June 2010: Page 1, 2, 3, 4

Submitters Perspective

Page 3

Experience with
Traditional Islam

Cont'd from page 2

Maybe I have the wrong impression, but it seems that a lot of mosque dwellers are not sensitive to people’s feelings. The Quran and the prophet encourage you to be nice to others. That even a smile is like an act of charity.

Where do you see such compassionate and gracious behavior in mosques nowadays? People don’t smile. They are unfriendly almost to the point of being hostile. My wife and daughters complain that they are constantly badgered by someone or the other if even a speck of hair shows from their head cover – even during Salat! This attitude needs to change if our mosques are to be places where our youth go willingly and happily. Right now they are a place to be dreaded!

The other day my family was praying along with another family who are very traditional Muslims. One of the girls constantly kept pushing a single strand of hair back into my wife’s head covering (believe it or not – right during prayer!!). It was obviously very annoying to my wife, let alone the fact that this girl was disrupting the prayer. I think she did it because she believes that she is more religious than my wife – a common misconception/prejudice among women who wear the hijab about women who don’t.

After the prayer, we got into discussions of Arabic and Quran and Salat. I mentioned that a lot of Muslims don’t know what they are saying in prayers. I said for example take the invocation ‘Sami Allah huliman hamidah’ (means ‘God listens to those who praise him’) which is said when you get up from after you bow down.

To my surprise, the girl who incessantly bothered my wife about that little speck of hair had no clue about that, nor did anyone in her Muslim family. By the way, they have been praying, and saying ‘Sami Allah huliman hamidah’ perhaps for the past 30 years or so.

As a kid I used to notice plaques in homes with Arabic calligraphy on them. They are still very popular. One of the most popular of these plaques is a pair of them. One says ‘Allah’ and there is one set right next to it, same size that says ‘Muhammad’. As a kid I used to think they were two divine entities at par with each other.

Why, just recently my father gave me, with good intentions, a piece of printed paper that had drawings of shoes. I asked him what it was. He said it was the drawing of

the prophet’s shoes. He recommended me, with good intentions obviously, to hang it in my house. He explained it was to drive away evil spirits. Now then, that is hero worship of the prophet taken to an extreme that could lead to shirk.

Try this. Next time you hear a Friday sermon, count how many times the prophet’s name is taken and how many times God’s name is taken. In my counts, God always has come second, unfortunately. It may not be so in your case – I hope not. But try it out just the same to test this statement of mine.

R. S.

[5:15]  O people of the scripture, our messenger has come to you to proclaim for you many things you have concealed in the scripture, and to pardon many other transgressions you have committed. A beacon has come to you from GOD, and a profound scripture.

[5:16]  With it, GOD guides those who seek His approval. He guides them to the paths of peace, leads them out of darkness into the light by His leave, and guides them in a straight path.

[22:54]  Those who are blessed with knowledge will recognize the truth from your Lord, then believe in it, and their hearts will readily accept it. Most assuredly, GOD guides the believers in the right path.

* * * * *

What was the Prophet’s shahadah?

Undoubtedly, the prophet Muhammad preached: ‘There is no god beside God’ and it is very clearly mentioned in the Quran:

[37:35] When they were told, ‘Laa Elaaha Ella Allah [There is no other god beside GOD],’ they turned arrogant.

Undoubtedly also, the prophet Muhammad never preached the corrupt version of the Shahadah (statement of faith) cherished by the hypocrites:

[63:1] When the hypocrites come to you they say, ‘We bear witness that

you are the messenger of GOD.’ GOD knows that you are His messenger, and GOD bears witness that the hypocrites are liars.

Abraham was a messenger of God. 

Moses was a messenger of God. 

Jesus was a messenger of God.  Muhammad was a messenger of God...

[3:144] Muhammad was no more than a messenger like the messengers before him. Should he die or get killed, would you turn back on your heels? Anyone who turns back on his heels, does not hurt GOD in the least. GOD rewards those who are appreciative.

How can some people still witness the messengership of Muhammad when he died 1400 years ago?  Only God is everlasting, there is no god but God:

[18:110] Say, ‘I am no more than a human like you, being inspired that your god is one god. Those who hope to meet their Lord shall work righteousness, and never worship any other god beside his Lord.’

Those who love to cherish the corrupt version of Shahadah should reflect on the following verse of the Quran:

[38:65] Say, ‘I warn you; there is no other god beside GOD, the One, the Supreme.

Please remember Muhammad never preached himself as god beside God:

[3:79] Never would a human being whom GOD blessed with the scripture and prophethood say to the people, ‘Idolize me beside GOD.’ Instead, (he would say), ‘Devote yourselves absolutely to your Lord alone,’ according to the scripture you preach and the teachings you learn.

Despite this Quranic fact, some people will still love to cherish the corrupt version of the Shahadah never preached by Muhammad.  Some will even turn arrogant like the Meccan

Cont’d on page 4