.

Every time he spoke, I wanted to find out more about Islam.

My impression of the Islam was one in which the person who practices Islam was

a happy person, not like the mean people portrayed by the American media.

I just refused to believe people that loved Allah so much could be like the people portrayed by the media.

Since I come from a Jewish background, the thing that united me with Islam was the belief that

Allah had no partners.

Working in the UK:

Then came an important time in my life where I was about to meet a real Muslim, but did not know it yet.

I was doing contracting computer programming work in New York state when the urge to visit

the UK was very strong.

I took a visit to London and loved it. During my visit I went to several employment agencies without luck.

One of the agencies gave me several trade magazines. When I arrived back in the states

I started to send more CV’s (resumes) to companies and other agencies in the magazines.

Again I came to the UK because one of the companies wanted to interview me. Then I started to visit more

companies and agencies when I landed a position even though I was on a visitors visa.

The company applied for a work permit and the Department of Employment told us that I had to leave the country

in order to process the paperwork. Again I went back to the states.

Another Agency obtained a temporary work permit and hired me to the company called LogoTech,

at that time was in Egham, Surrey.

Meeting a real Muslim for the first time:

Some time after I was working at LogoTech, I found out that my supervisor Anis Karim was Muslim.

I asked him if he knew how I could get a copy of the Holy Qur’an.

To my surprise, I had a copy of the Qur’an within a few days.

He also asked me to make a pledge. I pledged to make sure that I would have a bath before I read from the Qur’an

and that I would never show it to anyone who may make blasphemous remarks about it.

The next day, I took my morning bath and made breakfast. Then whilst eating breakfast I started to read.

Later I found out that READ is what Allah had the angel Gabriel instruct our beloved prophet

(peace and blessings be upon him) to do, even though HE COULD NOT READ OR WRITE!

Well, words can't describe how I felt when I read just that small portion of the worlds most holy book.

It took only 10 pages when I told myself that this religion was for me.

This was around 1990. The more I read, the more I wanted to know and loved what I was reading.

Also at the time I did not know anything about how to pray or any of the details of Islam.

If Anis had invited me to go the Masjid in London, I would have gone with him.

The only thing I knew about praying to Allah was the Shazute position.

At the time I knew that Muslims prayed several times a day and I started to do so at

night before I went to bed and in the morning when I woke up.

Back to the states again:

When the work permit ran out. I had to come back to the states and was unemployed for several years.

I visited my father in Huntsville, Alabama and created a database application for him.

I saw that Huntsville was a high tech cosmopolitan city and decided to try and land a programming position there.

My father told me that if I did not get a position, I would have to go back to New Jersey to my mother.

They moved from New York to New Jersey. About a fortnight before I was going to go back to New Jersey,

I landed a programming position at a company in Huntsville.

Planning a trip to a Muslim country:

My sister and I were planning a trip to Indonesia because we had a pen-pal on the internet.

My sister asked me if I could help her find Islamic Jewelry as a gift.

At that time I had no idea that there were Muslims in Huntsville.

My first trip to a Masjid (Mosque):

Then Allah put things into place. I remembered that there was a shop called Crescent Imports

which I thought was run by Muslims. It was not. It was run by the group called Nation Of Islam.

Now here is the strange part in which only Allah could be put in place.

We spoke to the owner of the shop and told him that we wanted to find Islamic jewelry.

He directed us to the Huntsville Islamic Center.

I do thank Allah for having them direct me to the Masjid. We went to the building,

but there was only one car parked there. I spoke to a man in the car, and he told us

that we should speak to the Imam about where to find the Jewelry.

I was still afraid to go into the building because to me it is such a holy place.

Invitation to pray with other Muslims:

I saw a lady at work wearing a Hijaab. I told her about my accepting Islam personally and she said

"why don’t you visit the Masjid in Huntsville?"

We eventually went back to the Masjid after I summed up enough courage to go into that a holy place.

We spoke to the Imam and he invited me to make Salat with the Brothers.

This was a turning point in my life. I loved it and started to come to the Masjid once a week at night.

Then I started to come several times a week at night.

The urge to come more times was stronger and now I make all 5 prayers each day mostly at the Masjid,

except Asr and Margrib when at work.

I officially accepted Islam!!!!!!!!!!

In November of 1996 I publicly made Shahada.

At work I pray Duhur and Asr by myself or with other brothers in a small Mosque right in the work place!

I proudly carry my prayer mats in the work hallways in an attempt to get people to

ask me what they are (a form of Dawah). When this happens

I tell them that I am Muslim and the mats are what I use for prayers Also,

my work area has Islamic decorations all over the place,

and that includes my computer where the graphic on the screen is that of the Kabah or our Masjid.

Conclusion:

I am also a member of the Dawah Committee at the Masjid and am also trying to make Dawah by

providing this in every web page.

Now that I am a Muslim, (One who submits to Allah) there is no turning back to unbelief!!!!!

Rashida S. (Rachel Singer -USA)

I came to Islam late, a daughter of a devout Roman Catholic mother/very devout Jewish father.

By age 4 I knew of Allah and in 1991 I traveled to Egypt to read some of my writing.

I had already spent almost 20 years among the most pious of Jews, had married, had children.

When I heard the muezzin* before Fajr* his voice was like the arrow one dreams that a lover will shoot into the heart,

it cut & held me unable to speak.

Not even knowing Arabic, I knew the sound, it is like a recognition of something so profound,

so great and if I may say, so sweet that one has been searching for.

The Quran speaks to me clearly as if it was written for Jews to hear and wake up.

I had to leave the community I lived in and my children. I did not chose to, I had to.

Those of you, young and coming into Islam are truly blessed. You have your lives,

will marry and raise Muslim children in’shallah.

The only people who can say they are Chosen, are those who search for the True path to Allah with all their heart.

* Muezzin: A person who calls for prayers in the mosque. The AZAN is the call.

It usually occurs 5 times a day. The AZAN’s context is the following:

Allah is greater...I witness that there is no god but ALLAH.

And I witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.

Come to the prayer..

come to success...

Allah is greater...

* Fajr: Dawn.

La ilaha il Allah, Muhammad-ur-Rasool-Allah

None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,

and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah)

Shahada has three aspects:

To be a muslim is to pledge the above covenant with Allah, the Creator of the heavens and earth, the Ruler of all that exists, the Lord of Majesty and Highness, stating La ilaha il Allah, Muhammad -ur-Rasool-Allah, but first one must understand what this means.

Believing "La ilaha il Allah" (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah)

Point 1: Tauhid-ar-Rububiyya

A confession with your heart that the Creator (of everything) is Allah, subhana watala, it is that you have to say:

"I testify that the Creator of all the universe, including the stars, the planets, the sun, the moon, the heavens, the earth with all its known and unknown forms of life, is Allah. He is the Organizer and Planner of all its affairs. It is He Who gives life and death, and He (i.e. Allah Alone) is the Sustainer, and the Giver of Security, etc."

And this is called your confession for the "Oneness of the Lordship of Allah," Tauhid-ar-Rububiyya.

Point 2: Tauhid-al-Uluhiyya

A confession with your heart that you have to say:

"I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah Alone."

The word "Worship" (i.e. Ibadah) carries a great number of meanings in the Arabic language: It conveys that all kinds of worship are meant for Allah (and none else, whether it be an angel, Messenger, Prophet Jesus - son of Mary, Ezra, Muhammad, saint, idol, the sun, the moon and all other kinds of false deities).

So pray to none but Allah, invoke none but Allah, ask for help from none (unseen) but Allah, swear by none but Allah, offer an animal as sacrifice to none but Allah, …etc. and that means, -- all that Allah and Allah’s Messenger order you to do (in Qur’an and in As-Sunna [legal ways of Prophet Muhammad]) you must do, and all that Allah, s.w.t, Allah’s Messenger forbid you, you must not do. And this is called (your confession for the) "Oneness of the worship of Allah", Tauhid-al-Uluhiyya. And that you (mankind) worship none but Allah, subhana watala.

Those whom they invoke besides Allâh have not created anything, but are themselves created.

[The Noble Qur'an 16:20]

Point 3: Tauhid-al-Asma was-Sifat

A confession with your heart that you have to say:

"O Allah! I testify that all the best of names and the most perfect qualities with which You have named or qualified Yourself in Your Book (i.e. the Qur’an) or as Your Prophet Muhammad (saaws) has named or qualified You, with his statement, I confirm that all those (names and qualifications) are for You without changing their meanings or neglecting them completely or giving resemblance to others."

As Allah, swt, said:

"There is nothing like unto Him and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer." (v.42:11)

This holy Ayat (verse) confirms the quality of hearing and the quality of sight for Allah, subhana watala without resemblance to others, and likewise. Allah, subhana watala, also said:

To one whom I have created with Both My Hands," (v.38:75)

and Allah also said:

"The Hand of Allah is over their hands." (v. 48:10)

This confirms two Hands for Allah, swt, but there is no similarity for them. Similarly Allah, swt, said:

"The Most Beneficent (Allah) Istawa (rose over) the (Mighty) Throne." (v.20:5)

So Allah rose over the Throne really in a manner that suits His Majesty. And Allah is over Allah’s Throne over the seventh heaven, as the slave-girl pointed towards the heavens, when Allah’s Messenger (Muhammad, saaws) asked her as to where Allah is? He only comes down over the first (nearest) heaven to us on the day of ‘Arafat (Hajj, i.e. the 9th of Dhul-Hijja), and also during the last third part of the night as mentioned by the Prophet saaws, but Allah is with us by His Knowledge only, not by His Personal-Self (bi-Dhatihi). It is not like that, as some people say that Allah is present everywhere here, there, and even inside the breasts of men. He sees and hears all that we do or utter, etc. And this is called (your confession for the) "Oneness of the Names and Qualities of Allah" Tauhid-al-Asma was-Sifat and this is the right Faith, the Faith which was followed by the Messengers of Allah (from Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Jesus to Muhammad, peace be upon them all, and the companions of Prophet Muhammad and the righteous followers [i.e. the salaf ] of these Messengers

Believing "Muhammad-ur-Rasool-Allah" (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah)"

A confession with your heart that you have to say:

"O Allah! I testify that Muhammad is Your Messenger."

That means that none has the right to be followed after Allah, but Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him,

as he is the last of Allah’s Messengers. As Allah said:

"Muhammad (Pbuh) is not the father of any man among you but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last (end) of the Prophets

and Allah is Ever All-Aware of everything.

’ (v.33:40).

And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad, saaws, gives you, take it and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain from it." (v. 59:7)

And Allah said:

"Say (O Muhammad to mankind): ‘If you (really) love Allah, then follow me.’" (v. 3:31)

As for others than Muhammad, their statements are to be taken or rejected as to whether these are in accordance with Allah’s Book (i.e. the Qur’an) or with the Sunna (legal ways, orders, acts of worship, statements, etc.) of the Prophet, saaws, i.e. Sunna or not. As the Divine Inspiration has stopped after the death of Muhammad, and it will not resume except at the time of the Descent of Jesus, son of Mary and he (i.e. Jesus) will rule with justice according to the Islamic laws, during the last days of the world as it has been mentioned in the authentic Hadith (i.e. narration) of Prophet Muhammad in Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, Hadith No. 425.

It is essential to utter, La ilaha ill Allah, Muhammad-ur-Rasul Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and Muhammad (pbuh) is the Messenger of Allah, s.w.t). As it has come in the statement of Prophet Muhammad to his uncle Abu Talib at the time of the latter’s death: "O uncle, if you utter it (La ilaha ill Allah, Muhammad-ur-Rasul Allah), then I shall be able to argue on your behalf before Allah, on the Day of Resurrection." Similarly, when Abu Dhar Al-Ghiffari embraced Islam, he went to Al-Masjid-al-Haram and he proclaimed it loudly in front of the Quraish infidels until he was beaten severely .

It is essential that the limbs and all other parts and organs of one’s body testify to it, and this is very important as regards its meaning (i.e. the meaning of La ilaha ill Allah, Muhammad-ur-Rasul Allah). So whoever has confessed this (with his or her Lord), he shall not commit sins like robbing, killing, stealing, illegal sexual intercourse, eating pig meat, drinking alcoholic beverages, taking undue advantage of orphan’s property, cheating in trade, bribery and earning money through illegal means, telling lies, back-biting etc., or otherwise the limbs, all other parts and organs of his body will testify against him that he was a liar in his words which he pledged to Allah, swt. In case he commits the above sins, he should know that it is a sin that obliges him to repent to Allah, swt, and ask Allah’s Forgiveness, as (his) body parts (i.e. skin, private parts, hands, tongue, ears, etc.) will testify to the above mentioned crimes (i.e. actions) against his self on the Day of Resurrection.

And with the confession of this great sentence (i.e. principle) a person enters in the fold of (i.e. embraces) the Islamic religion accordingly. It is essential for him to believe in all the Messengers of Allah (peace be upon them all) and not to differentiate between them. As it is mentioned in Allah’s Book (Qur’an):

Do then those who disbelieve think that they can take My slaves (i.e. the angels; Allah’s Messengers; Jesus, son of Mary, etc.) as ‘Auliya (lords gods, protectors supporters etc.) besides Me? Verily We have prepared Hell as an entertainment for the disbelievers (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism).

Say (O Muhammad ); ‘Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds?’ Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they thought they were acquiring good by their deeds?"

"They are those who deny the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of their Lord and the meeting with Him (in the Hereafter). So their works are in vain, and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall not give them any weight."

"That shall be their recompense, Hell; because they disbelieved and took my Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, revelations, etc.) and My Messengers by way of jest and mockery." "Verily! Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds, they shall have the Gardens of Al-Firdaus (Paradise) for their entertainment."

"Wherein they shall dwell (forever). No desire will they have to be removed therefrom." "Say (O Muhammad to mankind): If the sea were ink for (writing) the Words of my Lord, surely the sea would be exhausted, before the Words of my Lord would be finished even if We brought (another sea) like it for its said." "Say (O Muhammad ): I am only a man like you, it has been inspired to me that your Ilah (God) is One Ilah (God, --i.e. Allah). So whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord (v. 18:102-110).

What are some of the other basics of becoming a Muslim?

The acceptance of the righteous deeds (such as your Shahada/confession to become a muslim) is stipulated with the following two basic conditions which must be fulfilled:

1-The intentions while doing such deeds must be totally for Allah’s sake only without any show off or gaining praise or fame, etc.

2-Such a deed must be performed in accordance with the As-Sunnah (legal ways, orders, acts of worship, statements, etc.) of Allah’s Messenger Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah, the last (end) of all the Prophets and the Messengers, saaws.

You are only held accountable for that which you know. And you are also held accountable to make the time to learn that which you don't know, in areas you know you need to learn about.

So, if you are not a muslim, it is your responsibility to seek the knowledge of Al-Islam, to ask questions about things you do not understand or agree with regarding the basic fundamental beliefs of Islam (as explained above).

How do I become a Muslim?

By first attaining the above understanding of shahada ("La ilaha il Allah, Muhammad-ur-Rasool-Allah") and then confessing it to Allah, glory and praise to Him.

To take your Shahada (i.e. make the confession of faith), just make your best attempt at pronouncing, in arabic, the statement,

"Ashadu an (I bear witness that) La ilaha il Allah, Muhammad-ur-Rasool-Allah".

You do not have to have witnesses to this event, and you should not make a big ceremony out of it, because it is a very personal committment. It is, however, recommended, if you can, to make your shahada with muslim witnesses, but do not delay becoming a muslim for this or any such reason. After you become a muslim, then you are held responsible for learning when and how to do salah and wudu, acting upon the pillars of Islam and faith, and for implementing what you learn, when you learn it.

What should I do after becoming a muslim?

Immediately upon becoming a muslim, you should take a bath or shower (i.e. Ghusl).

If able, you should then offer a two Rak’at prayer.

Then you must study and act upon the five principles (pillars) of Islam, and study and believe in the six articles of Faith.

The Five Pillars of Islam (or the five basic duties of a Muslim):

[Sahih Al-Bukhari 1/7, Narrated by Ibn 'Umar]

Allah’s Messenger said: Islam is based on the following five (principles):

1-To testify La ilaha ill Allah wa anna Muhammad-ur-Rasul-Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger).

2-To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly (Iqamat-as-Salat, i.e. Salah).

Says al-Khattabi, "Basically, one's prayer does not suffice if he does not recite al-Fatihah. If one can recite neither al-Fatihah nor other portions of the Qur'an, he should recite at least seven verses of a similar meaning from the Qur'an. If he can not learn any part of the Qur'an (due to some innate inability, poor memory, or because it's a foreign language), he should say the tasbeeh (Subhaan Allah - Glory be to Allah), the tamheed (al-Hamdu lillah - All praise is due to Allah), and tahleel (La ilaha illal-lah - There is no God except Allah). It is related that he said, "The best remembrance after the speech of Allah is Subhaan Allah, al-Hamdu lillah, La ilaha illal-lah and Allahu akbar." This is supported by Rafa'ah ibn Rafa', who narrated that the Prophet said, "If you have something from the Qur'an, recite it. If not, then say the tamheed, takbir and the tahleel and then bow."

[This hadith is related by Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and al-Baihaqi. The former considers it as hassan]

3-To pay Zakat (a specific charity paid yearly for the benefit

of poor Muslims; 2.5% of wealth).

4_To perform Hajj. (i.e. pilgrimage to Makka).

5-To observe fast during the month of Ramadan.

The Six articles of Faith, (found in Sahih Muslim) are the belief in:

1-Allah

*To believe in the ONENESS of Allah, swt. (i.e. Tauhid-ar-Rububiyya, Tauhid-al-Uluhiyya, Tauhid-al-Asma was-Sifat).

*Part of the belief in Allah is the belief in all that with which He has described Himself in His Book or with which His Prophet (peace be upon him) has described Him without any distortion, negation, speculation (as to the exact nature of these attributes), nor analogy (i.e. between Allah's attributes and those of His creation bearing the same names)

2-Allah’s angels

a-Angels are real beings, not illusions, a ****physical force, or figments of human imagination. They are created from light.

b-A Muslim must believe specifically in all the angels named and/or described in the Qur'an and the Sunnah:.

Jibreel ("Gabriel"): in charge of delivering revelation.

Mika'il: in charge of bringing the rain.

Israfil: the blower of the horn on Qiyama (Judgement Day).

Malik-ul-Maut: the Angel of Death who takes people's souls at death.

The Noble Recorders: those who record people's actions.

*The Protectors (Al-Mu'aqqibat): who keep people from death until its decreed time.

Ridhwan: in charge of Paradise.

Malik: in charge of Hell.

Munkar and Nakir: the questioners in the grave.

The Carriers of the Throne.

Those who record the future of the fetus.

Those who enter the Haram: 70,000 every day.

Those who move about, descending upon gatherings at which Allah and His Book are mentioned and studied.

Belief in the angels is an integral part of iman (faith). [See 2/285 Al-Baqarah]

*Kufr (disbelief) with respect to the angels is kufr (a state of disbelief).

[See 4/136 An-Nisaa]

Allah’s Messengers

*Belief in the prophets, prayers and salutations of Allah be upon them.

Belief in the process of prophethood.

Allah in His wisdom did not neglect His creation.-

Prophets sent to guide us in this life and the next. -

*Specific belief in the 25 prophets named in the Qur'an:

(1) Adam, (2) Nuh, (3) Idris, (4) Saleh, (5) Ibrahim, (6) Hud, (7) Lut, (8) Yunus, (9) Isma'il, (10) Is-haq, (11) Ya'qub, (12) Yusuf, (13) Ayub, (14) Shu'aib, (15) Musa, (16) Harun, (17) Alyas', (18) Dhu Al-Kifl, (19) Daud, (20) Zakariya, (21) Sulaiman, (22) Ilyas, (23) Yahya, (24) Isa, and (25) Muhammad, prayers and salutations of Allah be upon him and upon all the messengers of Allah.

*General belief that there are many other prophets and messengers, but never assuming anything without knowledge from Allah (i.e. Qur'an and Sunnah).

The subject matter of the prophethood. Warnings and glad tidings. -

-So the disobedient will have no excuse before Allah.

(Prophets sent to every nation.)

-Enjoining the worship of Allah and the avoidance of At-Taghoot (Shaitaan, etc.)[Study: 4/165, An-Nisaa; 16/36, An-Nahl]

Attributes of the Prophet Muhammad:

-Seal of the prophets; Imam of the pious; Foremost among the sons of Adam; Imam and Khatib of the prophets when they assembled; Possessor of the Praiseworthy Position which all of mankind will wish they had attained (and which is mentioned in the Du'a of hearing the adhan); Owner of the pool in paradise; Intercessor for all mankind on the day of Qiyama (Judgement Day).

-Allah sent him with the best of the books and the best of His law. Allah made his nation "the best nation brought forth for mankind." Allah gave him (and us) all of the good that was given only partially to the previous nations. His nation is the last in creation, the first in resurrection.

-From the moment of his prophethood, Allah made him the criterion (Al-Farooq)for distinguishing Allah's allies and their actions from His enemies and their actions: None can have any relationship to Allah except through belief in the Prophet (sas) and following what he brought in public and in secret.

Whoever claims love or closeness to Allah while disobeying the message is actually drawing closer to Shaitaan, farther from Allah.

Allah’s revealed Books

*Muslims should have general belief in the phenomenon of the sending of the revealed books.

Keep in mind, all the revealed books were allowed by Allah to be corrupted, except the Qur'an.

Six specific books mentioned in the Qur'an:

As-Suhuf of Ibrahim (Abraham) and Musa (Moses). -

Az-Zaboor given to Daud (David). -

At-Taurat (The Torah) revealed to Musa. -

Al-Injeel revealed to Isa (Jesus). -

Al-Qur'an - the final revelation. -

Attributes of the Qur'an:

Flawless and untampered with: [See 41/42 Fusilat] -

The final authority over any remnants of the previous books.

[See 5/48 Al-Maidah] -

A guidance and a mercy. [See 10/37 Yunus] -

*The Qur'an must be followed and applied.

[See 6/155 Al-An'aam]

The Day of Resurrection (Qiyama)

*Belief in the resurrection (Al-Ba'th). Reconstruction of the body and return of the soul to it. People will come forth out of their graves like locusts. Faces bent down. Rushing to the Caller.

[See 53/76 Al-Qamar; 70/43 Al-Ma'arij; 17/49 Al-Israa; 36/78 Yasin; 20/108 Taha]

*The resurrection is of the body and the soul, not some ****physical resurrection of the latter.

"*The sun will come down toward the people on the day of Qiyama until it is only about a mile up.

The people will be in their own perspiration according to their acts: some of them will be in it up to their ankles, some up to their groin and others up to their chins, and he pointed to his mouth.

" [Hadith - Narrated by Muslim]

*A disbeliever once came to the Prophet (saws) with an old bone, crumbled it with his hand and said:

"O Muhammad, will Allah bring this back to life after it has rotted?!

The Prophet said: "Yes, Allah will resurrect this and he will cause you to die, bring you back to life, and put you into the fire of Jahannam!"

-Al-Qadar (Divine Preordainments and Decree i.e. whatever Allah, subhana watala, has ordained must come to pass).

*A Muslim believes in Allah's predestination of all things and events (Qadhaa), His decree (Qadar), His wisdom in His actions, and His will.

Nothing in the universe can occur, even the voluntary actions of His slaves, except after Allah's knowledge, and His decree of that event.

A Muslim further believes that Allah is Just in His predestination and His decree, Wise in all of His actions.

His wisdom follows His will: Whatever He wills is, and whatever He does not will is not. There is no power nor any movement except by Allah. This is substantiated by the textual and logical proofs which follow:

*TEXTUAL EVIDENCE

Allah (glory and praise to Allah) informed us of this in the Qur'an:

*Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of all things before their creation, as written in the Book of Decrees Al-Lauh Al-Mahfûz).

[Qur'an 54/49]

**And there is not a thing, but with Us are the stores thereof. And We send it not down except in a known measure.

[Qur'an 15/21]

**No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but is inscribed in the Book of Decrees (Al-Lauh Al-Mahfûz), before We bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allâh.

[Qur'an 57/22]

**No calamity befalls, but with the Leave [i.e. decision and Qadar (Divine Preordainments)] of Allâh, and whosoever believes in Allâh, He guides his heart [to the true Faith with certainty, i.e. what has befallen him was already written for him by Allâh from the Qadar (Divine Preordainments)], and Allâh is the All-Knower of everything.

[Qur'an 64/11]

**And with Him are the keys of the Ghaib (all that is hidden), none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in (or on) the earth and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but he knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record.

[Qur'an 6/59]

*Evidence also in: Quran 9/51, 7/43, 21/101, 18/39, 81/27-29

2-The Prophet (saws) has informed us about the reality of Allah's predestination and decree in many hadith:

*"Verily, each one of you is formed in his mother's womb forty days as a drop, then he is something suspended for a similar period, then he is a piece of flesh like a chewed piece of meat for another period of forty days, then the angel is sent to insert the soul.

This angel is ordered to record four things: the sustenance which he will receive during his lifetime, the length of his life, all actions that he will do, and whether he will end up miserable (in hell) or joyous (in paradise).

I swear by the One other than whom there is no deity, one of you may do the works of the people of paradise right up until there is only an arm's length between him and paradise, but his destiny overtakes him, so he does the actions of the poeple of the fire and enters it.

And, verily, one of you may do the works of the people of hell until there is nothing between them and hell except for one arm's length, but his destiny overtakes him, and so he does the works of the people of paradise, and enters it." [Muslim]

*"Young man, I will teach you some words: Preserve (your obligations toward) Allah and He will preserve you. Guard (your obligations toward) Allah, and you will find Him on your side. When you ask, ask Allah. When you seek aid and succour, seek it from Allah.

And know, that if the entire nation got together to benefit you in some way, they could never benefit you at all except for that which Allah had already decreed for you.

And, if they all got together to harm you in some way, they could do you no harm except for that which Allah had already decreed for you.

The pens have been lifted, and the tablets have dried." [At-Tirmidhi, and he rated it Sahih]

*"The first thing which Allah created was the pen. Then, He said to it: Write. It asked: My Lord, what should I write?

He said: Write the proportions of all things up until the Hour." [Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, and it is hassan]

*"Adam disputed with Musa. Musa said to Adam: "O, Adam, you are the father of the human race, Allah created you with His hand, and blew into you of His spirit, and made His angels prostrate to you, why did you expel yourself and us from the garden?" Adam said to him:

"You are Musa whom Allah favored with His speech, and wrote for you the Taurah with His hand, so (tell me) by how many years before my creation did you find it written about me: [... then Adam disobeyed his Lord and got lost.]

(Qur'an 20:121)

Musa said: "By forty years."

Then, Adam said: "So how do you blame me for something which Allah had decreed for me before my creation by forty years?"

The Prophet said: "And so, Adam defeated Musa in the dispute."

*"Act, for each of you will find easy that for which he was created." (Muslim)

*"O, Abdullah ibn Qais, should I not teach you a word which is one of the treasures of paradise?

(It is to say): There is no movement nor any power except from Allah."

*"Someone said: That which Allah wants and you want.

To which the Prophet (saws) replied:

That which Allah alone wants."

[An-Nasaa'i, and he rated it sahih]

EVIDENCE OF REASON

Reason does not reject the idea of predestination and decree and of Allah's

1- wisdom and His will. Just the opposite, reason demands that this is the case without doubt because of the clear evidences of it in the universe around us.

2-Belief in Allah and in his perfect might and power demands the belief in His predestination and His decree, His wisdom and His will.

Wudu

If, after becoming a muslim, all you know how to do is (the ablution before salah), you do wudu 5 times a day and take the time out to study the prayer briefly or to do what part of it you DO know how to do.

If you don't know how to do wudu, then you do what you remember of it (starting with saying "bis mih Allah" [in the name of Allah] and washing your hands 3 times).

You should also study how to do the entire salah regularly at a time separate than the time for salah, until you learn it.

So, regarding the 2 rakat of salah prayer that is done right after saying shahada, just like all the salahs, you cannot do it if you do not know how, so you just do that which you know.

Allah swt knows your intentions, and no-one expects you to know how to do a single rakat before you're a muslim nor to suddenly realize how once you JUST became a muslim.

Learning these things and more, will come in time, insha'Allah; just make it a priority to learn how to do salah.

If your intentions are sincere, the proof will be that you learn salah soon after becoming a muslim. A muslim who abandons his/her salah abandons his religion and is in a state of disbelief (kufr),

i.e. is no longer a muslim. So do not abandon learning the salah. But do not go to the other extreme and expect to learn everything overnight; exercise patience while you are trying to learn and do not be timid in humbly asking Muslims questions to achieve knowledge.

Expect to be corrected often by other Muslims, whether you've just become a muslim or have been one for years.

This is because of our love for one another and our obedience to Allah swt, that we correct one another. We should remain humble and accept correction such as by saying, "Alhamdulilah" ("All praise is due to Allah alone") and/or "JazakAllah" ("May Allah reward you) to the muslim correcting us.

We should not correct others except when we are certain that our correction is right, and we should do so with kindness and using the speech of the Quran and Sunnah and not reformatted personal opinions.

The Qur'an is complete for our lives, providing a lifetime of learning and growing as a person... growing in submission to our Lord.

Insha'Allah (Allah willing), you may be blessed to say your shahada in the presence of another muslim, who can lead you in your first salah.

If not, do not worry... you're only held accountable for that which you know and for seeking out that which you don't know yet are able to seek.

For instance, a "mentally challenged" person is not held accountable to Allah swt for that which they cannot comprehend! Likewise with a baby.

It is important not to delay to become a muslim once you understand the shahada and agree with it -- because you ARE held accountable for that which you do know!

Act upon what you understand and trust Allah swt to guide you, protect you, and aid you in embracing the most beautiful way of life, the way that leads to peace... Islam.

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B) The Qur’an on Mountains:

A book entitled Earth is a basic reference textbook in many universities around the world. One of its two authors is Profes­sor Emeritus Frank Press. He was the Science Advisor to former US President Jimmy Carter, and for 12 years was the President of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC. His book says that mountains have underlying roots.2 These roots are deeply embedded in the ground, thus, mountains have a shape like a peg (see figures 7, 8, and 9 on the next page).

This is how the Qur’an has described mountains. God has said in the Qur’an:

{ Have We not made the earth as a bed, and the mountains as pegs? ) (Qur’an, 78:6-7)
 
(1) This is the Truth (videotape). See footnote no. 2, p. 10.



(2) Earth, Press and Siever, p. 435. Also see Earth Science, Tarbuck and Lutgens, p. 157.
 



Mountains have deep roots under the surface of the ground. (Earth, Press and Siever, p. 413.)
 



The history of science tells us that the theory of mountains having deep roots was introduced only in 1865 by the Astronomer Royal, Sir George Airy.2

Mountains also play an important role in stabilizing the crust of the earth.3

They hinder the shaking of the earth. God has said in the Qur’an:


{ And He has set firm mountains in the earth


so that it would not shake with you... )


(Qur’an, 16:15)



Likewise, the modern theory of plate tectonics holds that mountains work as stabilizers for the earth. This knowledge about the role of mountains as stabilizers for the earth has just begun to be understood in the framework of plate tectonics since the late 1960’s.4



Could anyone during the time of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh have known of the true shape of moun­tains? Could anyone imagine that the solid massive mountain which he sees before him actually extends deep into the earth and has a root, as scientists affirm? Modern geology has confirmed the truth of the Qur’anic verses.



(1) The Geological Concept of Mountains in the Qur’an, El-Naggar, p. 5.


(2) Earth, Press and Siever, p. 435. Also see The Geological Concept of Mountains in the Qur’an, p. 5.


(3) The Geological Concept of Mountains in the Qur’an, pp. 44-45.


(4) The Geological Concept of Mountains in the Qur’an, p. 5.



C) The Qur’an on the Origin of the Universe:


The science of modern cosmology, observational and theoreti­cal, clearly indicates that, at one point in time, the whole universe was nothing but a cloud of ‘smoke’ (i.e. an opaque highly dense and hot gaseous composition).1 This is one of the undisputed principles of standard modern cosmology. Scientists now can observe new stars forming out of the remnants of that‘smoke’ (see figures 10 and 11). The illuminating stars we see at night were, just as was the whole universe, in that ‘smoke’ material. God has said in the Qur’an:


{ Then He turned to the heaven when it was smoke... ) (Qur’an, 41:11)



Because the earth and the heavens above (the sun, the moon, stars, planets, galaxies, etc.) have been formed from this same ‘smoke,’ we conclude that the earth and the heavens were one connected entity. Then out of this homogeneous ‘smoke,’ they formed and separated from each other. God has said in the Qur’an:


{ Have not those who disbelieved known that the heavens and the earth were one connected entity, then We separated them?... ) (Qur’an, 21:30)


Dr. Alfred Kroner is one of the world’s renowned geologists. He is Professor of Geology and the Chairman of the Department of Geology at the Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany. He said: “Thinking where Muham­mad came from ... I think it is almost impossible that he could have known about things like the common origin of the universe, because scientists have only found out within the last few years, with very complicated and advanced technological methods, that this is the case.”2

 Also he said: “Somebody who did not know something about nuclear physics fourteen hundred years ago could not, I think, be in a position to find out from his own mind, for instance, that the earth and the heavens had the same origin.”



(1) The First Three Minutes, a Modern View of the Origin of the Universe, Weinberg, pp. 94-105.


(2) The source of this comment is This is the Truth (videotape). Visit www.islam-guide.com/truth for a copy of this videotape or to view the video clips of Professor Alfred Kroner’s comments online.


C) The Qur’an on the Origin of the Universe



{ No! If he does not stop, We will take him by the naseyah (front of the head), a lying, sinful naseyah (front of the head)! ) (Qur’an, 96:15-16)

Why did the Qur’an describe the front of the head as being lying and sinful? Why didn’t the Qur’an say that the person was lying and sinful? What is the relationship between the front of the head and lying and sinfulness?

If we look into the skull at the front of the head, we will find the prefrontal area of the cerebrum (see figure 12). What does physiology tell us about the function of this area? A book entitled Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology says about this area: “The motivation and the foresight to plan and initiate movements occur in the anterior portion of the frontal lobes, the prefrontal area. This is a region of association cortex...”2 Also the book says: “In relation to its involvement in motivation, the prefrontal area is also thought to be the functional center for aggression....”3


(1) This is the Truth (videotape).



(2) Essentials of Anatomy&Physiology, Seeleyand others, p.211. Also see The Human Nervous System, Noback and others, pp. 410-411.


(3) Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology, Seeley and others, p. 211.




Scientists have only discovered these functions of the prefron-tal area in the last sixty years, according to Professor Keith L.

Moore.1

E) The Qur’an on Seas and Rivers:

Modern Science has discovered that in the places where two different seas meet, there is a barrier between them. This barrier divides the two seas so that each sea has its own temperature, salinity, and density.1 For example, Mediterranean sea water is warm, saline, and less dense, compared to Atlantic ocean water. When Mediterranean sea water enters the Atlantic over the Gibral­tar sill, it moves several hundred kilometers into the Atlantic at a depth of about 1000 meters with its own warm, saline, and less dense characteristics. The Mediterranean water stabilizes at this depth2 (see figure 13).


(1) Al-E’jaz al-Elmy fee al-Naseyah (The Scientific Miracles in the Front of the Head), Moore and others, p. 41.


(2) Principles of Oceanography, Davis, pp. 92-93.



The Holy Qur' an mentioned that there is a barrier between two seas that meet and that they do not transgress. God has said:

{ He has set free the two seas meeting to­gether. There is a barrier between them. They do not transgress. }





 But when the Qur'an speaks about the divider between fresh and salt water, it mentions the existence of "a forbidding partition" with the barrier. God has said in the Qur'an:

{ He is the one who has set free the two kinds of water, one sweet and palatable, and the other salty and bitter. And He has made between them a barrier and a forbidding partition.


One may ask, why did the Qur’an mention the partition when speaking about the divider between fresh and salt water, but did not mention it when speaking about the divider between the two seas?


Modern science has discovered that in estuaries, where fresh (sweet) and salt water meet, the situation is somewhat different from what is found in places where two seas meet. It has been discovered that what distinguishes fresh water from salt water in estuaries is a “pycnocline zone with a marked density discontinuity separating the two layers.”1 This partition (zone of separation) has a different salinity from the fresh water and from the salt water2 (see figure 14).




(2) Oceanography, Gross, p. 244, and Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, pp. 300-301.
F) The Qur’an on Deep Seas and Internal Waves:

God has said in the Qur’an:

{ Or (the unbelievers’ state) is like the dark­ness in a deep sea. It is covered by waves, above which are waves, above which are clouds. Darknesses, one above another. If a man stretches out his hand, he cannot see it.... ) (Qur’an, 24:40)

This verse mentions the darkness found in deep seas and oceans, where if a man stretches out his hand, he cannot see it. The darkness in deep seas and oceans is found around a depth of 200 meters and below. At this depth, there is almost no light (see figure 15). Below a depth of 1000 meters there is no light at all.1




Scientists have recently discovered this darkness by means of special equipment and submarines that have enabled them to dive into the depths of the oceans.

We can also understand from the following sentences in the previous verse, “...in a deep sea. It is covered by waves, above which are waves, above which are clouds....”, that the deep waters of seas and oceans are covered by waves, and above these waves are other waves. It is clear that the second set of waves are the surface waves that we see, because the verse mentions that above the second waves there are clouds. But what about the first waves? Scientists have recently discovered that there are internal waves which “occur on density interfaces between layers of dif­ferent densities.”1 (see figure 16).
 
 

The internal waves cover the deep waters of seas and oceans because the deep waters have a higher density than the waters above them. Internal waves act like surface waves. They can also break, just like surface waves. Internal waves cannot be seen by the human eye, but they can be detected by studying temperature or salinity changes at a given location.1

G) The Qur’an on Clouds:

Scientists have studied cloud types and have realized that rain clouds are formed and shaped according to definite systems and certain steps connected with certain types of wind and clouds.


One kind of rain cloud is the cumulonimbus cloud. Meteor­ologists have studied how cumulonimbus clouds are formed and how they produce rain, hail, and lightning.

They have found that cumulonimbus clouds go through the following steps to produce rain: 1) The clouds are pushed by the wind: Cumulonimbus clouds begin to form when wind pushes some small pieces of clouds (cumulus clouds) to an area where these clouds converge (see figures 17 and 18).
 
 

(1) See The Atmosphere, Anthes and others, pp. 268-269, and Elements of Meteorology, Miller and Thompson, p. 141.

3) Stacking: When the small clouds join together, updrafts within the larger cloud increase. The updrafts near the center of the cloud are stronger than those near the edges.1 These updrafts cause the cloud body to grow vertically, so the cloud is stacked up (see figures 19 (B), 20, and 21). This vertical growth causes the cloud body to stretch into cooler regions of the atmosphere, where drops of water and hail formulate and begin to grow larger and larger. When these drops of water and hail become too heavy for the updrafts to support them, they begin to fall from the cloud as rain, hail, etc.2





(2) See The Atmosphere, Anthes and others, p. 269, and Elements of Meteorology, Miller and Thompson, pp. 141-142.
 
 



(2) Elements of Meteorology, Miller and Thompson, p. 141.
 
This verse may raise a question. Why does the verse say “its lightning” in a reference to the hail? Does this mean that hail is the major factor in producing lightning? Let us see what the book entitled Meteorology Today says about this. It says that a cloud becomes electrified as hail falls through a region in the cloud of supercooled droplets and ice crystals. As liquid droplets collide with a hailstone, they freeze on contact and release latent heat. This keeps the surface of the hailstone warmer than that of the surrounding ice crystals. When the hailstone comes in contact with an ice crystal, an important phenomenon occurs: electrons flow from the colder object toward the warmer object. Hence, the hailstone becomes negatively charged. The same effect occurs when supercooled droplets come in contact with a hailstone and tiny splinters of positively charged ice break off. These lighter positively charged particles are then carried to the upper part of the cloud by updrafts. The hail, left with a negative charge, falls towards the bottom of the cloud, thus the lower part of the cloud becomes negatively charged. These negative charges are then discharged as lightning.1 We conclude from this that hail is the major factor in producing lightning.


This information on lightning was discovered recently. Until 1600 AD, Aristotle’s ideas on meteorology were dominant. For example, he said that the atmosphere contains two kinds of exha­lation, moist and dry. He also said that thunder is the sound of the collision of the dry exhalation with the neighboring clouds, and lightning is the inpbuhaming and burning of the dry exhalation with a thin and faint fire.1 These are some of the ideas on meteorology that were dominant at the time of the Qur’an’s revelation, fourteen centuries ago.
 
 


1) Dr. T. V. N. Persaud is Professor of Anatomy, Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health, and Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecol-ogy, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. There, he was the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy for 16 years. He is well-known in his field. He is the author or editor of 22 textbooks and has published over 181 scientific papers. In 1991, he received the most distin­guished award presented in the field of anatomy in Canada, the J.C.B. Grant Award from the Canadian Association of Anatomists. When he was asked about the scientific miracles in the Qur’an which he has researched, he stated the following:

“The way it was explained to me is that Muhammad was a very ordinary man. He could not read, didn’t know [how] to write. In fact, he was an illiterate. And we’re talking about twelve [actually about fourteen] hundred years ago. You have someone illiterate making profound pronouncements and statements and that are amazingly accurate about scientific nature. And I personally can’t see how this could be a mere chance. There are too many accuracies and, like Dr. Moore, I have no difficulty in my mind that this is a divine inspiration or revelation which led him to these statements.”
 
(1) The Works of Aristotle Translated into English: Meteorologica, vol. 3, Ross and others, pp. 369a-369b.
 
Professor Persaud has included some Qur’anic verses and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh in some of his books. He has also presented these verses and sayings of the Prophet Muham­mad pbuh at several conferences.


2) Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson is the Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecol-ogy, and Professor of Molecular and Human Genetics at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA. Formerly, he was Professor of Ob-Gyn and the Chairman of the Department of Ob-Gyn at the University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He was also the President of the American Fertility Society. He has received many awards, including the Association of Pro­fessors of Obstetrics and Gynecology Public Recognition Award in 1992. Professor Simpson studied the following two sayings of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh :

{ In every one of you, all components of your creation are collected together in your mother’s womb by forty days... }1

{If forty-two nights have passed over the embryo, God sends an angel to it, who shapes it and creates its hearing, vision, skin, flesh, and bones.... }2

He studied these two sayings of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh extensively, noting that the first forty days constitute a clearly distinguishable stage of embryo-genesis. He was particularly impressed by the absolute precision and accuracy of those sayings of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh . Then, during one conference, he gave the following opinion:

“So that the two hadeeths (the sayings of the Prophet Muham­mad pbuh ) that have been noted provide us with a specific time table for the main embryological development before forty days. Again, the point has been made, I think, repeatedly by other speakers this morning: these hadeeths could not have been obtained on the basis of the scientific knowledge that was available [at] the time of their writing .... It follows, I think, that not only there is no conflict between genetics and religion but, in fact, religion can guide science by adding revelation to some of the traditional scientific approaches, that there exist statements in the Qur’an shown cen­turies later to be valid, which support knowledge in the Qur’an having been derived from God.”

(1) Narrated in SaheehMuslim, #2643, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3208. Note: What is between these special brackets {...} in this book is a translation of what the Prophet Muhammad §1 said. Also note that this symbol # used in the footnotes, indicates the number of the hadeeth. A hadeeth is a reliably transmitted report by the Prophet Muhammad’s §1 companions of what he said, did, or approved of.

(2) Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2645.

3) Dr. E. Marshall Johnson is Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. There, for 22 years he was Professor of Anatomy, the Chairman of the Department of Anat­omy, and the Director of the Daniel Baugh Institute. He was also the President of the Teratology Society. He has authored more than 200 publications. In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Con-ference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Professor Johnson said in the presentation of his research paper:


“Summary: The Qur’an describes not only the development of external form, but emphasizes also the internal stages, the stages inside the embryo, of its creation and development, emphasizing major events recognized by contemporary science.”

Also he said: “As a scientist, I can only deal with things which I can specifically see. I can understand embryology and develop­mental biology. I can understand the words that are translated to me from the Qur’an. As I gave the example before, if I were to transpose myself into that era, knowing what I knew today and describing things, I could not describe the things which were described. I see no evidence for the fact to refute the concept that this individual, Muhammad, had to be developing this information from some place. So I see nothing here in conflict with the concept that divine intervention was involved in what he was able to write.”1

4) Dr. William W. Hay is a well-known marine scientist. He is Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA. He was formerly the Dean of the

(1) The Prophet Muhammad pbuh was illiterate. He could not read nor write, but he dictated the Qur’an to his Companions and commanded some of them to write it down.

Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami, Miami, florida, USA. After a discussion with Professor Hay about the Qur’an’s mention of recently discov­ered facts on seas, he said:

“I find it very interesting that this sort of information is in the ancient scriptures of the Holy Qur’an, and I have no way of knowing where they would come from, but I think it is extremely interesting that they are there and that this work is going on to discover it, the meaning of some of the passages.” And when he was asked about the source of the Qur’an, he replied:

“Well, I would think it must be the divine being.”

5) Dr. Gerald C. Goeringer is Course Director and Professor of Medical Embryology at the Department of Cell Biol­ogy, School of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA. During the Eighth Saudi Medical Conference in Ri­yadh, Saudi Arabia, Professor Goeringer stated the following in the presentation of his research paper:

“In a relatively few aayahs (Qur’anic verses) is contained a rather comprehensive description of human development from the time of commingling of the gametes through organogenesis. No such distinct and complete record of human development, such as classification, terminology, and description, existed previously. In most, if not all, instances, this description antedates by many cen­turies the recording of the various stages of human embryonic and fetal development recorded in the traditional scientific literature.”

6) Dr. Yoshihide Kozai is Professor Emeritus at Tokyo Univer­sity, Hongo, Tokyo, Japan, and was the Director of the National Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan. He said:

“I am very much impressed by finding true astronomical facts in [the] Qur’an, and for us the modern astronomers have been studying very small pieces of the universe. We’ve concentrated our efforts for understanding of [a] very small part. Because by using telescopes, we can see only very few parts [of] the sky without thinking [about the] whole universe. So, by reading [the] Qur’an and by answering to the questions, I think I can find my future way for investigation of the universe.”

7) Professor Tejatat Tejasen is the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Previously, he was the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the same university. During the Eighth Saudi Medical Conference in Ri­yadh, Saudi Arabia, Professor Tejasen stood up and said:

“During the last three years, I became interested in the Qur’an. . .. From my study and what I have learned from this conference, I believe that everything that has been recorded in the Qur’an four­teen hundred years ago must be the truth, that can be proved by the scientific means. Since the Prophet Muhammad could neither read nor write, Muhammad must be a messenger who relayed this truth, which was revealed to him as an enlightenment by the one who is eligible [as the] creator. This creator must be God. Therefore, I think this is the time to say La ilaha ilia Allah, there is no god to worship except Allah (God), Muhammadur rasoolu Allah, Mu-hammad is Messenger (Prophet) of Allah (God). Lastly, I must congratulate for the excellent and highly successful arrangement for this conference .... I have gained not only from the scientific point of view and religious point of view but also the great chance of meeting many well-known scientists and making many new friends among the participants. The most precious thing of all that I have gained by coming to this place is La ilaha ilia Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah, and to have become a Muslim.”

After all these examples we have seen about the scientific miracles in the Holy Qur’an and all these scientists’ comments on this, let us ask ourselves these questions:

■ Could it be a coincidence that all this recently discovered scientific information from different fields was mentioned in the Qur’an, which was revealed fourteen centuries ago?

■ Could this Qur’an have been authored by Muhammad pbuh or by any other human being?

The only possible answer is that this Qur’an must be the literal word of God, revealed by Him.

(For more information, online articles, books, or vide­otapes on scientific miracles in the Holy Qur’an, please visit www.islam-guide.com/science or contact one of the organi­zations listed on pages 69-70.)

(2) The Great Challenge to Produce One Chapter Like the Chapters of the Holy Qur’an
 
God has said in the Qur’an:
 
{ And if you are in doubt about what We have revealed (the Qur’an) to Our worshiper (Mu­hammad k), then produce a chapter like it, and call your witnesses (supporters and help­ers) besides God if you are truthful. And if you do not do it, and you can never do it, then fear the Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones. It has been prepared for disbelievers. And give good news (O Muhammad) to those who believe and do good deeds, that for them are gardens (Paradise) in which rivers flow.... ) (Qur’an, 2:23-25)
 
Ever since the Qur’an was revealed, fourteen centuries ago, no one has been able to produce a single chapter like the chapters of the Qur’an in their beauty, eloquence, splendor, wise legislation, true information, true prophecy, and other perfect attributes. Also, note that the smallest chapter in the Qur’an (Chapter 108) is only ten words, yet no one has ever been able to meet this challenge,
 
 



In Deuteronomy 18, Moses

stated that God told him: “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put

my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.” (Deuteronomy 18:18-19)3

From these verses we conclude that the prophet in this proph­ecy must have the following three characteristics:


1) That he will be like Moses.

2) That he will come from the brothers of the Israelites, i.e. the Ishmaelites.

3) That God will put His words into the mouth of this prophet and that he will declare what God commands him.

(1) See Al-Borhan fee Oloom Al-Qur’an, Al-Zarkashy, vol. 2, p. 224.


(2) See Al-Borhan fee Oloom Al-Qur’an, Al-Zarkashy, vol. 2, p. 226.

(3) The verses of the Bible in this book have been taken from The NIV Study Bible, New International Version.

Let us examine these three characteristics in more depth.

1) A prophet like Moses:


There were hardly any two prophets who were so much alike as Moses and Muhammad pbuh . Both were given a comprehensive law and code of life. Both encountered their enemies and were victorious in miraculous ways. Both were accepted as prophets and statesmen. Both migrated following conspiracies to assassi­nate them. Analogies between Moses and Jesus overlook not only the above similarities but other crucial ones as well. These include the natural birth, the family life, and the death of Moses and Muhammad pbuh but not that of Jesus. Moreover, Jesus was regarded by his followers as the Son of God and not exclusively as a prophet of God, as Moses and Muhammad pbuh were and as Muslims believe Jesus was. So, this prophecy refers to Muhammad pbuh and not to

Jesus, because Muhammad pbuh is more like Moses than Jesus.

Also, one notices from the Gospel of John that the Jews waiting for the fulfillment of three distinct prophecies: 1) coming of Christ, 2) The coming of Elijah, 3) The coming of ere The the

Prophet. This is obvious from the three questions that were posed to John the Baptist: “Now this was John’s testimony, when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ‘I am not the Christ.’ They asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He an­swered, ‘No.’” (John 1:19-21). If we look in a Bible with cross-references, we will find in the marginal notes where the words “the Prophet” occur in John 1:21, that these words refer to the prophecy of Deuteronomy 18:15 and 18:18. We conclude from this that Jesus Christ is not the prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:18.

2) From the brothers of the Israelites:

Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac (Genesis 21). Ishmael became the grandfather of the Arab nation, and Isaac became the grandfather of the Jewish nation. The prophet spoken of was not to come from among the Jews themselves, but from among their brothers, i.e. the Ishmaelites. Muhammad pbuh , a de­scendant of Ishmael, is indeed this prophet.

(1) See the marginal notes in The NIV Study Bible, New International Version on verse 1:21, p. 1594.

Also, Isaiah 42:1-13 speaks of the servant of God, His “chosen one” and “messenger” who will bring down a law. “He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.” (Isaiah 42:4). Verse 11, connects that awaited messenger with the descendants of Kedar. Who is Kedar? According to Genesis 25:13, Kedar was the second son of Ishmael, the ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh .

3) God will put His words in the mouth of this prophet:

The words of God (the Holy Qur’an) were truly put into Muhammad’s pbuh mouth. God sent the Angel Gabriel to teach Muhammad pbuh the exact words of God (the Holy Qur’an) and asked him to dictate them to the people as he heard them. The words are therefore not his own. They did not come from his own thoughts, but were put into his mouth by the Angel Gabriel. During the life time of Muhammad pbuh , and under his supervision, these words were then memorized and written by his companions.

Note that God has said in the prophecy of Deuteronomy: “If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.” (Deuteronomy, 18:19). This means that whoever believes in the Bible must be­lieve in what this prophet says, and this prophet is Muhammad pbuh .

(Please visit www.islam-guide.com/mib for more informa­tion on Muhammad pbuh in the Bible.)

(4) The Verses in the Qur’an That Mention Future Events Which Later Came to Pass

An example of the events foretold in the Qur’an is the victory of the Romans over the Persians within three to nine years after the Romans were defeated by the Persians. God has said in the Qur’an:

{ The Romans have been defeated in the near­est land (to the Arabian Peninsula), and they, after their defeat, will be victorious within bedd’ (three to nine)years....) (Qur’an, 30:2-4)

Let us see what history tells us about these wars. A book entitled History of the Byzantine State says that the Roman army was badly defeated at Antioch in 613, and as a result, the Persians swiftly pushed forward on all fronts. At that time, it was hard to imagine that the Romans would defeat the Persians, but the Qur’an foretold that the Romans would be victorious within three to nine years. In 622, nine years after the Romans’ defeat, the two forces (Romans and Persians) met on Armenian soil, and the result was the decisive victory of the Romans over the Persians, for the first time after the Romans’ defeat in 613. The prophecy was fulfilled just as God has said in the Qur’an.There are also many other verses in the Qur’an and sayings of Muhammad pbuh that mention future events which later came to pass.

(5) Miracles Performed by the Prophet Muhammad pbuh

Many miracles were performed by the Prophet Muhammad pbuh by God’s permission. These miracles were witnessed by many people. For example:

■ When the unbelievers in Makkah asked the Prophet Muham­mad pbuh to show them a miracle, he showed them the splitting of the moon.3

■ Another miracle was the flowing of water through Muham­mad’s pbuh fingers when his companions got thirsty and had no water except a little in a vessel. They came to him and told him that they had no water to make ablution nor to drink except for what was in the vessel. So, Muhammad pbuh put his hand in the vessel, and the water started gushing out between his fingers. So, they drank and made ablution. They were one thousand five hundred companions.4

There were also many other miracles that were performed by him or which happened to him.

(1) History of the Byzantine State, Ostrogorsky, p. 95.

(2) History of the Byzantine State, Ostrogorsky, pp. 100-101, and History of Persia, Sykes, vol. 1, pp. 483-484. Also see The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, Micropaedia vol. 4, p. 1036.

(3) Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3637, and Saheeh Muslim, #2802.

(4) Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3576, and Saheeh Muslim, #1856.

(6) The Simple Life of Muhammad pbuh

If we compare the life of Muhammad pbuh before his mission as a prophet and his life after he began his mission as a prophet, we will conclude that it is beyond reason to think that Muhammad pbuh was a false prophet, who claimed prophethood to attain material gains, greatness, glory, or power.

Before his mission as a prophet, Muhammad pbuh had no finan­cial worries. As a successful and reputed merchant, Muhammad pbuh drew a satisfactory and comfortable income. After his mission as a prophet and because of it, he became worse off materially. To clarify this more, let us browse the following sayings on his life:

Aa’isha, Muhammad’s pbuh wife, said: “O my nephew, we

would sight three new moons in two months without lighting a fire (to cook a meal) in the Prophet’s pbuh houses.” Her nephew asked: “O Aunt, what sustained you?” She said: “The two black things, dates and water, but the Prophet pbuh had some Ansar neighbors who had milk-giving she-camels and they used to send the Prophet pbuh some of its milk.”1

■ Sahl Ibn Sa’ad, one of Muhammad’s pbuh companions, said: “The Prophet of God pbuh did not see bread made from fine flour from the time God sent him (as a prophet) until he died.”2

■ Aa’isha, Muhammad’s pbuh wife, said: “The mattress of the Prophet pbuh , on which he slept, was made of leather stuffed with the fiber of the date-palm tree.”3

■ Amr Ibn Al-Hareth, one of Muhammad’s pbuh companions, said that when the Prophet pbuh died, he left neither money nor anything else except his white riding mule, his arms, and a piece of land which he left to charity.4

Muhammad pbuh lived this hard life till he died although the Muslim treasury was at his disposal, the greater part of the Arabian

(1) Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2972, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #2567.

(2) Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #5413, and Al-Tirmizi, #2364.

(3) Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2082, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #6456.

(4) Narrated inSaheeh Al-Bukhari, #2739,andMosnad Ahmad, #17990.

Peninsula was Muslim before he died, and the Muslims were victorious after eighteen years of his mission.

Is it possible that Muhammad pbuh might have claimed prophethood in order to attain status, greatness, and power? The desire to enjoy status and power is usually associated with good food, fancy clothing, monumental palaces, colorful guards, and indisputable authority. Do any of these indicators apply to Mu­hammad pbuh? A few glimpses of his life that may help answer this question follow.

Despite his responsibilities as a prophet, a teacher, a statesman, and a judge, Muhammad pbuh used to milk his goat, mend his

2 ' 3

clothes, repair his shoes, help with the household work, and visit

poor people when they got sick. He also helped his companions

in digging a trench by moving sand with them. His life was an

amazing model of simplicity and humbleness.

Muhammad’s pbuh followers loved him, respected him, and trusted him to an amazing extent. Yet he continued to emphasize that deification should be directed to God and not to him person­ally. Anas, one ofMuhammad’s pbuh companions, said that there was no person whom they loved more than Muhammad pbuh, yet when he came to them, they did not stand up for him because he hated their standing up for him, as other people do with their great people.

Long before there was any prospect of success for Islam and at the outset of a long and painful era of torture, suffering, and persecution of Muhammad pbuh and his followers, he received an interesting offer. An envoy of the pagan leaders, Otba, came to him saying: “...If you want money, we will collect enough money for you so that you will be the richest one of us. If you want leadership, we will take you as our leader and never decide on any matter without your approval. If you want a kingdom, we will crown you king over us...” Only one concession was required from Muhammad pbuh in return for that, to give up calling people to Islam and worshipping God alone without any partner. Wouldn’t this offer be tempting to one pursuing worldly benefit? Was Muham­mad pbuh hesitant when the offer was made? Did he turn it down as a bargaining strategy leaving the door open for a better offer? The following was his answer: { In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful} And he recited to Otba the verses of the Qur’an 41:1-38. The Following are some of these verses: { A revelation from (God), the Most Gra-cious, the Most Merciful; a Book whereof the verses are explained in detail; a Qur’an in Arabic, for people who know, giving good news and warning, yet most of them turn away, so they do not listen. ) (Qur’an, 41:2-4)

(1) Narrated inMosnadAhmad, #25662.

(2) Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #676, and Mosnad Ahmad, #25517.

(3) Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #676, and Mosnad Ahmad, #23706.

(4) Narrated in Mowatta’ Malek, #531.

(5) Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3034, and Saheeh Muslim, #1803, and Mosnad Ahmad, #18017.

(6) Narrated in Mosnad Ahmad, #12117, and Al-Tirmi zi, #2754.

On another occasion and in response to his uncle’s plea to stop calling people to Islam, Muhammad’s pbuh answer was as decisive and sincere: {I swear by the name of God, O Uncle!, that if they place the sun in my right-hand and the moon in my left-hand in return for giving up this matter (calling people to Islam), I will never desist until either God makes it triumph or I perish defending it. }2

Muhammad pbuh and his few followers did not only suffer from persecution for thirteen years but the unbelievers even tried to kill Muhammad pbuh several times. On one occasion they attempted to kill him by dropping a large boulder, which could barely be lifted, on his head.3 Another time they tried to kill him by poisoning his food.4 What could justify such a life of suffering and sacrifice even after he was fully triumphant over his adversaries? What could explain the humbleness and nobility which he demonstrated in his most glorious moments when he insisted that success is due only to God’s help and not to his own genius? Are these the characteristics of a power-hungry or a self-centered man?