But what if we were to change that up a little? What if we said that the mother had given no limits or boundaries to the child and let the child do almost whatever it pleased? That would be insane! The child would grow up to become corrupt and make the world a more corrupt place. This is what America calls freedom. Islam calls it fasaad (corruption). America gives the excuse that “every man and woman has the freedom to choose between good and evil.” It is like they are playing as God himself! Instead of making it easier for the people to live a righteous life – like how Islam does for both the individual and state level – they make the temptations of the world appear more favorable with their culture of pornography, homosexuality, alcohol, and murder, and then slap on the label, “It is your freedom! So choose!” Naturally, the people follow their desires and make America what it is known for today: a hypocritical, despotically immoral nation led by crooks and baby killers that have horrific intentions to make the world follow their path because of its diversity in evil and deception.

In Islam, however, freedom is to be able to practice your Religion as much as possible, which includes establishing the Shari’ah and waging Jihad for the cause of Allah. Freedom is to be able to stand up to the tyrants and tell them,

“”Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allah.” [Al-Mumtahinah, 4]

Free from your wretched laws, methodologies, constitutions and values… free from your repugnant governments, courts, distinguishing characteristics and media…

“We have rejected you, and there has become apparent between us and you, enmity and hatred forever, until you believe in Allah Alone.” [Al-Mumtahinah, 4]

When one is able to live a life that doesn’t imitate the disbelievers, then he is free. When one is free of peer pressure to do evil whether it is from schoolmates, colleagues, or family, then he is free. If one is free of the mindset and worldview of the disbelievers, then he is free. If one receives insults and persecution for his beliefs, then he is free. When one is able to live a life of righteousness more easily than a life of decadence, then he is free. When one is able to forbid and eradicate evil without fearing the fingers of the people and their tongues, then he is free. When one is able to stand up and enforce the correct way of thinking and life without fearing men, then he is free. And the highest of all these is when he is able to stand in the face of the tyrant governments and their ocean of soldiers whilst not fearing their overwhelming weaponry power since his faith is in his Lord alone and he knows how powerful his Lord is, then he is free.

When morality is taken over by evil and called freedom, then this is only a disaster to the nation as it would then have to preach to its children, “righteousness is bad, and evil is good.” This is so because evil sells. And if America stops selling, then there wouldn’t be an America.

What a curse upon a nation!

Freedom is only found in Islam; it is not trapped by a spider-web of evil marketing scams, nor is it dominated by the desires of a corrupt king. We are free men and a free nation. We roam our lands with our heads above the nations of evil whilst simultaneously our foreheads are on the soil worshiping the one and only Lord, freely.

We do not want the freedom of the Americans since it is slavery. It is slavery to ones whims and desires. It is true that we hate your freedoms, but not because we are jealous or that we desire the same. Rather, we hate it because of how greatly you have corrupted not only your own selves, but the many nations of the world. Therefore, we will continue to show hostility and hatred towards you forever until you believe in Allah alone… and freely. ( arrahmah.com )

This is what we invite the Americans to.

Besides statues, pictures of Jesus and Mary can also be found almost for certain on all Christians. And generally they are very respectful of the statuettes, pictures or paintings of the face of Jesus and his mother Mary. Whereas, it is very clear in the Bible that Allah forbids the making or the worshiping of statues.

Exodus 20: 4-5 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them;”

Deuteronomy 4: 23 “Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden.”

Leviticus 26: 1 “Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the LORD your God.”

Jeremiah 10: 1-8 “Hear what the LORD says to you, O people of Israel. This is what the LORD says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them. For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.” No one is like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. Who should not revere you, O King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you. They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols.”

The commandments of Allah that are so clear, firm and strong, are not practiced at all by all Christians, they proudly display the sculptures and images of Jesus and Mother Mary. Thus Muslims, wherever we encounter them, never establish a statue or a picture of Prophet Muhammad in their houses.

In the Qur’an Allah Ta’ala says :

“And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham said, “My Lord, make this city [Makkah] secure and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols. My Lord, indeed they have led astray many among the people. So whoever follows me – then he is of me; and whoever disobeys me – indeed, You are [yet] Forgiving and Merciful.”” (14: 35-36)

“And those they invoke other than Allah create nothing, and they [themselves] are created.They are, [in fact], dead, not alive, and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected.” (16:20-21)

“And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham said to his father Azar, “Do you take idols as deities? Indeed, I see you and your people to be in manifest error.”” (6:74)

“They said, “We worship idols and remain to them devoted.” Abraham said, “Do they hear you when you supplicate?,Or do they benefit you, or do they harm?”, They said, “But we found our fathers doing thus.”He said, “Then do you see what you have been worshiping,You and your ancient forefathers? Indeed, they are enemies to me, except the Lord of the worlds.”” (26:71-77)

“So he made them into fragments, except a large one among them, that they might return to it [and question]. They said, “Who has done this to our gods? Indeed, he is of the wrongdoers.” They said, “We heard a young man mention them who is called Abraham.” They said, “Then bring him before the eyes of the people that they may testify.” They asked, “Have you done this to our gods, O Abraham?” Abraham said, “Rather, this – the largest of them – did it, so ask them, if they should [be able to] speak.” So they returned to [blaming] themselves and said [to each other], “Indeed, you are the wrongdoers.” Then they reversed themselves, [saying], “You have already known that these do not speak!” Abraham said, “Then do you worship instead of Allah that which does not benefit you at all or harm you? Uff to you and to what you worship instead of Allah . Then will you not use reason?”” (21:58-67)

The proofs that the Christians are making statues, in fact they are even worshiping them are; the sign of the cross, the statue of Jesus, the statue of Joseph, the statue of the Angel, the statue of the Virgin Mary, the Christmas tree, and other statues. Another thing, during the EASTER celebration there is the ceremony of kissing the statue of Jesus crucified on the CROSS. Those are the evidences of their worship of idols. And of course Prophet Isa ‘alaihissalam whom they claim to be Lord Jesus, couldn’t be teaching to worship others besides Allah.

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala says in the Qur’an:

“They have certainly disbelieved who say, “Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary” while the Messiah has said, “O Children of Israel, worship Allah , my Lord and your Lord.” Indeed, he who associates others with Allah – Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.” (5:72)

“And [beware the Day] when Allah will say, “O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, ‘Take me and my mother as deities besides Allah ?’” He will say, “Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right. If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is within Yourself. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen.” (5:116)

It is already clear that, it is not true that the Christians are following the teachings of Prophet Isa Al-Masih (The Messiah), and are usingAl-Kitab/Injeel as their guidance. This is only a few of the proofs of the falsehood that they make against Allah and the teachings of Prophet Isa ‘alaihissalam. ( arrahmah.com)

However, most people achieve only partial or superficial happiness, which provides temporary relief from their problems.

In order to search for everlasting happiness that will lead a person to true success, one must keep an open heart and mind, as the wise one is he who searches for the truth and adopts it immediately.

1- The most important means of happiness and the foundation of all felicity is to have sound belief and perform righteous deeds:

{Whoever works righteousness (whether male or female) while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter).} (An-Nahl 16: 97)

How wonderful is the affair of the believer! All of his affairs are good and this is the case for nobody except a believer

God promises whoever possesses sound belief and performs righteous deeds that he will have a happy life and will also be rewarded in the eternal Hereafter.

The reason for this is obvious: those who have the correct belief which leads to righteous deeds, reformed hearts and refined manners have the basic foundation that they can refer to in any event – regardless of whether these are matters which cause joy and happiness or sorrow and dejection.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, described this quality of the true believers when he said:

“How wonderful is the affair of the believer! All of his affairs are good and this is the case for nobody except a believer.

If he is blessed with prosperity he thanks (Allah) and that is good for him; and if he is afflicted with adversity he perseveres and that is also good for him.” [Muslim]

He informed us that a believer’s reward would be multiplied many times over, regardless of whether what befalls him brings him joy or sorrow.

2- Keep oneself busy in performing beneficial deeds and acquiring useful knowledge.

By doing so, one’s heart is diverted from whatever causes it grief and sorrow, to the extent that a person may completely forget his worries and unhappiness and become happy and energized.

This is something that is common to believers and others, but the believer is distinct due to his belief, sincerity, and his hope for reward while learning or performing beneficial deeds.

If this deed is an act of worship then he will receive the reward for it, and if it is a worldly task which is accompanied with a good intention, such as working for the sake of being able to worship God better, then this will have a strong effect in removing his anxiety and grief.

3- Concentrating on the tasks at hand, not being anxious about the future and not crying over the past is another way of attaining happiness.

This is why the Prophet, peace be upon him, sought refuge with God from anxiety and sorrow. Usually, a person experiences sorrow due to what has passed and cannot be retrieved, whereas grief is due to anxiety for the future and the fear of what may happen.

A believing slave of Allah should live for the current moment, focus, and exert the utmost effort to utilize his time in the best possible way. This will enable him to accomplish his tasks and forget his sorrow and grief.

When the Prophet made a particular supplication or guided his nation to do so, he would also encourage them to exert efforts to obtain what they supplicated for and shun everything which might prevent the prayer from being answered:

“Be keen to do that which will benefit you, rely on Allah, and do not be lazy (by not exerting effort) and say when a problem befalls you: ‘If only I would have done such and such, then the result would have been such and such’ rather, one should say: ‘This was decreed by Allah and He does what He wills.’ Saying ‘If’ opens the gate for Satan (to cause discontent).” (HR : Muslim ) – ( onislam.net )

“But if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (of Ramadan days) should be made up from days later. For those who cannot do this except with hardship is a ransom: the feeding of one that is indigent…. Allah intends every ease for you; He does not want to put you to difficulties….” – Qur’an 2:184-185

In several other passages, the Qur’an instructs Muslims not to kill or harm themselves, or cause harm to others.

Prior to Ramadan, a Muslim should always consult with a doctor about the safety of fasting in individual circumstances. Some health conditions may be improved during fasting, while others may possibly deteriorate. If you decide that fasting could possibly be harmful in your situation, you have two options:

• If yours is a temporary, not chronic, condition you may make up the fast (a day for a day) at a later time, when your health improves.
• If yours is a permanent or chronic condition, you may make a donation in charity in lieu of fasting. The amount should be sufficient to feed one person a day, for each fasting day that is missed.

There is no need to feel guilty about taking care of your health needs during Ramadan. These exemptions exist in the Qur’an for a reason, as Allah knows best what issues we may face. Even if one is not fasting, one can feel part of the Ramadan experience through other areas of worship — such as offering additional prayers, inviting friends and family for evening meals, reading the Qur’an, or donating to charity.

Additional information is available below for those with specific health concerns. Again, you should always consult with your own doctor to evaluate your individual circumstances. ( about.com )

• Through fasting, a Muslim experiences hunger and thirst, and sympathizes with those in the world who have little to eat every day.
• Through increased devotion, Muslims feel closer to their Creator, and recognize that everything we have in this life is a blessing from Him.
• Through increased charity, Muslims develop feelings of generosity and good-will toward others. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once said, “A man’s wealth is never diminished by charity.”
• Through self-control, a Muslim practices good manners, good speech, and good habits.
• Through changing routines, Muslims have a chance to establish more healthy lifestyle habits — particularly with regards to diet and smoking.
• Through family and community gatherings, Muslims strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood, in their own communities and throughout the world.

Ramadan is a very special time for Muslims, but the feelings and lessons we experience should stay with us throughout the year. In the Qur’an, Muslims are commanded to fast so that they may “learn self-restraint” (Qur’an 2:183). This restraint and devotion is especially felt during Ramadan, but we all must strive to make the feelings and attitudes stay with us during our “normal” lives. That is the true goal and test of Ramadan. May Allah accept our fasting, forgive our sins, and guide us all to the Straight Path. May Allah bless us all during Ramadan, and throughout the year, with His forgiveness, mercy, and peace, and bring us all closer to Him and to each other. ( about.com )

Pilate’s response is a fascinating one. “What is truth?”, he says, but he does not voice the question as a genuine query – it is a rhetorical question, a statement describing reality as Pilate observes it – there is no truth, there are only constructed ideologies and practical necessities and people act based upon these and function within the social/economic/political realms generated by these constructs. Right and wrong, truth and justice exist only within the relativistic confines and context of these constructs.

Pilate’s response is a quintessential modern response – in a world of relativity, “what is truth?” In a world dominated by pragmatic realities, ideological loyalties, and political manipulation what, indeed, is truth?

Jesus answers Pilate’s question with silence. And so perhaps it is presumptuous for us to seek an answer, or to listen for elucidation from within his quiescence. Yet this is a question which is a very human one – and one that every age has struggled with and sought to answer in different ways – some from the vantage of faith, some from philosophical logic, some from the rationalism of science, some from postmodern relativism, some from an individualistic mix of different avenues – it is a question which has been approached from every conceivable direction. Pilate asks the question cynically, rhetorically – seemingly not truly seeking an answer – and he receives only silence. But perhaps, in the case of Jesus, even his silence can become a potential exegesis, a speech of subtle elucidation – a pointer, not to a single answer, but to a direction which may take us to a mode of understanding.

Pilate’s world is governed by ideological fealty to the empire and a path governed by pragmatic decision making. His choices hinge, not on any particular concern with distinguishing between truth and untruth (he perhaps is unconcerned to even contemplate what these might mean), but on the weighing of threats and inconveniences to the empire, on the politics of dealing with the constituents of the empire, and on his own personal ambitions within this milieu. Pilate acts and reacts, as we all tend to do, within the limits and parameters of the surrounding society and his own ideological loyalties – juggling personal ambitions and personal compunctions with the realities of his time, and his place within the Roman hierarchy. There, pragmatism and political and economic realism, not some “abstract” truth, carries weight. For Pilate, as perhaps for many of us, existing worldly “realities” overwhelm truth rendering it irrelevant to immediate events.

Jesus’ taciturn silence in response to Pilate’s “What is truth?” is indicative of the vast gulf that stretches between someone like Jesus and someone like Pontius Pilate – a sign of the chasm between two modes of understanding, one mode being rooted in the mundane and the other rooted in deeper modalities – one mode bespeaking the cynicism inherent in Pilate who the world had bent to its connivance (and who in turn sought to further the empire’s influence by his own exercise of authority), the other indicating the certainty of one who sees the world as only a passing shimmer rippling across the surface of Reality. Between these two viewpoints there is an unbounded void.

Pilate’s independence is no independence – it is action tightly bound within the confines of a limited and worldly set of controls and inputs – the rules of the empire he serves, the relationship with Herod and Tiberius, the local politics of the province he governed – Pilate no doubt weighed all these inputs and made decisions that best suited the current situation according to his own internal ranking of the hierarchy of importance of these inputs. This is human nature shaped and governed by worldly circumstance, unmoored from higher realities.

But Jesus speaks from an entirely different realm of inputs – between his world and Pilate’s the gulf is so vast that Jesus’ answer to “what is truth”, can be nothing other than silence.

If truth is that which corresponds most fully to reality, then the truth Jesus acts upon stems from the realities that extend from the throne of God down to the earth of this world. These constitute the foundational metaphysical verities which encompass, penetrate, and underlie the worlds of the heavens and the worlds of matter – not the fabricated constructs of human power structures. Truth, in the sense that Jesus speaks of it, is found along the vertical dimension of reality – that dimension which cuts through a hierarchy of existence that stretches from this world to God.

So Jesus acts upon a truth that goes so deep and that has such a powerful grounding in the foundations of reality itself, that every word he speaks and action he performs has a solidity and deep resonance and spiritual potency arising from its integral connection to the throne from which the reality of the world emerges and from which it draws its subsistence.

“For man does not live by bread alone but from every word that proceeds from God.” (Matthew 4:4) God’s words are the engendering, shaping, and sustaining commands which hold the world in existence, from instant to instant. These words are truth – they are the essential substance that shapes reality.

The first truth and the foundation of all truth is God – “God is the Truth (the Real)” (Qur’an 22:6). His right over His creation is above all other rights.

And He has created in accordance with His nature “We created not the heavens and the earth and what is between them but through the Truth (the Real – Haqq); and the hour will most surely come, so turn away (from the ignorant and heedless) with kindly forgiveness.” (Qur’an 15:85)

And He has placed within each creature’s essence a truth and a nature which can connect it with other truths. “Our Lord is He who gave each thing its creation, then guided it….” (Qur’an 20:50)

Through this nature, truth can connect with truth – “Every one that is of the truth hears my voice.” (John 18:37)

By this connection and attraction, He (God) makes possible the connection between the ones who bring the truth (the Prophets) and the ones who accept the truth - “And he who brings the truth and (he who) accepts it as the truth….” (Qur’an 39:33) Those whose hearts are on the paths of the prophets, whose beings have a resonant identity with them, whose spirits are seeking congruence with theirs – they are the ones who accept the truth.

And He sends truth in the form of revelation, as guidance – “And with truth have We revealed it, and with truth did it come….” (Qur’an 17:105) This is why there is the potential for revelation to enact an alchemical transformation in the one who approaches its truth with their own intelligent and honest sincerity.

And the truth overturns falsehood, revealing falsehood’s self-seeking and ephemeral nature – “We cast the truth against the falsehood, so that it demolishes it, and lo! it vanishes away….” (Qur’an 21:18)

In the Qur’an, truth is repeatedly connected with reality at its deepest and most profound levels. So Jesus’ being is integrally connected to the realities which permeate and suffuse all aspects of creation from the heavens to the earth and all that is in-between. Jesus draws upon and manifests that truth in each glance, in each word, and in each silence. He manifests the truth in the most appropriate manner in each individual action, in each separate time and place, to each person and group – he gives to each aspect of creation he encounters, that which is most appropriate to it. Sometimes he gives healing, sometimes an awakening, sometimes harsh words (to the hypocrites) and reprimands, sometimes specific guidance, sometimes silence, but always, it is truth – conveyed in the most effective manner since its root is firmly established in the full depth of reality. He is a Word from God – cast into Mary’s womb. “…O Marium (Mary), surely Allah gives you good news of a Word from Him, who is the Messiah (Christ), Isa (Jesus) son of Marium, worthy of high honor in this world and the hereafter and is of those who are in near proximity (to Allah).” (Qur’an 3:45)

God’s word is the truth – so when Pilate asks, “what is truth”, the answer is manifest before him. At that juncture, the silence of Jesus’ presence was the most potent response.

The totality of absolute Truth is only possible within the unique singularity and unknowable hidden essence of God – there all contradictions and oppositions find their termination and reconciliation. But here, in the world in which we presently dwell, the Prophets drew upon their profound connection with the unseen, they recognized the true nature of things, they understood the vast substance of the ocean of reality upon whose surface the ephemeral world floats unaware (“You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes….” (James 4:14)) They gave to each thing they encountered its rightful due, drawing out from each its unique truth – the nature with which it was created – since it is by standing on truth, by being true to one’s profound metaphysical nature that one acquires substance, and gains a firm foothold in reality. And it is from this acting on truth, from “…bearing witness to the truth.” (John, 18:37) that the felicitous bond with the ultimate Truth, Al-Haqq, emerges. “ God is the Truth (the Real – Al-Haqq)” (Qur’an 22:6) ( islamicity.com)

Muslims believe that God’s guidance in all matters, both spiritual and physical, is a blessing so that life on Earth will be harmonious and peaceful. After all, the One who created us knows what is best for us.

Focus on Faith

If you get to know an average Muslim individual or family, you will probably find them to be humble and spiritual people. They help their neighbors and the poor, they work hard to take care of their families, and they turn to God for guidance and mercy throughout the day. Muslims pray five times each and every day, as a way of taking a break from the daily grind of life to refocus. Prayer is the first thing they do upon rising and the last thing they do before retiring for the night. Words of prayer and praise fall readily off a Muslim’s lips, even during mundane conversation. Muslims try to be ever mindful of God’s blessings, His mercy, and their obligations to Him as believers.

Focus on Family

After God, Muslims turn their attention to their families. Muslims believe in a strong family unit, which often extends beyond the nuclear family to include other relatives and the larger community. Muslims are dutiful to their parents. They lovingly discipline their children and care for the ill and the elderly. In Islam, the emphasis is on community and family harmony.

A Lifestyle of Moderation

Islam teaches people to be moderate in their lives, not leaning toward one extreme or another. Muslims pray and seek guidance from God, but they also tend to mundane matters of life. They pray during the night, but they also have time to sleep and get a good night’s rest. Muslims spend time in fasting, but they also eat. There is no monasticism in Islam; balance and moderation are key.

Islam discourages extremism in either direction. Muhammad once said, “Religion is very easy, and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists. Rather, try to be near to perfection, and receive good tidings that you will be rewarded.” ( netplaces.com )

Our life would not be possible without the sacrifice and hard work of our parents, who cared for us and met all our needs when we were young. The Qur’an addresses this point in one touching verse: “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. If one or both of them attain old age during your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor repel them. But address them in terms of honor, and lower to them the wing of humility, out of mercy, and say, ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy, as they did bring me up when I was young’” (Qur’an 17:23–24).

Duties to Parents

Muslims are advised to treat their parents gently and respectfully. They should always strive to please them and never become impatient or rude with them. Muslims consider it an honor and a blessing to be able to care for their parents in old age. After all, it’s the least we can do to repay them for all of their hard work and sacrifice. Nursing homes and hospice care are new phenomena in the Muslim world, and they are not widely accepted. Elderly and ill family members almost always remain in the homes of children or relatives, cared for and respected until death.

Muhammad encouraged his followers to treat their parents well and to be mindful of their needs. Once, a young man came to him and wanted to join the Muslim army on the battlefield to defend the community from attack. Muhammad asked him if his parents were living. When the young man said they were, he told him: “Then go back to your parents, serve them, and deal with them kindly. This is as good as fighting for God’s sake.”

A young man once traveled from Yemen to be with the Prophet Muhammad. When he arrived, Muhammad asked him if he had asked his parents’ permission before coming. He hadn’t. Muhammad sent him home, with these instructions: “If they permit you, then come back. Otherwise, be devoted to them.”

Muslims consider their parents’ opinions about important matters, such as choosing a career path, spouse, or place to live. As a Muslim gets older, any income she earns is partially used to support her parents and meet their needs. A Muslim prays that after their deaths, God will forgive her parents and show mercy toward them.

It is important to note, however, that a Muslim’s duty toward his parents is not blind obedience. No Muslim should obey his parents if they order their child to do something that is in violation of Islamic law. In this situation, a Muslim strives to advise his parents, educate them about Islamic teachings in the matter, and ultimately serve God first and foremost.

Mother First

Among parents, it is usually the mother who makes the most sacrifice and endures the most hardship in the care of her children. Islam recognizes this fact, offering more honor to the mother as a parent. Muhammad once said, “Paradise is placed at the mothers’ feet,” so high is their status and regard.

The Qur’an reminds people of the sacrifices and hardships that mothers face on behalf of their children. “And we enjoined upon mankind concerning parents: his mother carried him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is two years. Therefore show gratitude to Allah and to your parents” (Qur’an 31:14).

On another occasion, some people asked the Prophet Muhammad, “To whom should we show kindness first?” He answered, “Your mother.” Then he was asked again, “And after that, then whom?” Muhammad again replied, “Your mother.” He was asked yet again, and he gave the same reply again: “Your mother.” Only after that, when he was asked one more time, did he answer, “Then, your father.”

Muhammad once said, “Let his nose be rubbed in the dust; let his nose be rubbed in the dust; let his nose be rubbed in the dust.” When asked, “Who is it that should be humiliated in such a way?” he answered, “That person who finds his parents, one or both of them, attaining old age in his life, but does not enter Paradise by serving them.”

Non-Muslim Parents

If a Muslim’s parents do not believe in Islam, she is guided to treat them with kindness and mercy out of respect for their sacrifices and unconditional love. However, just as with Muslim parents, if a non-Muslim parent orders something that goes against the faith, the Muslim is not to obey: “But if they strive to make you join other gods in worship with Me, of which you have no knowledge, obey them not. Yet accompany them in this life with gentleness” (Qur’an 31:15). A Muslim must respect and give all other rights and duties to non-Muslim parents, regardless of their faith. ( about.com )

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) elevated women to a dignified level unheard of in the world nearly 1.5 millennium ago. The Prophet wiped off all stigma attached to women by virtue of her gender and willed in his last sermon that women be treated with respect and kindness.

That was the Muslim society in its pristine form. The yawning gap between the time of the Prophet and the present time is sadly reflected in a report on the status of women in the present world prepared by the World Economic Forum in 2008. The report showed that mainly Muslim countries took the last positions in a list of 130 countries in terms of humanitarian treatment of women. While Yemen and Chad had the dubious distinction of coming at the end of the list, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan took positions right before them.

The merciless sense of male honor has also spread to the Muslim societies on the Indian subcontinent including Pakistan and Bangladesh. However, the men there do not wait for the baby’s birth. The sex of a woman’s fetus is identified with the help of a scanning device, and if it is a girl the pregnancy is terminated immediately so that the honor of the family is never compromised by one more woman member!

The entire Muslim society will be answerable before the Almighty Allah for bringing a considerable section of His creation to a state of perpetual indignity and mistreatment. It is sadly noted that even some pious Muslims believe that women are the source of all evil and hence should be treated harshly or at least kept aloof.

In fact, the Holy Qur’an, the Sunnah of the Prophet, the rightly guided caliphs or early Muslim thinkers never suggested that women deserved an inferior treatment.

On the other hand, it was Quintus Tertullianus — or Tertullian in English — a prominent religious leader of the third century of the Christian era, who spawned venomous attributes to women. “You are the devil’s gateway: you are the unsealer of that forbidden tree, you are the first deserters of the divine law, you are she who persuades him, whom the devil was not valiant enough to attack. You destroyed so easily God’s image: man,” Tertullian said of women. While modern Christians reject Tertullian’s ideas as barbaric, the Muslim societies of later centuries seem to have adopted the old Christian views on women. As a result, Islam is wrongfully viewed as a religion that keeps women as slaves for sexual gratification and begetting male babies.

It is the duty of the Muslims to go back to the real teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Prophet, and change the wrong mindset they have developed over the centuries. The first image a Muslim should form in his or her mind about a woman should be that of Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, the first Mother of Believers, may Allah be pleased with her. All Muslims should remember Khadijah with reverence and gratitude for the pivotal role she played in the early stage of the Prophet’s mission. With extraordinary insight and tenderness, that woman gave the Prophet courage and confidence to carry on with the task of lifting human beings from ignorance and oppression to the road of faith and justice.

A God-fearing woman can be superior to a pious man if she excels in her good deeds. No other religious book has given a spiritual position to women as high as the Holy Qur’an did.

“… I will not waste the work of a worker among you, whether male or female, the one of you being from the other…” (Holy Qur’an, Chapter Al-Imran: Verse 195). Then how can we, Muslims, treat women as second-grade citizens?

“And whoever does some good deeds, be it a man or woman, and is a Muslim, will be admitted to Paradise and they will not be wronged (even as much as) the speck on a date seed.” (Holy Qur’an, Al-Nisa: 124)

“Treat your women well and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers,” the Prophet said in his last sermon.

Many incidents reported these days from various parts of the Muslim world give us the impression that we, at least in terms of the treatment of women, are going back to a time identical to the Jahiliyya period, the age before the emergence of Muhammad.

The Qur’an says about this era, “When news is brought to one of them, of (the birth of) a female (baby), his face darkens and he is filled with inward grief! With shame does he hide himself from his people because of the bad news he has had! Shall he retain her on (sufferance and contempt), or bury her in the dust? Ah! What an evil (choice) they decide on? (Chapter Al-Nahl: 58-59). - ( arabnews )

In its original Arabic text, the Prophet’s statement suggests that these qualities are like the branches of a tree. Needless to say, tree branches differ in strength and thickness. Likewise, the qualities or branches of faith differ in importance. The most important of these qualities is the belief in God’s oneness and in Muhammad (peace be upon him) as God’s messenger. Other qualities vary in importance, down to the quality of removing harmful objects from a public path.

The Hadith considers shyness as a quality or branch of faith. In some cultures shyness is seen in a negative light, but in Islamic culture it is given such importance that the Prophet singles it out from among more than sixty qualities. This is due to the fact that shyness restrains a person from doing what is unpleasant, unbecoming or unacceptable from the social or religious point of view.

Thus, shyness becomes an internal restraint, helping us to maintain correct behavior and uphold proper values. It may be suggested that a shy person cannot speak out against improper behavior or outrageous action.

Such inability is not the result of shyness. It indicates weakness of character, which is normally overcome by strong faith. When we speak of restraint motivated by shyness, we only mean restraint from doing what is bad, sinful, evil or socially unacceptable.

The sort of shyness encouraged by Islam is always reflected in a person’s actions. In its highest form, a person feels ashamed of using what God has granted him in any way that constitutes disobedience to Him. A rich person may pass by a nightclub where the program includes a show that has been widely acclaimed.

The thought of going in may occur to him. However, on reflection he feels that it is God that has given him his health, wealth and indeed all that he has. Although the price of admission means little to him, he feels that if he goes in he will be participating in an activity that Islam prohibits.

Thus, he will be using what God has granted him in something that constitutes disobedience of God. He realizes that such an action is an affront to God. His faith will make him feel too shy to commit such an affront.

Some scholars tried to make a list of the qualities of faith. Their attempts did not produce a definitive result. This is due to the fact that some of these qualities can either stand on their own or be incorporated with others. Moreover, having such a list does not lead to any better understanding of Islam. The fact is that the Qur’an and the Prophet’s statements provide a complete view of what is acceptable or unacceptable from the Islamic point of view. ( arabnews.com )