The Miracles Of Our Prophet

A journey in the world of miracles

Noah's Ark has been found (with documents)

While searching for the remains of Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat in Eastern Turkey, a Chinese-Turkish exploration team successfully excavated and ventured inside a large wooden structure at an elevation of more than 4,000m above sea level. Wood specimens were dated as 4,800 years old. Officials of Turkish government and Cultural Ministries highly regarded the finds and jointly announced the discovery with the exploration team in Hong Kong. They planned to submit an application for the wooden structure to be included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. A mutual agreement for further co-operation was signed and the Hong Kong team members were recognized as Honorable Citizens of Agri Province, Turkey. In the press conference on April 25, Consul General of Turkey, Mr. Mehmet Raif Karaca, was invited to come and support the great achievements of the exploration team in the aspect of the search for Noah’s Ark.

Noah's Ark uncovered at Mount Ararat

Miracles Of The Quran - Hemoglobin and Iron

At the time the Qur’an was revealed, nobody was aware of the molecule hemoglobin and there was no such medical term in existence. Hemoglobin, which transports oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood in our bodies and that gives blood its red color, was only discovered in the 19th century. Hemoglobin forms thanks to the element iron (Fe) in our bodies and is of vital importance to the performance of vital functions.

The element iron (Fe) present in the middle of hemoglobin binds itself to oxygen and thus carries oxygen in the blood. For that reason, the hemoglobin molecule can be considered together with the element iron. In verse 25 of Surat al-Fath, the letters comprising the words Fe (iron) and hemoglobin miraculously appear side by side. In addition, the letters comprising hemoglobin do not appear side by side in any other verse. This exceptional circumstance is one of the proofs of the Creation of Almighty Allah, the Lord of the past and future, He who is unfettered by time.

The Rise Of Islam - Islam: Europe's Second Largest Religion

As in the rest of the world, Islam is in the midst of a rapid growth in Europe. This development has been attracting more attention in recent years, as evidenced by the many theses, reports, and articles published on "the place of Muslims in Europe" and "dialogue between European society and Muslims." Along with these academic reports, the media has carried frequent reports about Islam and Muslims. The root of this interest lies in the continual growth of Muslim population figures in Europe, and that this increase cannot be ascribed solely to immigration. While immigration certainly has had a significant effect on the Muslim population's growth, so many researchers have addressed this matter for quite another reason: high conversion rates.

The Roman Catholic Church, headquartered in Vatican City, is one of the institutions that follows conversion trends. One of the main topics during the October 1999 meeting of the European synod, which was attended by almost all of the Catholic clergy, was the Church's position in the new millennium. The conference's main theme was the rapid growth of Islam in Europe. The National Catholic Reporter reported that some radical individuals stated that the only way to prevent Muslims' gaining power in Europe was to stop tolerating Muslims and Islam; other more objective and rational individuals underscored the fact that since the two religions believe in one God, there should be no room for any conflict or struggle between them. In one session, Archbishop Karl Lehmann of Germany stressed that there is more internal pluralism within Islam than many Christians perceive, and that the radicals' claims about Islam had no basis in truth.

Considering the position of Muslims when elucidating the Church's position in the new millennium was quite proper, for a 1999 United Nations' survey showed that between 1989 and 1998, Europe's Muslim population grew by more than 100 percent.Today, about 13 million Muslims live in Western Europe: 3.9 million in Germany, 3.3 million in Britain, 7.5 million in France, and the rest in other countries.

Relevant research also has revealed that while the number of Muslims in Europe continues to grow, there is a deepening of religious awareness among Muslims. According to a survey conducted by the French newspaper Le Monde in October 2001, compared to data collected in 1994, many Muslims continue to perform their prayers, go to the mosque, and fast. This awareness is seen much more among university students.

In an Aktuel magazine article, which was based on reports in the foreign press, Western researchers said that Europe would become one of the most important centers for the dissemination of Islam about 50 years later.

Along with this sociological and demographic research, we also must not forget that Europe has not become acquainted with Islam only recently, but that Islam is actually an inseparable part of Europe.

(Above) The Economist commented on the state of Muslims living in Europe after 9/11, and reported on the current and historical relations between Europe and Islam.(Middle) This is London magazine reported on the Muslim converts living in England in its article "The New Face of Islam." Some interesting information about the increasing number of Muslims is that great majority of converts are women. (Below) In a New York Times article entitled "Islam is Part of the West, Too," Wolfgang Petritsch, High Representative of the Bosnia-Herzegovina International Community, said it is not possible to separate Islam and the West from each other. According to him, Bosnia-Herzegovina is one of the best examples of the blending of Western and Islamic cultures.

Europe streams to Islam, Islam is Europe's second religion, In the West interest in Islam is increasing, Islam settles in Europe, Europe wams to Islam, Islamic life gains stregnth in Europe. About 12 million Muslims live in Europe, which makes Islam its second largest religion. One of the clearest indications of Islam's rising influence there is the Muslim community's

Muslims in England

(Above) The Queen's first time in a mosque, England has one of the densest Muslim populations. The English press often reports on Muslim issues. One of these special reports, "Special Report: Muslims in Britain," was posted on the BBC's Internet site. The Telegraph carried an article, "My dad buys me books about Islam,"on how English people accepted Islam. Women form the great majority of English converts.(Below) English women stream to Islam

(Above) Islam is the number one religion in Europe, (Middle) Islam on Arte TV, (Below) Curiosity about Islam in Europe after 9/ 11.More Europeans are converting to Islam than ever before, and many documentaries about Islam have been shown on European television since 9/11.

The awakening of Islam in Europe, Islam, a sun that has shone for 1,000 years.This article in Newsweek examines Islam in Europe and reports that Islam is constantly gaining influence in such countries as Italy, England, and France. For example, in East London, where chapels go empty, mosques open to take their place. In France, many buildings have been converted into mosques and are filled to overflowing by devout Muslims. Minarets rise in Madrid, and a grand mosque is being built in Italy

Islam in France

Preparations Have Begun To Make Islam An Official Religion in Sweden

Today, approximately 5% of the French population is Muslim. Islam, now France's second largest religion, is attracting the attention of the French media.

(Above) Islam is an official religion in Swedenen, (Middle) The ambassador of Sweden to Istanbul: Islam is a European religion, (Below) Time magazine reported on the opening of Sweden's largest mosque in Stockholm. Research shows that there are more than 300,000 Muslims in Sweden, whose total population is about 10 million, and the government and people are very accepting of them. Last year, the government made a special allocation of funds to translate the Qur'an into Swedish for them and to build a big mosque where they can worship comfortably. Along with these projects, another fund has been established to support schools that provide Islamic education. In addition, there is now an initiative to make Islam an officially recognized religion.

The Growth Of Islam in Belgium

(Left) Belgium's largest mosque opens, (Right) In Belgium the number of Muslims has reached 450,000.

At the beginning of the 1990s, Belgium had about 285,000 Muslims; by 1998, there were 350,000 Muslims. This is 2.5% of the Belgian population. There are now 240 places of Islamic worship in Belgium, and Islam continues to grow rapidly.1 Today, Belgium has more Muslims than Protestants and Jews, and is the second largest religious community after Catholicism. The Belgian government has always been well-disposed toward Belgian Muslims and, as early as 1974, passed a law to protect their freedom of belief and worship. According to this law, Muslims are as free as Catholics, Protestants, and Jews to practice and teach their religion. One of its most important provisions deals with teaching Islam in state schools. At present, Belgium has about 700 Muslim teachers in state schools. They receive salaries and expenses from the government. The Belgian government also covers the cost of building worship centers and hiring clergy. This support allows Islam to spread, and is indicated by the opening of the Genk Yunus Emre Mosque on January 28, 2002. Mayor Jef Gabriels, who attended the opening, considered this day a holiday, and the vicar Jan Boonen expressed his thoughts as follows: "There's a house, people live in it; there's a house, a hospital is being built; there's a house, a bank is being built. But this house is a different house. This is God's house, and we come here only to bow down to him."21. Prof. Herman De Ley, "Muslims in Belgium: Enemies from within or fellow Citizens," http://isim.leidenuniv.nl/newsletter/1/forum/01AE35.html 2. Zaman, Metin Keskin, January 28, 2001

An Italian Ambassador Becomes A Muslim

The Rise of Islam is the Cover Story in der Spiegel

The Western press and news agencies were attracted by Torquato Cardilli's, Italian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, conversion to Islam. Above we see a Reuters' report entitled "Rome's Envoy to Saudi Arabia Converts to Islam." Actually, Torquoato Cardilli was the second ambassador who converted to Islam. Before him, Ambassador Mario Scialoja also had converted to Islam. Having converted when he was Rome's permanent ambassador to the United Nations, Scialoja was later appointed ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Cardilli had spent many years in Muslim countries, and his conversion shows once again the rapid growth of Islam in Italy. About 1 million Muslims live in Italy and in the last two or three years about 5,000 people have converted.11. Reuters, November 26, 2001

(Above) The Prophet Muhammad on the cover of Der Spiegel; Islam's rapid rise throughout the world was the cover story of the well-known German magazine, Der Spiegel. This issue contained a 20-page report entitled "Who was the Prophet Mohammed?" and pointed out that true Islam had nothing to do with terrorism. It also presented the views of various historians, philosophers, sociologists, and politicians. The report states that no religion is spreading as fast as Islam, and quotes the words of prominent English philosopher Ernest Gellner: "Islam is the blueprint of a social order. It holds that a set of rules exists, eternal, divinely ordained, and independent of the will of men, which defines the proper ordering of society."

Television Documentaries Present Islam

The German President Visits A Mosque

(Above) Islam on English television, (Below) Much interest in the documentary about Prophet Muhammad (saas), Islam's rapid rise has been the topic of many television programs. In addition to concentrating on political and social issues, they also provide comprehensive documentaries on Islamic history and moral teachings. One example is the English project called the "The BBC Two's Islam Season," which was prepared as a 2-week series. Costing 1 million pounds to produce, it was to present the truth about Islam. A similar program was broadcast on the French-German channel: Arte. This documentary series, which took 3 years to produce, presents a detailed account of the Prophet's life and Islamic history.

(Left) The German president in a mosque, (Right) German president Rau: West Islam dialogue is necessary;German president Johannes Rau, an avid supporter of interfaith dialogue, expressed himself on this matter at a meeting of the World Council of Churches in Potsdam on January 29-30, 2001. The Council declared the next 10 years to be the "Decade to Overcome Violence." Rau stated that this was one of Europe's most important social initiatives. He stated further that freedom and justice were equally important, and that Social Darwinism had to be definitely rejected.1 Moreover, Rau showed the importance he placed on establishing dialogue by his visit to the Fatih Mosque in Marl. During this visit, arranged for the Ramadan Eid, he stated that Muslim holidays were as important as Christian ones, and that the struggle against terror was not related to Islam. 1. Notes on Church-State Affairs, vol, 43, Autumn 2001, no.2

(Above) Islam, a part of life in Germany, (Middle) Europe seeks for true Islam, (Below) German Muslims. The number of German converts is also high. Germany, which has a dense Muslim population, has undertaken various initiatives to provide a better understanding and correct presentation of Islam. Among these efforts are the lessons in Islam, which will be given in German schools.	Above we see Europe's largest mosque: the mosque in Rome

Islam in Denmark

Islam in the Educational System in Europe

Islam is the fastest growing religion in Denmark. This growth is fostered by the warm relations with the Danish government. One of the most striking instances of this support was an historical first: Danish state television broadcast a Friday sermon delivered in the mosque of the Turkish Cultural Center.

(Below) Islamic lesson in German; In Sweden guides to Islam will be distribnuted free to students, Above: A New York Times' article entitled "Austrian School Drama: Crucifix Meets Ramadan," reports on the Muslims' education rights in Austrian schools. In Europe's many Islamic schools, the state curriculum includes courses introducing Islam. Certainly, this initiative will be the most effective way to combat radicalism and the foundation stone in any dialogue established between the two cultures.

"It is He who sent His Messenger with the Guidance and the True Religion to exalt it over every otherreligion and God suffices as a witness."
(Qur'an, 48:28)

"Rather We hurl the truth against falsehood and it cuts right through it and it vanishes clean away! Woe without end for you for what you portray!" (Qur'an 21:18)

The Rise Of Islam - The Qur'an Has Become the Best Selling Book in America

"Truly We have granted you a clear victory, so that God may forgive you your earlier errors and any later ones and complete His blessing upon you, and guide you on a Straight Path. And so that Allah may help you with a mighty help." (Qur’an 48: 1-3)

The 9/11 tragedy caused the growth of Islam in America to accelerate greatly. One of the clearest indications of this is that after the attacks, the Qur'an became the best-selling book in many states for a long time. American interest in the Qur'an increased to such an extent that Penguin Books, one of the best-known publishers of the Qur'an in English, reported that it had printed 20,000 extra copies after 9/11.

USA Today reported on this intense interest in "People Want to Know, so Koran is Bestseller," saying that sales of the Qur'an had increased by five times.When asked for his view on this matter, a leading expert in Islam, John Esposito, emphasized an important point:

The strength of the Qur'an is that a Muslim, or anyone, can open it to any page and get a message dealing with life's meaning.

Newsweek devoted eight pages in its February 2001 issue to an examination of the Qur'an. In the report entitled "In the Beginning There Were the Holy Books," it emphasized that God revealed each holy book and that there was no room for religious conflict. Among the issues treated were Qur'anic morality, how Muslims regard Christians and Jews, and Islam teaches people to live. The report states that when they first read the Qur'an, many Christians are surprised to see how much is written in the Qur'an about such Prophets as Jesus, David, Abraham, and Jonah, peace be upon them all, who appear in the Bible. The report also stresses that justice, mercy, and compassion are basic to the Qur'an.

The Oprah Show, one of the top three American talk-shows, also discussed Islam. On October 5, 2001, there was an episode called "Islam 101." Participants included Queen Raina of Jordan; Prof. Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies and professor of International Relations at American University in Washington; and Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States. The program's purpose was to introduce Islam to the viewers. Along with presenting their views, the program sought to show a cross-section of the daily lives of American Muslims and to help people understand Islam better. Also, the program's Internet site explained Islam's basic tenets.

In addition to becoming a best seller, some public schools asked their students to memorize some Qur'anic verses. For example, seventh grade students in Byron, California, public school system were to take a three-week course to give them detailed information about the tenets of Islam. In this course, they were to memorize Qur'anic verses, learn about Islamic history and the life of Prophet Muhammad, and even make speeches to the class using Muslim names that they had chosen for themselves. And this program was put into effect immediately. Along with this, it was proposed that students learn how Muslims pray and what Islam's religious duties are.

People in the state of Maine had a very keen interest in Islam. A few days after 9/11, there was a large increase in sales of the Qur'an and books on Islamic history. On September 22, the Bangor Daily News reported on the people's interest in Islam in "Mainers Studying Tenets of Islam." This article said, in part:

As Americans struggle to come to terms with last week's events, Mainers apparently are turning to encyclopedias, history books, biographies, textbooks and the Qur'an itself to understand what the majority of Muslims believe. Gig Weeks of Book Marc's in downtown Bangor said Wednesday the store had sold all but one copy of the Qur'an…. She said several of the titles are on back order until publishers can reprint them. Staffers at Borders Books, Music and Café in Bangor reported they had sold five copies of the Qur'an since Sept. 11, compared with the two copies that had been sold between Jan. 1 and Sept. 10.

(Above) Reports and documentaries dealing with Islam on American television and in the newspapers play an important role in informing people about Islam (below). The PBS series on "Observing Islam" has attracted much interest. (Middle) In the US Islamic websites are popular; since it was broadcast, Robert Gardner's documentary Islam: Empire of Faith has received a great deal of interest in America.(Below) An Islamic documentary on American TV; internet sites about Islam have received as much interest among Americans as documentaries and television programs.

(Above left) After 9/11 there was a much higher sale of Qur'ans (Above right) The Qur'an is a bestseller in the US (Below) For weeks after 9/11, the Qur'an was at the top of the best-seller list. In an Atlanta Journal report entitled "Qu'ran a best seller everywhere," well-known bookstores reported that their stocks of Islamic books were depleted and that the Qur'an was the top-selling book in almost every state.

The article gave further information about this interest. For example, students at Bangor Theological School, who normally study about Islam toward the end of the school year, wanted to start the course right away, and so Dana Sawyer, one of the school's teachers, started a course about the Qur'an and the Prophet's life. In this course, Sawyer said that declaring all Muslims to be terrorists was the same as saying that all Christians are responsible for a crime committed by one Christian. The Guardian featured an article by Jeremy Rifkin, the well-known American economist, in which he said that he was ashamed that he had not read anything about Islam prior to 9/11, and that now he was not the only one engaged in learning about Islam:

"I'm ashamed to admit it, but before September 11, I didn't pay much attention to Islam. I had a cursory knowledge of the historical struggle between Israel and its Arab neighbors. I knew a bit about the struggle with the west over oil.... It took the deaths of 5,000 Americans in a horrific act of terrorism to get my attention. Like so many others, I have been reading up on Islam-its tenets, internal struggles, . . . visions. . . , its similarities and deep differences with Christianity and the West... I'm not alone. Seven of the 15 lead books on the New York Times paperback bestseller list are devoted to Islam. The Koran has become a bestseller. The whole world, it seems, has been converted into a classroom as we try to make sense out of the tragic events of September 11 and its aftermath."

(Left) In the "Islam and the West" section of the Economist magazine, a dialogue between Christians and Muslims appeared, entitled "The Bishop and the Imam ask, Do we really have to fight?" (Right) In a Guardian article entitled "Dialogue Is a Necessity," Jeremy Rifkin, a well-known American economist, drew attention to the importance of knowing about Islam and understanding it properly.

A Muslim Leader Adresses A National Service of Remembrance

Friday Prayers in the American Congress

A Muslim Leader Adresses A National Service of Remembrance At a national service of commemoration held on September 14 to commemorate those who died on 9/11, President Bush invited the Muslim leader Muzammil Siddiqi to give the address. The service at the National Cathedral was attended by George Bush and Colin Powell, members of the military, bureaucrats, and relatives of those who lost their lives. In his address, Siddiqi prayed for those who died and recited Qur'anic verses.(Above) The Qur'an was read in a cathedral, (Below) Christians and Muslims pray together in the cathedral.

A small mosque has been set aside for Muslims working in the Congress to perform Friday prayers. In 1998, for the first time and under the initiative of Suhail Khan, Senator Tom Campbell's press secretary, Muslims started meeting once a month for conversation. A little while later, Muslims in other government departments joined and began to hold the Friday prayers in a room convenient for this purpose. When the numbers grew too large, talking with the management of the Congress building resulted in a small room being set aside as a mosque in which Muslims could meet for conversation and Friday prayers. Now, an average of 50 to 60 Muslims meet there every Friday.1. "Muslims Holding Regular Friday Prayers in U.S. Capitol," U.S. Department of State, International Information Programs, http:usinfo.state.gov./usa/islam/ a091099.htm

American Congress opens for the first time with a reading from the Qur'an

American official institutions teach the Qur'an

(Above) American Congress opens for the first time with a reading from the Qur'an (Middle) The US Congress will open with a reading from the Qur'an; In 2001, another historical event occurred. Every year when Congress begins its new session, there are readings from the Bible. This year, there was a reading from the Qur'an. This was an important event for all Muslims, and no one could have guessed only a few years ago that the Qur'an would be recited in the political heart of the world's only superpower. This is an example of how much Islam has grown in America.(Below) Maryland State Senate opens with a reading from the Qur'an.

American official institutions teach the Qur'an; Because of the increasing numbers of Muslims in America and Islam's increasing influence in American social life, various institutions, among them the FBI, have begun to educate their employees about Islam, (Below) FBI learns about Islam

The Number Of Muslims Is Increasing In Hawaii

Islam Is Spreading Among Latin American Immigrants

As in other parts of America, the number of Muslims is increasing in Hawaii. The majority of converts in Hawaii are military personnel. One of them is Heather Ramaha, who works for the navy at Pearl Harbor. Her husband is a Muslim, and she decided to convert after 9/11. Hakim Ouansafi, president of the Muslim Association of Hawaii, reported that after 9/11, there was a visible increase in the number of Muslims in Hawaii. According to him, before 9/11 only about 3 Muslims converted a month; in the two months after the attacks, 23 people converted.(Above) Reports about Muslims in Hawaii newspapers. In the report on the left, the president of the Muslim Association of Hawaii condemns the 9/11 attacks. The report on the right is about the rising conversion trend in Hawaii since 9/11.

(Above) Latin-America streams to Islam, Latino-Islamic currents, The densest wave of immigration to America is from Latin America. In many states today, Spanish and English are the majority languages. It is estimated that more than 40,000 Latin American Muslims live in Los Angeles, New York, Newark, and Chicago. The public assistance programs organized by Latin American Muslims have attracted interest. For example, the Alianza Islamica, whose members are mostly from Harlem, has achieved much success in the last few years in their struggle against drugs, AIDS, and crime. 1. Hisham Aidi, "Olé to Allah: New York's Latino Muslims," http:www.africana.com/DailyArticles/index_19991101.htm

The Rise Of Islam - Islam Is The Fastest Growing Religion On Earth

(Above) The voice of Islam rises, with 7 million muslims living in America, islam has become the country's third largest religion. It is estimated that within the next 10 years, there will be more Muslims than Jews in America.

(Above) The Muslim population has passed 7 million, In America, many mosques were filled to overflowing at Friday prayers and streets were filled with Muslims performing their prayers.(Middle) America is learning about Islam, (Below) An internet site called "Islam-World's Fastest Growing Religion" carries many items about the growth of Islam. (www.geocities.com/Pentagon/3016/fastest.htm)

"Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair admonition, and argue with them in the kindest way. Your Lord knows best who is misguided from His way. And He knows best who are guided." (Qur'an, 16: 125)

(Above) Interest in Islam increases in the US, Islam will spread in the US, (Middle) One of the frequently reported topics in the American press is about converts to Islam. An ABC report entitled "An American in Mecca" recounts Michael Wolfe's pilgrimage. His mother is Christian and his father is Jewish. (Below) The Chicago Tribune deals with the rise of Islam in an article called "Searching Americans Embrace the Logic behind the Teachings of Islam."

(Left) One of the places where Islam is most discussed in America is in universities. In this Christian Science Monitor report, we see a meeting held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of America's most prestigious universities.(Middle) As a result of the post-9/11 interest in Islam, Muslims were inundated as never before with questions about Islam. Newsday reported that a mosque on Long Island is overflowing with people interested in learning about Islam.(Right) In an ABC report on its Internet site shows images of Muslims performing their prayers on New York streets.

Above we see pictures of mosques in various states.

According to the CIA, there are 1.5 billion Muslims world-wide.

The table report source updated from The CIA World's Facts Book estimate of 2004 shows that by the year 2004, there are 1.5 billion Muslims world-wide. One of every 4.3 people in the world are Muslims. The statistic table by CIA however does not includes many other countries that have Muslims, but no available numbers, which should make the above total number of Muslims higher than 1,524,889,114. Islam annual growth rate (1994-1995) from U.N. is 6.40%.. This should make the total number of Muslims on Earth over 2.2 Billion by 2010.

The number of the total population has been taken from The CIA World's Facts Book which can be found at: http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook

The CIA World's Facts Book was used it to verify the total number of population in every country. But since it lacks the percentage of Muslims in each country, we used another statistic located at: http://www.flash.net/~royal/country.html

Growth rates taken between

World Almanac and Book of Facts, 1935
and Readers Digest Almanac and Yearbook 1983

In the last half century...

Confucianism & Taoism decrease 13%
350,600,000
305,000,000

Judaism decrease 4%
15,630,000
15,000,000

Christianity increase 47%
682,400,000
1,000,000,000

Eastern Orthodox decrease 36%
144,000,000
092,000,000

Protestant increase 57%
206,900,000
324,000,000

Catholic increase 70%
331,500,000
565,000,000

Buddhism increase 63%
150,180,000
245,000,000

Hinduism increase 117%
230,150,000
500,000,000

Shintoism increase 152%
25,000,000
63,000,000

Islam increase 235%
209,020,000
700,000,000

Islam is the Fastest Growing Religion on Earth

Q & A On Islam

1) Question: The Polygamy question

Answer: Plural marriage vs. plural mistresses. If in the U.S. the culture and the law allow a macho man to have 1 or 4 or 15 mistresses – why should we condemn Islam for making those men legally responsible for the women? *Plural marriage is not new to the Bible, Thalmud or the Torah as well as other religious scriptures like Vedas, ramayan, Mahabharat and Geetha. Islam did not initiate it; Islam regulated and fought the injustice that was happening in plural marriages. *The Quran is the only religious scripture in the world that contains the phrase, "marry only one". There is no other religious book that instructs men to have only one wife - In the Quran, Allah says, "Marry women of your choice, two three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them) then only one." (An-Nisa 4:3). Before the Quran was revealed, there is no upper limit for polygamy and many men has scores of wives. *Average lifespan of females is more than of males - Males & females are born in approximately the same ratio. A female child is more immunity than a male child. For this reason, during the pediatric age itself there are more deaths among males as compared to the females. During wars, there are more men killed as compared to women. More men die due to accidents and diseases than women and thus, many widows and orphans created which need protection, provision, care and love physically & spiritually. *The World female population is more than male population - In USA, women outnumber men by 7.8 million. New York alone has 1 million more females than males, and the male population of New York one third are homosexuals. The USA as a whole has more than 25million homosexuals & lesbians. Great Britain has 4 million more females as compared to males. Germany has 5million more females as compared to males. Russia has 9million more females than males. GOD alone knows knows how many million more females there are in the world as compared to males. Restricting each and every man to have only 1 wife is not practical. Even if every man got marry to 1 women, there would still be more than 30 million females in USA who would not be able to get husbands (considering that America has 25million gays). There would be more than 4million females in Britain, 5 million females in Germany & (million females in Russia alone who would not be able to find a husband. Suppose your sister happens to be one of the unmarried women living in USA. Among the options open to her are married to a man who already has a wife and be treated justly according to Islamic marriage principals, or becomes 'public property'. Those who are modest will opt for the first. *In Western society, it is common for a man to have mistresses and/or multiple extramarital affairs - in which case, the women leads a disgraceful, unprotected life. The same society however, cannot accept a man having more than 1 wife, in which women retrain their honourable, dignified position in society and lead a protected life. Between the two options to a women who cannot find a husband get married to a married man or become 'public property', Islam prefers giving women the honourable position by permitting the first option and disallowing the second. There are several other reasons, why Islam has permitted polygamy, but it is mainly to protect the modesty of women. But, do not forget also that it is not as easy as many people think how Islam allows polygamy. In Islamic law, the husband must get permissions and signature of his wife first to add another wife and then must also get approval from the authorities of the Islamic Affairs in the country and must give the reason why he want to add another wife. This council will then decide whether he can afford or not to have extra wives in terms of financial, time, physical health etc. He must abide to Islamic law and must be able to be just to all his wife. If he fails to do this, his wives can report to the council and he will then be punish.

2) Question: Men polygamous, why not women?
Answer: It’s not fair? Does fairness mean I must get half the orange and you get half? Or can fairness be I get the peel, you get the fruit? There is no denying it, men are polygamous by their nature, and women are monogamous by their nature. If God legislated it like that, doesn’t He know what He created?

3) Question: Are women oppressed in Islam?
Answer: Most likely someone thinks this because of the Muslim woman’s head covering. So, that thinking tells us that the more clothes a woman takes off, the more liberated she is. Therefore, according to this belief, the most liberated women are pornography models. To a Muslim woman liberation is to be respected for who she is not what she looks like. A Muslim woman’s beauty is seen by her female friends, her children, her close relatives, and her husband. The only people that don’t see her beauty are strange men.

4) Question: Does Islam command the murder of innocent people?
Answer: Why would anyone say so? (Most likely it will be something they saw on TV or ‘media’ related.) Let ponder this, “Are bats evil? If we saw one at night would we get scared?” We’ve watched too many Dracula movies right? Stereotype. Don’t let the media indoctrinate us with stereotypes. Travel the world and experience the diversity. There is more to planet earth then America and CNN.
In the Quran, Surah Al-Maa’idah 5/ 32
[…Whoever kills a soul, unless (it is in legal retribution for muder) of a soul, or whoever spreads corruption in the land – it is as if he had murdered all of mankind. And whoever saves (a soul) – it is as if he had saved all of mankind.]
To read more explanation on this topic, please go to this post - Islam Denounces Terrorism

5) Question: The spread of Islam was by the sword, through violence.
Answer: Then why today is Islam the fastest growing religion amongst Americans and Europeans? Where are the swords? Or is it the power of truth? If it is the truth from God, our Creator, don’t you think you deserve to learn more about it? He’s your Creator too. ( to read more on this topic, please go to this post - was Islam spread by sword?)

6) Question: Do Muslims worship the Grand Mosque in Makkah?
Answer: It is a point of direction for all Muslims around the world. It is the universal axis of universal brotherhood and sisterhood. If a Muslim harbored the belief that they were worshipping the Ka’bah, they would be committing a sin that Allah would never forgive. In Arabic ‘shirk,’ to associate partners in worship with God

7) Question: Non-Muslims cannot enter Makkah and Madinah?
Answer: Every man, woman, and child is allowed to enter Makkah – but they must purify their heart first. There cannot be in their heart love for any God other than the one true God. This is the visa requirement

8) Question: Why can’ t Muslims drink alcohol?
Answer: Of the things that the prophets warned of is alcohol and pork. This is guidance that will bring an individual prosperity and a warning that will bring an individual harm. We don’t need humans to tell us alcohol is a disease and detrimental to one’s health and prosperity. God already told us.

9) Question: Why are there so many sects in Islam, like Shia and Sunni?
Answer: With human differences, there is still one body of Muslims. Our God is the same, our Prophet is the same, our book is the same, our prayer is the same, our direction of prayer is the same, our name is the same (Muslims), our fasting is the same, our pilgrimage (Hajj) is the same on the same day and so much more. Our sources of legislation are the Qur’an and authentic Hadith. Whatever opinion comes, it is by these two we judge it. So, yes, there will be people who
differ. Muslims always have a standard to go back to by which the statements of men are measured.

10) Question: Purpose of religion is high moral character. Then why Islam? And why should those others be condemned? (Good acting person in hell?)
Answer: There is no base to say that the sum total of religion is good character? And what is the definition of high moral character? One can only think that its the way we act towards other human beings, nature, animal etc. Could there be more to religion ... say ... the right of God to be worshipped alone? Do you think it’s possible for a person to be good to humans, but in their relationship with God they are the most wretched? It is not fair to God who created you, shower you with provision, supply you with Oxygen to breathe, the sky as roof to protect you and guide you to the light of true faith through all His Prophets and Messenger and what did you give in return, you worship other than him as God instead (Angels, Prophets, Saints, Kings, Stars, Priests or worst Demons/Satan.). God only acknowledged your good conduct only if you recognize Him as your Lord worth to be worship.

11) Question: Death for the apostate?
Answer: The U.S. acknowledges the punishment for treason – death. Islam is not a bunch of theories; it is a way of life that encompasses spiritual, moral, and social laws. As you understand the punishment for U.S. treason, this is Islam’s punishment for violent treason

Lets Ponder This Facts

When some butterflies open their wings, we encounter a pair of eyes, with all their symmetry and detail. These eyes alone are more than sufficient to convince their enemies that what they face is not a butterfly. Particularly, the false faces of some butterfly species such as the Shonling butterfly, seen in picture, are so perfect with their shiny eyes, facial features, frowning eyebrows, mouth and nose that the overall picture is quite discouraging to most of its enemies.
It is impossible to claim that this extraordinary picture emerged as the result of "an interesting coincidence". When the below picture is examined in detail, we understand that these facial features cannot have been formed by chance. Can coincidence make symmetry? Can coincidence form the same colours and designs in two different places? Certainly not. This claim is quite meaningless and unscientific.
Could the butterfly possibly make this system on its own, thinking that it would be useful? The answer to that question is certainly "no".

The Meaning Of "Assalamualaikum...."

A few days back, my friend/colleague/Trainer by the name (initial) of HK Teo ask me the meaning of Muslim's full-sentence greets of "Assalamu'alaikum Warah Matullahi, Wabarakatuh". Because of time constrain, I could not answer his question, but I prefer to give the answer through this blog of mine, for everyone to know as well.
The Arabic words "Assalamu 'alaikum" literally means "peace be upon you". But Prophet Muhammad advised all Muslims to greet his/her Muslim brothers or sisters in full sentence which is "Assalamu 'laikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh". The words 'rahmah' and 'barakah' were added here which simply means 'bless' and 'prosper'. So, the whole sentence brings the meaning of "Peace be upon you with God's blessings and prosper." The meaning in Malay language would be 'Kesejahteraan ke atas kamu dengan Rahmat dari Allah dan Keberkatannya."
So, this is what I personally understand the meaning behind the sentence. If I'm wrong, perhaps any Muslim readers can leave a comment to correct me. I'll be much appreciated. And to my friend Mr. HK, the Senior T.S, I hope you'll satisfy with the answer.

The Astounding Miracles Of The Quran - Presentation Series

• Prediction Of Future Events - A miraculous aspect of the Qur'an is its prediction of future events, some of which have so far been fulfilled. This is one of the proofs that the Qur'an is the word of Allah.

• The Creation - Fourteen centuries ago, Allah sent down the Qur'an. This book of guidance and wisdom calls man to the truth and instructs all human beings to adhere to the values which this mighty revelation contains. From the day of its revelation to the Day of Judgment, this last divine book will remain as the sole guide for humanity. In addition, the Qur'an contains within its words many miracles which prove it to be Allah's word. One of these attributes is the remarkable number of scientific truths which are contained in the Book of Islam. In this book which was revealed over fourteen centuries ago to the Prophet Muhammad (saas), there are innumerable examples of information humanity have only been able to uncover by the technology of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Pearls Of Prophet Muhammad

A guide to successful life from the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him)

1) On Knowledge:

• "Go in quest of knowledge even to China"

• "Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave"

• "One learned man is harder on the devil than a thousand ignorant worshippers. The pursuit of knowledge is a divine commandment for every Muslim; and to waste knowledge on those who are unworthy of it is like putting pearls, jewels and gold on the necks of swine."
  

• "Acquire knowledge. It enables its possessor to distinguish right from wrong; it lights the way to Heaven; it is our friend in the desert, our society in solitude, our companion when friendless, it guides us to happiness; it sustains us in misery; it is an ornament amongst friends, and armour against enemies."
  

• "Who are the learned? They who practise what they know."

• "That person who dies while he is acquiring knowledge in order to revive the knowledge of religion will be only one degree inferior to the Prophet."

2) On Wealth :

• "Riches are not from abundance of worldly goods, but from a contented mind."

• "Wealth, properly employed, is a blessing; and a man should lawfully endeavour to increase it by honest means."

• Ibn 'Abbas relates, he heard the Holy Prophet saying; " Even if there were for a man two valleys full of wealth he would aspire for a third one, and nothing would fill man's belly but dust, and Allah turns to him who turns to Allah."

• Abu Hurairah relates that the Holy Prophet said; "Whenever one of you looks at him who has been graced with wealth and health to a greater than himself, let him also have a look at one who is below him in that respect."

3) Of Parents:

• "Heaven lies at the feet of Mothers."

• "A man is bound to do good to his parents, although they may have injured him."

• "He who wishes to enter Paradise through the best door must please his Father and Mother."

4) The World:

• "The love of the world is the root of all evil."

• Prophet Muhammad slept upon a mat and got up with marks on his body made by the mat. Someone said, "O Messenger of God! If you had ordered me, I would have spread a soft bed for you. " Prophet Muhammad replied, "What business have I with the world? My state in respect of the World is that of a man on horseback to stops under the shade of a tree for a while and then leaves it."

• Ibn 'Abbas relates that the Holy Prophet holding him by his shoulder said;"Live in the world as if you were a stranger or a wayfarer."

5) Peace:

• "Shall I not inform you of better acts than fasting, giving alms and prayers? Make peace with one another, enmity and malice tear up rewards by the roots."

• Jabir ibn "Abdullah relates that the Holy Prophet said; "He who is not merciful to others will not be shown mercy."

• "They will enter the Garden of Bliss who have a true, pure and merciful heart."

What Is The Wisdom Of Islam?

Islam is a very simple Religion. Islam simply means submitting yourself in peace to the Absolute One and Living GOD:

"Say: He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him. (The Noble Quran, 112:1-4)"

"Then Praise be to Allah, Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth- Lord and Cherisher of all the worlds! To Him be Glory throughout the heavens and the earth: and He is Exalted in Power, Full of Wisdom!. (The Noble Quran, 45:36-37)"

"Say: 'O People of the Book (i.e., Jews and Christians)! Come to common terms as between us and you: That we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah.' If then they turn back, say ye: 'Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah's Will).' (The Noble Quran, 3:64)"

The GOD of Islam is the GOD of everything He created. There is no middle man between the Creation and the Creator; "It was We Who Created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein. (The Noble Quran, 50:16)"

"When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way. (The Noble Quran, 2:186)"

STATEMENTS REGARDING THE QUR'AN

Everything made so much sense. This is the beauty of the Qur'an; it asks you to reflect and reason... When I read the Qur'an further, it talked about prayer, kindness and charity. I was not a Muslim yet, but I felt the only answer for me was the Qur'an and Allah had sent it to me. (Yusuf Islam [Cat Stevens], former British pop star)

I am not a Muslim in the usual sense, though I hope I am a "Muslim" as "one surrendered to God," but I believe that embedded in the Quran and other expressions of the Islamic vision are vast stores of divine truth from which I and other occidentals have still much to learn, and "Islam is certainly a strong contender for the supplying of the basic framework of the one religion of the future."(From the book Islam and Christianity Today)

The essential and definite element of my conversion to Islam was the Qur'an. I began to study it before my conversion with the critical spirit of a Western intellectual... There are certain verses of this book, the Qur'an, revealed more than thirteen centuries ago, which teach exactly the same notions as the most modern scientific researches do. This definitely converted me. (Ali Selman Benoist, France, Doctor of Medicine)

I have read the Sacred Scriptures of every religion; nowhere have I found what I encountered in Islam: perfection. The Holy Qur'an, compared to any other scripture I have read, is like the Sun compared to that of a match. I firmly believe that anybody who reads the Word of Allah with a mind that is not completely closed to Truth, will become a Musli (Saifuddin Dirk Walter Mosig)

The strength of the Koran is that a Muslim, or anyone, can open it to any page and get a message dealing with life's meaning. (The well-known theologian John Esposito)

I hope the time is not far off when I shall be able to unite all the wise and educated men of all the countries and establish a uniform regime based on the principles of Qur'an which alone are true and which alone can lead men to happiness. (French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte)

Tony Blair: "Qur'an Inspired Me"

The British Prime Minister Tony Blair says that he has read the whole Qur'an three times. In his statements, he often mentioned his admiration for the Qur'an's moral teaching. On March 29, 2000, the BBC reported on Blair's admiration for the Qur'an in a feature entitled "Blair: Qur'an Inspired Me." He was reported to have said that Islam was a good and peaceful religion, that he owned two copies of the Qur'an, and that he was quite inspired by it:

If you read the Koran, it is so clear… the concept of love and fellowship as the guiding spirits of humanity.

Two or three days before the 9/11 attacks, the British newspaper The Mail on Sunday published an article in which Blair said that former US president Bill Clinton's daughter Chelsea had given him a copy of the Qur'an as a gift, that he had begun to read it and that it given him courage in times of difficulty. After the attacks, Blair once again said in an interview on Al-Jazeera television that had read the Qur'an. He also added:

I read the message of the Koran, insofar as it can be translated. And I read about Islam and I enjoy doing that. And I think that I have learned things about the Koran that I never knew before and I think a lot of Christians would be interested.

Time magazine described Blair as "long-time student of the Koran" in one article about him.

A speech by Bill Clinton which described how influenced he was by the Qur'an

In his last year in the White House, former US President Bill Clinton received a number of Muslims during Ramadan. At the meeting, which began with a reading from the Qur'an, Clinton used verses from the Qur'an in his own address and frequently stated his interest in Islam:

And I thought it was particularly moving that Imam read the passage from the Koran that said that Allah created nations and tribes that we might know one another, not that we might despise one another. There's a wonderful passage in the Hebrew Torah, which warns people never to turn aside the stranger, for it is like turning aside the most high God. And the Christian Bible says that people should love their neighbor as themselves. But it's quite wonderful to say that Allah created the nations and tribes that they might know one another better... Let me say, also, that there is much that the world can learn from Islam. It is now practiced by one of every four people on Earth. Americans are learning more in our schools and universities. Indeed, I remember that our daughter took a course on Islamic history in high school and read large portions of the Koran, and came home at night and educated her parents about it, and later asked us questions about it... So I ask you again to rededicate yourselves in this coming year to making sure that others in this country truly understand and appreciate the faith you embrace, its practices, its beliefs, its precepts and its inclusive humanity... The Koran also teaches, in addition, to the fact that we should do unto others as we wish to have done to us, and reject for others what we would reject for ourselves, but we should also make a commitment to live in peace…

On September 17, 2001, President Bush visited the Washington Islam Center mosque, one of the oldest in the United States. In his speech, he emphasized that Islam is a religion of peace and that the terrorist attacks of 9/11 have nothing to do with the teachings of Islam or the sincere Muslims of the world, all of whom deplore terrorism. Bush stated that those who inflict harm on innocent and civilian Muslims are just as in the wrong as those who carry out terrorist attacks. At this crowded meeting, covered live by a large number of domestic and international television stations, President Bush read the following verse from the Qur'an:

"In the long run, evil in the extreme will be the end of those who do evil. For that they rejected the signs of Allah and held them up to ridicule." (Qur'an, 30:10)

*The Holy Quran (English Translation) - Click Here