Does God Exist? Proof of the Existence of God

Believe in God is the most important thing in faith. If someone does not believe that God exists then he is in deep astray.

Does God exist? We have never seen God. We have never talked with God. That is why the Atheists believe God does not exist. It is just a fantasy or a made up thing!

The Story of a Scholar and an Atheist

There is one story of a Scholar and an Atheist. Long ago an Atheist did not believe the existence of God. He asked a scholar for a debate about the existence of God. Among the questions are: “Does God exist?” and “If God exists then where is God?”

Then they decided when and where the debate takes place.

The Atheist and the villagers were waiting for the scholar, but the scholar did not come right on time. When the Atheist and the villagers thought that the scholar will not come for the debate, then the scholar showed up.

“I am sorry to keep you waiting for so long. But the rain is so heavy so the river floods. The bridge drifted away so I could not cross it. Thank God suddenly there was a big tree fell down. Then the branches cut out by themselves so the trunk was branchless. After that the trunk was cut and a hole was created so it became a boat. So I used the boat and crossed the river,” said the scholar.

The Atheist and the villagers were laughing. The Atheist said to the villagers, “This scholar is mad. How can a tree became a boat by itself with no one made it? How can a boat exist with no maker who made it?”

The villagers were laughing out loud.

After the people calmed down, the scholar said, “If you believe that the boat could not exist without its maker, then how could you believe the earth, sky, and its contents exist without its creator? Which is the most difficult to make? Making a boat or creating the earth, sky, and its contents?

Hearing that, they realized that they trapped with their own statement.
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“Then answer my second question,” said the Atheist. “If God exists, why can’t He be seen? Where is God?” The Atheist thought since he cannot see God then God does not exist.

The scholar asked the Atheist to come closer to him and pinched the Atheist’s cheek hardly so the Atheist felt pain.

“Why did you pinch me? It’s very painful”

The scholar asked, “There is no pain. I cannot see pain. Where is pain?”

“The pain is here,” the Atheist pointed his cheek.

“No, I cannot see pain. Do you see the pain?” asked the scholar to the villagers.

The villagers said, “No!”

“So, though we cannot see the pain does not mean that the pain does not exist. So is the God. Just because we cannot see the God does not mean that God does not exist. Though we cannot see Him, but we can see His creations.” Said the scholar.

The argument of the scholar is very simple. Yet, the argument that God does not exist just because human’s sense could not sense the existence of God is very wrong.

How many things that could not be seen or heard by people but exist?

We cannot see the Wind but the Wind exists. We cannot see electricity (what you can see is wire) but electricity exist.

How many things in the sky that billions light years away, even trillions light years away that could not be seen by people yet the things exist?

How many molecular things even nucleus (hair divided in millions) that cannot be seen by people yet exist? People could only see those things by using a very powerful microscope.

How many waves (radio, electromagnetic, electricity, etc) that cannot be seen yet exist?

Those things exist, yet the human sense is very limited so it cannot sense their existence.

The human ability to see colors limited to certain frequencies. People only could hear limited frequencies. Sometimes the light not only very dazzling but also could make people blind. So is the sound. Certain sound could not be heard by human sense while other sound which is very loud could destroy human‘s hearing.

If to sense the creatures of God, sometimes people could not do it, even more, to sense the Creator: God!

The Universe, Who is its Creator?

It is hard to prove that God exists. But if we take a look at the planes, cars, TVs, etc, it would be irrational if we say that all exist by themselves. There must be people who make them!

If the simple thing such as the match has its makers, then the universe that far more complex than that must have its creator.

The Earth where 8 billion people live has a circumference of 40,000 km. The circumference of the Sun is 4.3 million km. The Sun and its 8 planets along with 100 billion stars are in the Milky Way galaxy whose length is 100,000 light years away.

Milky Way is only a galaxy among thousands of galaxies that form a Cluster. This cluster with thousands of clusters forms 1 SuperCluster. And thousands of Super Clusters form the Universe whose length is 30 billion light-years away! Remember, the number 30 billion light-years away only current estimation since the strongest telescope today only could reach 15 billion light years away.

Imagine if the distance between Earth and the Sun is 150 million km and passed by the light in just 8 minutes, then the whole Universe passed by the light in 30 billion years. That is equal to 285 billion trillion km away. If a man could run 40 km/hour without stopping, he would pass the distance in 810,000 trillion years!

That is the greatness of Allah’s creation! If we believe in the magnificence of Allah’s creation, then we should believe in the magnificence of Allah.

In the Quran Allah explains that He is the creator of Heaven, Star, Sun, Moon, and others:

“Blessed be He Who hath placed in the heaven mansions of the stars, and hath placed therein a great lamp and a moon giving light!” [Quran 25:61]

Is there a Controller of the Universe?

There are millions of people controlling the traffic on road, sea, and air. Beacons are built. People also build traffic light and radar. Air Traffic Control is built to prevent an accident. All vehicles have drivers. Even on an airplane, there are pilot and co-pilot to make the flight safer. On the ships, there are Captain, navigator, and engineers. Yet thousands of accidents happen every year on land, sea, and air. Even though there are many controllers, the accidents still happen.

On the contrary, the Earth, Sun, Moon, Stars, and others always revolve for billions of years without a single crash. Most scientists believe that the Earth, Sun, and all of the other planets and moons in the solar system formed about 4.6 billion years ago. For billions of years until now the Earth never bump into the Sun, and the Sun never collides with the Moon. There is no mark, police, nor pilots to drive them. Without God, the Controller of the Universe, none of these would happen. Everything is in order because there is God who controls everything. Allah has put orbit for each of those things. If we really think about it then we will know that God exists.

“He it is who appointed the sun a splendor and the moon stages, that ye might know the number of the years and the reckoning. Allah created not (all) that save in truth. He detaileth the revelations for people who have knowledge” [Quran 10:5]

“It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor doth the night outstrips the day. They float each in an orbit” [Quran3:40]

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People who think a lot about universe insha Allah will believe that there is a God!

“Allah it is who raised up the heavens without visible supports, then mounted the Throne, and compelled the sun and the moon to be of service, each runneth unto an appointed term; He ordereth the course; He detaileth the revelations, that haply ye may be certain of the meeting with your Lord.” [Quran 13:2]

“Such as remember Allah, standing, sitting, and reclining, and consider the creation of the heavens and the earth, (and say): Our Lord! Thou createdst not this in vain. Glory be to Thee! Preserve us from the doom of Fire” [Quran 3:191]

Who is the Creator of People and Plants?

To those arrogant people who deny the existence of God, Allah questions them about His creatures. Who is the creator of sperm and plant? People or God the All Wise Creator?

“Have ye seen that which ye emit?

Do ye create it or are We the creator?” [Quran 56:58-59]

“Have ye seen that which ye cultivate?

Is it ye who foster it, or are We the Fosterer?” [Quran 56:63-64]

“Was it ye who made the tree thereof to grow, or were We the grower?” [Quran 56:72]

Can Men Create a Fly?

In another verse, Allah challenges others to create a fly if they could do it. Men may be could make robots from things that created by Allah. Yet, none could make a fly from nothing nor thing that could reproduce except Allah:

“…Lo! Those on whom ye call beside Allah will never create a fly though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly took something from them, they could not rescue it from him. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought!” [Quran 22:73]

There are many other Quran verses that describe the existence of God and God is the All Wise Creator.

http://islammyreligion.wordpress.com

WHY ISLAM IS OPPOSED?

What is Islam?

Meaning of the Arabic word Islam is obedience. It’s another meaning is peace. To attain peace in this world and in the hereafter is the principle proposed by Islam.

 In practice it implies that we have to do whatever our Creator commands us to do in this world and refrain from whatever He prohibits us from. The acts which are commanded by Him are known as Good deeds or ‘punya’ or ‘dharma’. Whereas the acts prohibited by Him are known as evil or ‘paaba’ or ‘adharma’. Whoever accepts and adopts this code of life is known as Muslim (Obedient) in Arabic.

It is free for anyone to accept and adopt this principle and live accordingly. It is not a property of any particular tribe, race, sect, country or color. It is not a new religion too. Right from the beginning of mankind the messengers of God sent by Him to different parts of the world have been preaching the same principle to their respective people to reform them. Today the same has been reintroduced by Prophet Muhammad (peace is upon him)

= whoever follows this way of life – that is doing good and refraining from evil – will be rewarded with paradise in the life hereafter. Whosoever ignores and rejects the way of life proposed by God and live a life of disobedience will enter Hell in the life hereafter.

= The basic tenet of this faith is that exclusively the Creator and Cherisher of the world only deserve to be worshipped. None of His creations, be it a king, be it a spiritual leader, be it a celebrity or any great man … and so on… absolutely do not deserve any worship.  One should strictly refrain from the worship of grave or statue of any dead man or animal or of any senseless and lifeless object. Man should worship God directly without any intermediaries.

= Next important tenet of this faith is that all mankind has originated from a single pair of male and female. That is human beings irrespective of their belongingness to any religion, any country, any color, any race or language are brothers and sisters belonging to the same family. So they are all equal in status and to impose any inequality among them on the basis of country, language, color, race etc is prohibited. Islam says that one can excel over others only through piety. It becomes mandatory on those who accept this principle that they should enjoin good and keep away from evil. They should forbid evil in all possible manners.

Now you can yourself make out why Islam faces so much opposition.

= Those that live upon adharma rise deadly against the spread of dharma. The growth of this faith cannot be tolerated by those who exploit people on the basis of injustice, iniquity, oppression, robbery, usury, prostitution, drugs, etc. The fascist forces and the colonial powers fear that this will undermine their dominance.

= When it is told that man can approach and worship God directly, it displeases the intermediaries who have been exploiting people in the name of God by spreading superstitions in the society hitherto.

= Growth of this movement will not be liked by those who have been exploiting weaker section in the community in the name of superiority of color, race, creed etc.

= As this principle creates awareness of self respect, the people embracing this faith turn against the oppressors. As a result they start fighting against the colonial and oppressive rulers to liberate their countries and safeguard their national wealth from them.

= Thus, this reformation movement spoils the sleep of defenders of Adharma all over the world. Hence they stand united to suppress the growth of Islam.

But the Sovereign Lord and Master of this world say that Islam has been sent as a mercy to mankind and no one can stop the growth of this movement. He declares in His Book thus:

They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah* refuses except to perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it. (Holy Quran 9:32)

(* Allah means ‘the One and the only God worthy of worship’)

But no one need to fear or worry about the growth of this movement. It does not intend to lift up or defeat or destroy any community, country or race whereas it aims at establishing peace and justice in the world by bringing discipline in individual, family and societal life through self reformation. If this is understood by those who oppose will turn promoters of this movement. That is what indicates the growth of this faith in America and the Europe.

WHY ARE WE HERE? 
http://houseofpeaceblr.blogspot.in/2013/02/why-are-we-here.html

திருக்குர்ஆன் மலர்கள்: பகுத்தறிவால் பயனடைந்த பெரியாரின் தாசன்!

திருக்குர்ஆன் மலர்கள்: பகுத்தறிவால் பயனடைந்த பெரியாரின் தாசன்!: பாரதிராஜாவின் ` கருத்தம்மா ’, ` காதலர் தினம் ’ உள்பட பல்வேறு தமிழ் திரைப் படங்களில் நடித்தவர் பெரியார்தாசன். பச்சையப்பன் கல்லூரியில் பொ...

Is life after death possible?

Why do we need a life after death (Hereafter)?

We need a life after death, because complete justice cannot be established in this world. Let us see a few examples.

Hitler killed six million Jews during his reign of terror.Even if the police had arrested him, what punishment can the human law give Hitler? The most they can do is to send Hitler to the gas chamber. That will only be punishment for the killing of one Jew. What about the remaining five million, nine hundred and ninety nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine Jews?

How do we punish a suicide bomber who kills himself and also kills hundreds of innocent people? We will not be able to punish him as he is already dead.

We have heard of judges writing multiple life sentences which can go up to 100 years for the convicted criminals. This is because the criminal deserves so many years of punishment. Will the convict complete his term of punishment if it is 100 years?

True and perfect justice would mean that the people who were victims are also taken care of. What compensation can we give to those innocent people who were killed by people like Hitler and suicide bombers? We will not be able to compensate them because they are already dead.

Several righteous people were tortured and some even killed. Don’t you think those righteous people should be rewarded for their righteousness?

Rational thinking will lead us to conclude that there is definitely a need for an eternal life after death to compensate people for what they did in this world. God who is most just will not let people go without being rewarded or punished for what they did.

Islamic concept of Hereafter

Islam teaches that the whole world will come to an end one day. All the human beings, from the first man to the last will be brought back to life (Resurrection) on the Day of Judgment and will be questioned for their deeds. People who have done good deeds and lived a life in accordance with God’s command will receive a reward and people who have disobeyed God will be punished. The reward will be Heaven and the punishment will be Hell. The life in Heaven and Hell will be eternal and never-ending.

Since the life in Heaven and Hell is eternal and never ending, God can punish Hitler and the suicide bombers six million times or even more in the hell fire. Similarly, God can reward and compensate countless times, the righteous and the innocent people who were killed.

Is resurrection possible after we die?

God Almighty says in the Quran in Chapter 36: Verse 79, 

Say, "He will give them life who produced them the first time; and He is, of all creation, Knowing."

God who created us for the first time will give us life the second time after we die.

We all know that creating something for the first time will be difficult. Repeating the same creation again will not be as difficult as the first time. God did not have any difficulty creating us the first time, why will He find it difficult to give us life after we die? Bringing us back alive after we die is indeed very easy for God.

Issues with the concept of birth and re-birthThe whole of concept of Hereafter (Life after death) rests on complete justice.

One fundamental principle in establishing justice is to make sure that the person who is punished or rewarded is aware why he is punished and rewarded.

For example: the court will not hang the convict if he is insane. The court will wait for him to become sane, as the convict needs to understand that he is being punished for his crime.

You would also be aware that when the judge reads his judgment, he clearly mentions the crimes the convict has done and the corresponding punishment for each crime. This is to ensure that the convict is fully aware, why he is being punished.

Keeping this in mind, we will examine the concept of birth and rebirth.

   1. Do we know if our birth in this world is our first or second or third or Nth?
   2. Do we know for what previous actions of ours we are rewarded or punished in this birth?

If the answer is NO for both the questions above, how can we say that complete justice has been established?

When our judicial system does not accept punishing a person without letting him know why he is punished, how can we imagine that God who is most wise and most just, will punish human beings without letting them know the reason for punishment?

Another aspect of justice is for the victim to know that the aggressor was punished. For example: A man rapes a woman. The man is the aggressor and the woman is the victim. The woman is called to the court and is made to witness the judgment (punishment) for the aggressor. Our common sense would tell us; this is how it should be.

Is this aspect of justice found in birth-rebirth? The answer is NO.

For example: What happened to Hitler? Was he punished? If yes, how many births has he taken? (Ideally, he needs to take 6 million births). Do the people who were killed by him know that Hitler was punished and do they know how he was punished? Were the poor victims of Hitler compensated?

None can answer these questions.

How can we expect such a huge flaw in the justice system of God?
World has to end for complete and perfect justice

The world has to come to an end for complete and perfect justice to be rendered to human beings.

For example:  I plant a tree and the tree benefits people by giving fruits and shade. You would agree that I need to be rewarded for it. Let us say I plant the tree and I die a few years after I planted it. The tree continues to live for some 200 years. If I am re-born before those 200 years, I am not rewarded fully for planting that tree as the effects of that good deed still continue. So I will have to wait for 200 years till the tree dies to be fully rewarded for planting that tree.

This is the case with every good deed you initiate. Imagine starting an orphanage. You can be given the full reward only after the orphanage ceases to exist.

This is the case with a bad deed you do as well. For example: Take the example of the atom bomb dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Doctors say that the consequences of that bomb are still seen today. As long as the consequences exist, the people who were behind the dropping of the bomb can never be fully punished. They have to be brought into complete account for all the damage they caused.

To put it in a nutshell, unless the world ceases to exist, effects of many good and bad deeds will not cease to exist. So logically, the world has to come to an end for complete and perfect justice to be rendered.

This aspect of justice is totally missing in the concept of birth-rebirth.

Hypnosis and Rebirth

The process of hypnotizing a person to make him remember the details of his previous births is called as Past Life Regression. This subject has been studied by various psychiatrists over a period of time.

One such person who did an experiment on this subject was: Nicholas Spanos, who was a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Laboratory for Experimental Hypnosis at Carleton University, Canada.

Spanos’ research leads him to the conclusion that past lives are not memories, but actually social constructions based on patients acting "as if" they were someone else, but with significant flaws that would not be expected of actual memories. To create these memories, Spanos' subjects drew upon the expectations established by authority figures and information outside of the experiment such as television, novels, life experiences and their own desires.

The details of this information can be found in the book "Multiple Identities & False Memories: A Socio-cognitive Perspective. Washington: American Psychological Association."

For the sake of argument, if we agree that the rebirth is proved through hypnosis, it still brings up the issues mentioned above with justice rendered in the concept of birth and rebirth which will lead to the conclusion that God's system of justice is flawed and inadequate.

Such a conclusion will become irrational as God is Most Just and Most Wise.

Aspects of Justice in Islamic concept of Hereafter

1) Each criminal knows what he did and for what he is going to be punished.

"And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, "Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?" And they will find what they did present [before them]. And your Lord does injustice to no one." Quran, Chapter 18: Verse 49.

2) Victims need not despair or lose hope as the full compensation for them will be given on the Day of Judgment.

"Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion." Quran, Chapter 3: Verse 185

3)  None can escape being questioned and rewarded or punished for every deed they did.

"So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it." Quran, Chapter 99: Verses 7 and 8.

"The Day every soul will find what it has done of good present [before it] and what it has done of evil, it will wish that between itself and that [evil] was a great distance. And Allah warns you of Himself, and Allah is Kind to [His] servants." Quran, Chapter 3: Verse 30

4)  No injustice is done and people are compensated multiple times for their good deeds which encourages every human being to do as many good deeds as possible.

"Indeed, Allah does not do injustice, [even] as much as an atom's weight; while if there is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward." Quran, Chapter 4: Verse 40

Explanation for handicapped children, early deaths etc.

Islam teaches that this whole life is a test and is a temporary place of existence for all the human beings.

"[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed – and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving."  Quran, Chapter 67: Verse 2.

People are tested by various ways. It can be through wealth, health, family, longevity etc.

For example: On the Day of Judgment, a wealthy man will be questioned about how he spent his wealth. On the other hand, a poor man will get full marks for the question on wealth, as he had to suffer lack of wealth or poverty.

On the Day of Judgment, we will be questioned how we used our eyes on this earth. On the other hand, by default a blind person will get full marks for the question on usage of eyes.

On the Day of Judgment, we will be questioned how we used our limbs. On the other hand, by default a handicapped person will get full marks for the question on usage of limbs.

We can understand how things will get even on the Day of Judgment.

As a reminder "Indeed, God does not do injustice, [even] as much as an atom's weight:" Quran, Chapter 4: Verse 40.

Summary

1. There is a need for a life after death since justice cannot be fully established in this world.

2. The concept of life after death is very rational.

3. The element of perfect justice is missing in the concept of birth and rebirth.

4. Proof for the concept of rebirth using Hypnosis is ambiguous and not proven.

5. All the elements of justice are found in the Islamic concept of life after death (Hereafter).

6. This world is a temporary place of dwelling and the Hereafter is our permanent and eternal abode.

7. This world is a place of test and trial. We are tested by various ways like: wealth, health, family, death etc.

8. God will not do the least bit of injustice to any of us.

Courtacy: www.invitetogod.com

How I came to love the veil - Yvonne Ridley

Author by: Yvonne Ridley Posted date: 15th October 2010

Politicians and journalists just love to write about the oppression of women in Islam ... without even talking to the females beneath the veil.

They simply have no idea how Muslim women are protected and respected within the Islamic framework which was built more than 1400 years ago.

Yet, by writing about cultural issues like child brides, female circumcision, honor killings and forced marriages they wrongly believe they are coming from a point of knowledge.

And I am sick of Saudi Arabia being cited as an example of how women are subjigated in a country where they are banned from driving.

The issues above have simply nothing to do with Islam yet they still write and talk about them with an arrogant air of authority while wrongly blaming Islam. Please do not confuse cultural behavior with Islam.

I was asked to write about how Islam allows men to beat their wives. Sorry, not true. Yes, I'm sure critics of Islam will quote random Qur'anic verses or ahadith but all are usually taken out of context. If a man does raise a finger to his wife, he is not allowed to leave a mark on her body ... this is another way of the Qur'an saying; "Don't beat your wife, stupid".

Now let's take a glance at some really interesting statistics, hmm. I can almost hear the words pot, kettle, black. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, four million American women experience a serious assault by a partner during an average 12-month period.

On the average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands and boyfriends every day . . . that is nearly 5,500 women battered to death since 9/11.

Some might say that is a shocking indictment on such a civilized society, but before I sound too smug, I would say that violence against women is a global issue. Violent men do not come in any particular religious or cultural category. The reality is that one out of three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime. Violence against women transcends religion, wealth, class, skin color and culture.

However, until Islam came on the scene women were treated as inferior beings. In fact we women still have a problem in the West where men think they are superior. This is reflected in our promotion and wages structure right across the spectrum from cleaners to career women who make it into the boardroom.

Western women are still treated as commodities, where sexual slavery is on the rise, disguised under marketing euphemisms, where womens’ bodies are traded throughout the advertising world. As mentioned before, this is a society where rape, sexual assault, and violence on women is commonplace, a society where the equality between men and women is an illusion, a society where a womens’ power or influence is usually only related to the size of her breasts.

I used to look at veiled women as quiet, oppressed creatures and now I look at them as multi-skilled, multi-talented, resilient women whose brand of sisterhood makes Western feminism pale into insignificance. My views changed after the truly terrifying experience of being arrested by the Taleban for sneaking into Afghanistan in September 2001 wearing the bhurka.

During my 10-day captivity I struck a deal that if they let me go I would read the Quran and study Islam. Against all the odds, it worked and I was released. In return I kept my word but as a journalist covering the Middle East I realized I needed to expand my knowledge of a religion which was clearly a way of life.

And no. I'm not a victim of Stockholm Syndrome. To be a victim you have to bond with your captors. During my imprisonment I spat, swore, cursed and abused my jailers as well as refusing their food and going on hunger strike. I don't know who was happier when I was released - them or me!

Reading the Quran was, I thought, going to be a very simple academic exercise. I was stunned to discover that ut clearly stated women are equal in spirituality, education and worth. A woman’s gift for child birth and child-rearing is very much recognised as a quality and attribute. Muslim women say with pride they are homemakers and housewives.

Furthermore The Prophet (pbuh) said that the most important person in the home was The Mother, The Mother, The Mother. In fact he also said that heaven lies at the feet of the mother. How many women make it into the top 100 power lists for simply being a "great mother"?

With Islam choosing to remain at home and raise children takes on a new dignity and respect in my eyes, similar to those sisters among us who choose to go out to work and have careers and professions.

I then began looking at inheritance, tax, property and divorce laws. This is where Hollywood divorce lawyers probably get their inspiration from. For instance the woman gets to keep what she earns and owns while the man has to stump up half his worth.

Isn’t it funny the way the tabloid media gets very excited over the prospect of some pop or film stars pre-nuptial wedding agreement? Muslim women have had wedding contracts from day one. They can choose if they want to work or not and anything they earn is theirs to spend while the husband has to pay for all the household bills and the upkeep of his family.

Just about everything that feminists strived for in the 70s was already available to Muslim women 1400 years ago.

As I said, Islam dignifies and brings respect to motherhood and being a wife. If you want to stay at home, stay at home. It is a great honor to be a home maker and the first educater of your children

But equally, the Quran states if you want to work, then work. Be a career woman, learn a profession become a politician. Be what you want to be and excel in what you do as a Muslim because everything you do is in praise of Allah (swt).

There is an excessive, almost irritating concentration or focus on the issue of Muslim womens’ dress particularly by men (both Muslim and non-Muslim).

Yes, it is an obligation for Muslim women to dress modestly but, in addition, there are many other important issues which concern Muslim women today.

And yet everyone obsesses over the hijab. Look, it is part of my business suit. This tells you I am a Muslim and therefore I expect to be treated with respect.

Can you imagine if someone told a Wall Street executive or Washington banker to put on a t-shirt and jeans? He would tell you his business suit defines him during work hours, marks him out to be treated seriously.

And yet in Britain we have had the former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw describing the nikab - the face veil revealing only the eyes - as an unwelcome barrier. When, oh when, will men learn to keep their mouths shut over a woman's wardrobe?

We also had Government Ministers Gordon Brown and John Reid express disparaging remarks about the nikab - both these men come from over the Scottish Borders where men wear skirts!!

Then we had a series of other parliamentarians enter the fray describing the nikab as a barrier for communication. What a load of nonsense. If this was the case can anyone explain to me why cell phones, landlines, emails, text messaging and fax machines are in daily use? Who listens to the radio? No one switches off the wireless because they can not see the face of the presenter.

The majority of sisters I know who choose to wear the nikab are actually white, Western reverts who no longer want the unwelcome attention of those few leering men who will try and confront females and launch into inappropriate behavior. Mind you, there are a couple of London sisters I know who say they wear the nikab at anti-war marches because they can't stand the smell of spliffs.

I am afraid Islamophobia has become the last refuge of the racist scoundrel. But the cowardly, chauvinistic attacks launched - largely by men - is unacceptable to Muslimahs as well as their secular, female sisters from the left.

I was a feminist for many years and now, as an Islamic feminist, I still promote womens' rights. The only difference is Muslim feminists are more radical than their secular counterparts. We all hate those ghastly beauty pageants, and tried to stop laughing when the emergence of Miss Afghanistan in bikini was hailed as a giant leap for women's liberation in Afghanistan.

I've been back to Afghanistan many times and I can tell you there are no career women emerging from the rubble in Kabul. My Afghan sisters say they wish the West would drop its obsession with the bhurka. "Don't try turning me into a career woman, get my husband a job first. Show me how I can send my children to school without fear of them being kidnapped. Give me security and bread on the table," one sister told me.

Young feminist Muslimahs see the hijab and the nikab as political symbols as well as a religious requirement. Some say it is their way of showing the world they reject the excesses of Western lifestyles such as binge drinking, casual sex, drug-taking etc.

Superiority in Islam is accomplished through piety, not beauty, wealth, power, position or sex.

Now you tell me what is more liberating. Being judged on the length of your skirt and the size of your cosmetically enhanced breasts, or being judged on your character, mind and intelligence?

Glossy magazines tell us as women that unless we are tall, slim and beautiful we will be unloved and unwanted. The pressure on teenage magazine readers to have a boyfriend is almost obscene.

Islam tells me that I have a right to an education and it is my duty to go out and seek knowledge whether I am single or married.

No where in the framework of Islam are we told as women that we must do washing, cleaning or cooking for men - but it is not just Muslim men who need to re-evaluate women in their home. Check out this 1992 exert from a Pat Robertson speech revealing his views on empowered women. And then you tell me who is civilized and who is not.

He said: "FEMINISM ENCOURAGES WOMEN TO LEAVE THEIR HUSBANDS, KILL THEIR CHILDREN, PRACTICE WITCHCRAFT, DESTROY CAPITALISM AND BECOME LESBIANS".

Here is an American man living in a pre-Islamic age who needs to modernize and civilize. People like him are wearing a veil and we need to tear that veil of bigotry away so people can see Islam for what it is.

http://yvonneridley.org/analysis-and-opinion/how-i-came-to-love-the-veil

Death - A Beginning not an End

INTRODUCTION

Death is a certainty that all the humans on the face of

earth agree upon. Often we see, hear or talk about

someone's death but what happens after death? Is death

really the end? Some might say "What is there to think

about death? It's beyond our control. Our time will come

and we will die — that is it. While there is time, we must

make most out of our life. Eat, drink, love, achieve power

and glory, earn money, etc. Don't think about an

unpleasant thing like death." If death is the end, then yes,

we need not think about it but what if death is not the

end? So, let's think about this.

HOW DID WE COME TO EARTH? WHO PLACED US HERE?

Did we come from nothing? Did we create ourselves? Did

we come to earth on our own will? If the answer is “no” for

all the questions above, do we have a creator?

Scientists agree that Universe had a beginning as the age

of the universe can be measured. Since Universe has a

beginning, we are left with just two possibilities for the

origin of the Universe - 1) Universe came into existence

from nothing or 2) Universe was created by a Creator

whom we refer to as God.

If someone believes that Universe came into existence

from nothing, it means that this universe created itself

when it did not exist. It is like saying that the pen created

itself or you gave birth to yourself. This is logically and

scientifically impossible. Since the universe did not create

itself, the only possibility is that the Universe was created

by a Creator. The same Creator Who created the Universe,

also created us.

YOU MAY ASK “OKAY, WHO CREATED THE CREATOR?”

We use “Time” to measure the beginning and end of

everything. Just like the Universe, “Time” also came into

existence. All things created in this Universe are

dependent on time; hence they all have a beginning and

end. The Creator who created the universe was present

even before “time” came into existence and is hence

independent of it. Therefore, the Creator can neither have

a beginning nor an end and has always existed. For

example: if this pamphlet had existed forever it would not

need a creator or an author. The same holds good with the

Creator (God) as well.

WHY DID GOD CREATE US? WHY THIS LIFE AND DEATH?

God did not create us for play and fun. God created us for a

purpose to worship Him alone and not worship any of His

creations like idols, images, sun, star, planets, humans etc.

Worshipping God includes offering prayers and living a life

of obedience to God by performing good deeds and

staying away from all evil deeds.

YOU ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD FOR YOUR DEEDS ON EARTH

You might have heard some people say, “Forget about

being good. Many corrupt and bad people enjoy their life

with fame and money. Why should we care to be good? All

that matters is success in life.” On the face of it, the

comment looks very appealing but what we need to

remember is that God, Who is our Creator, is Most Just

and will not let us get away with what we did in this world.

Each one of us is answerable to God for our deeds we do in

this world.

The world will come to an end one day. All the human

beings from the first man to the last will be brought back

to life on the Day of Judgment and will be questioned for

their deeds. After you die, you will be brought back to life

on the Day of Judgement along with the rest of mankind.

IS IT LOGICAL TO BELIEVE IN LIFE AFTER DEATH?

We all know that creating something for the first time will

be difficult and repeating the same thing again is easier.

When God did not have any difficulty creating us the first

time, why will He find it difficult, to give us life after we

die? Bringing us back to life after our death is indeed very

easy for God.

DO WE REALLY NEED A LIFE AFTER DEATH?

We need Life after Death because we all desire justice. The

world we live in is filled with injustice. Around us, we can

see lot of good people suffering, while many bad people

enjoy their life.

Perfect and complete justice is not possible in this world.

To give an example, how do we punish a suicide bomber

who kills himself and also kills several innocent people

leading the families of the innocent victims into grief and

emotional distress? How do we compensate the innocent

people who lost their lives in the suicide bombing?

Although we would all agree that the suicide bomber

should be punished and the innocent victims should be

compensated, in reality we can neither punish the suicide

bomber nor can we compensate the innocent victims

killed by the suicide bomber.

PERFECT JUSTICE IN THE LIFE AFTER DEATH

God has been watching us, knowing our intentions and is

fully aware of the effects of our deeds in this world.

God will weigh our good deeds against our bad deeds, and

pronounce His judgment on us accordingly. Even the

smallest of our deeds will be taken into account on the Day

of Judgment. Every person will know for what he is

rewarded or punished.

The reward will be Paradise and the punishment will be

Hell. The life in Paradise and Hell will be eternal. Since the

life in Paradise and Hell is never ending, God can punish

evil people like suicide bombers as many times as the

number of people they killed or as many times as they

deserve to be punished. Similarly, God can compensate

the innocent victims as many times as He wants without

an end. This is the Perfect Justice every human being longs

for but fails to get in this world.

PARADISE – FOR WHOM, HELL - FOR WHOM?

The righteous people who worshipped the One True God

and never prostrated to or prayed to any other thing or a

person, and lived a life of kindness and morality will be

rewarded with an Eternal bliss and delight in Paradise.

The evil and the arrogant people who after knowing the

truth, chose to worship and serve God's creations like

idols, images, sun, star, planets, humans etc. and lived a

life in disobedience of their Creator by performing evil and

shameful deeds will be punished in blazing Hell Fire for

eternity.

WHAT IS PARADISE?

Paradise is a place of never ending happiness where the

righteous will be given whatever they desire and ask for.

There will be no sickness, sorrow, enmity, jealousy, aging

etc. God will gift the righteous with pleasures and

comforts that they have never seen, heard of or even

imagined.

WHAT IS HELL?

Hell is a place of never ending misery where the evil will

suffer in blazing fire. They will neither die nor live. Their

food will be dirty wound discharge (pus) and thorny plants

and their drink will be extremely hot boiling water.

GOD IS MOST FORGIVING AND MOST MERCIFUL

God is not cruel and does not like to see people punished

in Hell. God rewards us multiple times for our good deeds

and He extends His infinite mercy through His unlimited

forgiveness and is ever willing to forgive the people who

seek His forgiveness. Only the arrogant people, who

refuse to correct their deeds and seek forgiveness from

God and die in that state, will end up in Hell fire.

WHAT ABOUT RE-BIRTH? WON'T WE COME BACK TO THIS EARTH AGAIN?

The element of justice is absent in the concept of birth and

re-birth. One basic principle in rendering justice is to

reveal the reasons for punishment or reward. For

example: If a group of policemen come to your house and

say that you are arrested, won't you ask them “Why and

for what crime you are arrested?” If the police do not

disclose the reason for the arrest, won't you object to the

arrest? Won't you consider this to be injustice?

Do you know if your birth in this world is your first or

second or third? Do you know for what deeds you are

rewarded or punished in this birth? If you do not know the

answers for the above questions, is it not injustice that

you are punished or rewarded in this birth?

Also, if someone had harmed you in your past life, is that

person punished for that sin? If yes, are you aware of it? If

not, then justice has not been rendered to you! This

shows that the concept of rebirth is not only illogical but

also devoid of Justice.

DID GOD TELL US ABOUT LIFE AFTER DEATH? IF YES, HOW?

God informed us about the purpose of our existence and

life after death through His Prophets. Prophets were

righteous human beings who lived as role models. The

Prophets were only human and they did not have any

divine qualities. Some of the Prophets are: Noah,

Abraham, David, Solomon, Moses and Jesus. God sent

Prophets to every country including India. The last and

final Prophet in the chain of Prophets was Prophet

Muhammad.

PROOF FOR LIFE AFTER DEATH – THE QURAN

Quran is the final revelation (Instruction Manual for

mankind) given through the last messenger of God,

Prophet Muhammad. Quran was not authored by Prophet

Muhammad. The entire Quran is the Word of God which

has remained unchanged for the last 14 centuries. God,

the author of Quran, challenges us to pick out a single

error in it. God says

There are more than a thousand verses in the Glorious

Quran, containing facts about various fields of science like

geology, embryology, astronomy, botany, physics,

zoology, oceanography and psychology. Many scientific

facts mentioned in the Quran 1400 years ago have been

discovered only in the last few centuries. The Quran which

spoke about these recent scientific discoveries with

remarkable accuracy also speaks about life after death

and so logically one can conclude that the concept of life

after death mentioned in the Quran has to be true and

correct.

Your destination will be decided based on your actions on

earth. What would you like your destination to be -

Paradise or Hell? The choice is yours. Remember,

Death is a beginning not an end!

“Do they not consider the Quran

carefully? Had it been from others beside God, then it

would have contained many errors and inconsistencies”

(Quran Chapter 4: Verse 82).

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Bangalore – 560017. Phone: 9886001357

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