Islam Explained

WORLD FAITHS -ISLAM presentation for Thurrock Scouts

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WORLD FAITHS -ISLAM presentation for Thurrock Scouts

By Thurrock Muslims

www.thurrockmuslims.wordpress.com

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In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful

 

This presentation has been prepared for Thurrock Scouts group on behalf of the Thurrock Muslim community. We appreciate this opportunity and thank you for reaching out to us.

We are delighted to present our faith to you and hope this will be an opportunity to foster peace and prosperity in the community.

peace in the sand

 

We’re going to start with a simple summary of our religion, Islam. Then we’ll talk about the relationship between Islam, Muslims and the wider community. And we’ll finish with a summary and an opportunity for you to ask any questions.

 

So what is Islam? Islam is a major world religion, practiced by an estimated 1.6bn people worldwide. Islam means submission to The One True God worthy of worship, called “Allah” in the Arabic language. Allah is The Creator and Lord of all that exists. A Muslim worships Allah.

 

Islam is the faith of absolute monotheism, meaning Muslims acknowledge the complete Oneness of God/Allah (see chapter 112 The Qur’an). Muslims believe that Allah (The One True God) is the only One worthy of worship. Allah has no partners, no children, no family and no need for anything, as He is Self-Sufficient.

 

Allah sent prophets and messengers and books of revelation to guide mankind. We believe in many prophets, including Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and the final prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them all). We believe in the original versions of the previous scriptures revealed to the previous generations, such as the Torah, Psalms and Gospel. We believe in and implement the final revelation, The Qur’an.

 

Muslims believe the purpose in life is to worship Allah alone, by following the Qur’an (the final revealed book from Allah to mankind) and the Sunnah (the guidance of His final prophet and Messenger Muhammad peace be upon him.)

 

shahadah

 

The Qur’an and the Sunnah teach us how to worship Allah, how to conduct ourselves, our rights and obligations, how to perfect our manners, how to eat, drink, dress, and how to conduct our relationships and interactions with others (including with humans, animals and the environment at large).

 

Unfortunately, Islam is regularly misrepresented in the mainstream media. A few criminals who commit acts of injustice, terror and oppression do not and cannot represent true Islam! Every human being makes mistakes, so we cannot judge Islam by Muslims.

 

It’s important to learn the true facts to dispel ignorance, stereotyping and discrimination. Knowledge about any topic is best obtained from the original source, in this case, for Islam the original source is the Qur’an and the collection of Hadith (narrations mentioning the ‘Sunnah’/traditions & teachings of the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him).

sand heart

 

Islam teaches Muslims to perfect their characters and morals. For example, Islam emphasizes the spread of truth, peace, mercy, justice and security for every society. Islam promotes justice and good manners with everyone, irrespective of their backgrounds and beliefs.

 

In summary:

 

  • The main message of Islam is submission to the One True God,
  • Muslims worship Allah by implementing the Qur’an and following the traditions of the final prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
  • The final prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught Muslims to perfect their manners and benefit their communities, and to spread truth, peace and justice, in obedience to Allah.

 

The prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said:

‘The merciful ones are granted mercy by the Most Merciful (Allah) . Show mercy to those who are on Earth, and the One above the heavens (Allah) will show mercy to you.’

 

Thank you for reading and we would love to hear from you! You can get back to us with any questions at our blog www.thurrockmuslims.wordpress.com

Sign up for free and stay in touch with us or contact us here.

 

With love and on behalf of

The Thurrock Muslim Community : )

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Every atheist should see and listen to this

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Need I say more…

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLS5xZhYje0

 

Love it.

May Allah grant us all good guidance and protection and Allah’s abundant blessings be upon His final messenger Muhammad peace be upon him. Ameen.

 

Share this in Sha Allah!

Islam explained (post 1) A brief Introduction to Islam

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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, The Most Merciful

A Brief Introduction to Islam

Welcome dear curious reader. Whether you’re a Muslim or not, it is anticipated that you will learn much from this endeavour. Sadly, Islam is still largely misunderstood by much of the population. Thus, we took the initiative to tell you the TRUTH about Islam.

Let’s begin!

Islam is one of the world’s major religions, followed by approximately 1.7 billion people and growing. About 1 in 5 people in the world follow Islam.

Islam, like other Abrahamic Faiths, teaches the belief in One God. However, Islam is 100% monotheistic, that is, we believe God is The One, The Eternal, The Creator, who doesn’t have any partners or family or children, and God alone deserves to be worshipped. We also believe that God (Allah) sent many prophets and messengers and revealed books to guide us. We also believe in Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (upon them be peace). Muhammad (upon him be peace) is the final Messenger of Allah, and the Qur’an (Koran)  is the final revealed book of Guidance for all mankind.

All the prophets of Allah called to the same message: to worship The One True God (Allah) only, with sincerity and without making any partners, idols or rivals.

 

Islam means to submit your will to God (Allah), with sincerity, and in peace.  Followers of Islam are called Muslims. Islam is a complete way of life. It influences everything including: worship, food, dress-code, relationships, interactions, business, health, money, law and order, life and death.

Muslims believe in an afterlife, that is, there will be a judgement, heaven and hell. We believe that our ancient enemy, Satan, is constantly plotting our downfall and encouraging disobedience to God. We can fight the Satan away by remembering Allah frequently. As humans, we make mistakes, so we always ask Allah to forgive us. We acknowledge we aren’t perfect, but have to try our best to do good and keep away from sins.

We believe our purpose in life is to worship Allah alone, following the example of the prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace).

The prophet Muhammad peace be upon him stressed the importance of excellent moral conduct and principles. Some of these key values are sincerity, patience, strength, dedication, cooperation in good, consideration, removal of evil, educating oneself and others, upholding the family, and establishing justice with EVERYONE, whoever they may be.

Here are some more details:

1. Allah-The Supreme Creator and Lord of all creation. The One True God worthy of worship. Allah is the Eternal, uncreated Creator.  He is One, Self-sufficient, independent from and separate from His creation. Allah does not have any partners or children. There is nothing like Allah. Allah is the All-Knowing, All-Seeing, All-Hearing, Provider, Cherisher, Sustainer and Originator of the universe. It is essential to affirm the Oneness of Allah in His Lordship, His names and attributes and His exclusive right to be worshipped without partners or associates.

You can find a superb description of Allah in chapter 112 of the Qur’an:

2. Islam– Means submission to the will of the One Supreme Creator of the universe known as ‘Allah’ or The One True God.

3. Muslim- One who submits his/her will to the Will of Allah. The purpose in life is to worship Allah, not because He needs us (remember He is Self-Sufficient, Self-Subsisting) but because we need Him. It is in everyone’s natural disposition to recognise Allah’s Lordship and His right to be worshipped exclusively.

4.Messengers and prophets– Allah did not leave creation without guidance. He sent prophets and messengers, who were human beings, to warn their nations and remind them to worship Allah alone. We believe in Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus among others, peace be upon them all. Incidentally, we believe Jesus was born from the virgin Mary, miraculously without a father. Jesus is not the son of God, because God (Allah) is One, without partners, associates or children. Humans and created beings have children, and God is unlike His creation! Therefore, we respect and believe in Jesus peace be upon him as a messenger of God who never claimed divinity, but rather, he called to the worship of The One True God (Allah) alone without partners.

5. Scriptures and revealed books– Allah sent the messengers with scriptures to guide the people to come back to the worship of One True God alone. We believe in the original scriptures, such as the Torah, Psalms and Gospel (the current day versions have been altered by man over time and are thus no longer in the original form). All the messengers and prophets (peace be upon them all) professed Islamic Monotheism. The previous messengers were sent with revelations for their people at their times. Thereafter, Allah sent a final messenger to guide,remind and warn us.

palm tree banner witha ayah 40 surah ahzab

6. The Final prophet and messenger and final book of revelation– Allah sent the final prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the last messenger after whom no new messenger will be sent to mankind. Allah revealed the final book of revelation,The Qur’an, to the prophet Muhammad, who conveyed this to his people. The Qur’an is the verbatim words of Allah.

The miracle is that the Qur’an has been preserved from change since its revelation over 1400 years ago, as Allah guaranteed to guard it from corruption.

Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur’an) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption) .

[Qur’an, 15:9- English interpretation]

The message Muhammad was sent with and the final revealed book (The Qur’an)  abrogates all other books and laws before it. Muhammad peace be upon him also called to the Oneness of God and called people to worship Allah alone without partners (Islamic Monotheism), the same message of the previous prophets. The prophet Muhammad came with Islam, and the Qur’an, and this is the message all nations after him are to follow, as commanded by Allah. Indeed, it is through obeying God (Allah) that we hope to attain eternal bliss in the afterlife.

To be continued… Next page

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IS TERRORISM A MUSLIM MONOPOLY? WATCH THIS- SHOCK ALERT

Thurrock Muslim Community- thurrockmuslims.com1 Comment

In The Name of Allah (The One True God to be worshipped).

IS TERRORISM A MUSLIM MONOPOLY? 

Dr Zakir Naik- Scholar of comparative religion & medical Dr.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfhc32Pca9s 

 

OMG… who hijacked history? Aren’t those facts surprisingly enlightening. Why are we hardly ever told of these incidents in history, of terror, genocide and anarchy at the hands of people who never identified with the Islamic faith- yes, think Spanish inquisition, Hitler, Milosevic, IRA bomb blasts, Vietnam war but to name a few… none of the perpetrators here were Muslim…

Lesson to learn– Terrorism knows no race, no religion, no region. STOP JUDGING, and LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT ISLAM.

With peace,

Thurrock Muslims.

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What is Hijab? 9 Things You Should Know

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In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

What is Hijab? 9 Things You Should Know

It’s been in the limelight time and time again, in parliament, in the media, in school, on the streets, virtually everywhere. Some hold it as a sign of emancipation, others ignorantly perceive it to be otherwise. For sure, it’s been heavily debated, and heavily misunderstood.

It’s the Hijab.

Did you know that Hijab is more than a scarf wThurrockMuslims picture Islam prayer hall musallarapped around your head?

Let’s break this down.

1-Hijab, is an Arabic word, meaning a screen, a cover, a barrier.

2- It’s often associated with modesty, Muslims and Islam. Incidentally, orthodox female followers of other faiths such as Judaism and Christianity also choose to cover (usually concealing the hair, with the neck exposed).

3- The Islamic Hijab is a command from Allah (The One True God), which Muslims strive sincerely to implement in their lives [see Qur’an 24:30-31 and Qur’an 33:59].

4- Muslim men also have a Hijab to observe.

5- Hijab is more than clothing, it extends to attitude too- it’s external and internal.

6- Hijab helps to promote a morally upright society, where God-Consciousness thrives.

7- Hijab is worn by millions of women worldwide. Many state that they have never felt more liberated since adopting the dress code.

8-Many people have fought for the right to wear Hijab (including the head cover, the outer gown and face veil).

9- There are about 8 conditions of Hijab. Check out our upcoming post!

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Dear reader.. part 2

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bismillah

 

Dear Reader,

This is my second letter to you.

Hey I know its been a while! Thanks for your patience though.

So you tried getting rich, but failed… or maybe you made it.

So you tried fame, and maybe you got it, but at times, with fame, comes shame…some love you, some don’t…

So you tried getting a degree, but you didn’t quite hack it… or maybe you did, and then a bachelors wasn’t enough, so you got a masters, then a phd, and now you’re very intelligent… well at least you think you are… : )

So can you tell me why you were born the day you were? Can you tell the day you will pass away? Can you tell me what colour my bedroom floor is? Can you?

Nope. Because you can’t see it. But that doesn’t mean you were not born on the day you were, or that you won’t pass away one day, or that my bedroom floor is colourless…

Although you cannot be an eye-witness on many an occasion, nor can you physically witness everything that exists or happens, you do agree with me that these things are true because they have signs which point to their reality.

You know you were born that day, because you have a birth certificate to prove it. You know you will die one day, because you see people losing their lives everyday. You know my bedroom floor has a colour, otherwise it wouldn’t be a normal floor.

So I’m sure you’d agree, you don’t always have to see things plainly in order to ascertain their existence. Yet there are signs which indicate they exist.

The universe and all within it points to the existence of a Supreme Creator.

And the Supreme Creator,is unique, there is no similitude to Allah. Allah is The Supreme One True God, The Uncreated Lord of the universe and all within it, the One who created everything in pairs as a sign to remind us of His Oneness, and His right to be worshipped alone. He is The Rich, The Free of all needs, The Most High. The Self-Sustaining, The Self-Existing, The Universal Witness… The Ever-Living, The Eternal, The One who is not born, nor does He die. He is the First and the Last. The Originator..

And we will return to Him…everything will perish except Him…

Because man is a mere fragile created being…

And our purpose on earth is to establish the remembrance of The Creator, Allah.

Allah is our Provider, our Sustainer, our Helper, our Master, our Lord, our Protector.

We need Him. And we need to worship Him, to fulfil our purpose, because He deserves exclusive worship.

So then, we now know that the purpose in life is to worship Allah (The One True God), Alone.

You see, Allah doesn’t need us to worship Him. He is the Owner of power. Allah is forever Self-Sufficeint. He is not bound by time and location, for He created these. Allah tells us in the Qur’an that He is The Rich, Free of all needs and wants, The Praiseworthy.

He did not need us when we were non-existent, He doesn’t need us now, and He will never need us.

Allah doesn’t need us to worship Him, rather He deserves our worship… and we need Him.. we depend on Him.. He is our Provider, our Protector, our Creator, our Lord.

and we NEED to worship Him… because that is the purpose for which we were created.

 

( 56 )   And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.
( 57 )   I do not want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me.
( 58 )   Indeed, it is Allah who is the [continual] Provider, the firm possessor of strength.
( 59 )   And indeed, for those who have wronged is a portion [of punishment] like the portion of their predecessors, so let them not impatiently urge Me.
( 60 )   And woe to those who have disbelieved from their Day which they are promised.[QUR’AN  CHAPTER 51 VERSES 56-60] 

Whether we worship Him or not, it does not detract or add to His Might and Power whatsoever, Allah is the All-Powerful, the unyielding in strength. Allah possesses the ultimate power, so what are we?… we have to inevitably submit to Him. We have no other refuge, only Allah grants true security.

So won’t we run back to Him?

and with that, I’m going to call it a day, my friend.

With love and peace,

Thurrock Muslims

p.s. guess you’re wondering, how do we worship Allah? Follow our blog, and you’ll find out, God willing : )

Every atheist should see and listen to this

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Need I say more…

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLS5xZhYje0

 

Love it.

May Allah grant us all good guidance and protection and Allah’s abundant blessings be upon His final messenger Muhammad peace be upon him. Ameen.

 

Share this in Sha Allah!

Islam Explained (post 3)

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In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

Islam Explained post 3

Ever wondered what the five pillars of Islam are? Why do Muslims have to pray? Do you really stop eating for 30 days in Ramadan? What’s the Hajj?

Look no further for the answer:

The last messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
‘ “Islam is built upon five [pillars]: the testimony that there is no god but Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah; establishing regular prayer (salaah); paying the zakaah; Hajj (pilgrimage) and fasting Ramadaan.”

(Agreed upon; narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 8) ‘

 

 

These are the five important matters and acts of worship which every Muslim must perform, (see further for more details):

1- Testimony of faith- Muslims must testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone without partners and associates, and that Muhammad peace be upon him is the final servant and messenger of Allah. 

This must be internalised, and uttered and adhered to in both word and deed.

2- Salah/establishing regular prayer- There are five compulsory prayers Muslims are obliged to perform each day. Reference for this obligation can be found in numerous verses of the Qur’an (Allah’s final book of revelation to us).

“Verily, As Salaah (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours”
[Qur’an chapter 4:103]

 The prayer is the second most important duty after upholding the testimony of faith, such that abandoning it is tantamount to disbelief. Details on the way to perform Salah, and its importance can be found in statements and narrations of the sayings and teachings of Muhammad peace be upon him, Allah’s final prophet.

3-Zakaah- The Obligatory charity- This requires Muslims whose wealth reaches the required threshold, to pay 2.5% of there wealth in charity to individuals eligible for Zakat funds as mentioned in the 9th chapter of the Qur’an (verse 60), each lunar year.

4- Ramadan/Fasting- Muslims are obligated to fast 29 or 30 days of the 9th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. This requires abstinence from food,drink and intimacy from the beginning of dawn to when the sun has set. Those unable due to a valid reason, e.g.travel, are to make up the days before the next Ramadan. There are more rulings regarding fasting which we have posted in previous blog posts. 

“O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)”

[Qur’an,  2:183]

 

5- Hajj/pilgrimage- This is a journey to Makkah and surrounding areas which Muslims undertake, at least once in their lifetime, in submission to the command of Allah. Muslims who are adults, sane, free, physically and financially able, (and for women, have a male family member to accompany them) must undertake this journey of devotion to The Supreme Creator, Allah.

“And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence); and whoever disbelieves [i.e. denies Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), then he is a disbeliever of Allaah], then Allaah stands not in need of any of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)”

[Qur’an 3:97]

Hope you like these short insights to Islam.

With peace,

Take care.

(Do leave your comments and questions below!)

Thurrock Muslims

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Dear Reader…

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Dear Reader,

You are reading this today, for a reason.

I want you to give me your answer to the question:

What is the purpose in life?

Write it down. Make a list if you want. Now scroll down to see what you may have come up with…

 

  • to be happy
  • to have fun
  • earn money
  • look good
  • get married
  • to be loved
  • to have a family
  • have kids
  • get famous
  • get educated
  • travel the world
  • to eat/drink/sleep
  • whatever else you added

 

These things are accepted by many as common pursuits of life. But are they really the purpose of our existence? Does failure to attain these imply that it’s not worth living anymore? Are people who cannot attain these worthless?

 

Let’s get real. Sure everyone wants to be happy, but sometimes we become sad. Does that mean we shouldn’t bother living anymore? No! Of course not!

The same can be said about having fun, life’s not always fun, is it? I’m just being honest.

Money…so what happens when you go broke? What about those in poverty or unable to earn?

And about looking good… well, define good-looking for a start… and then decide, is beauty and youth everlasting, or ephemeral? (Botox does not count, those who’ve been there and done that can tell you all about it!)

The same about everything else on that list. You may have it, you may lose it, you may never attain it, and if you do, it will not last forever. Ultimately, we do have an end. Agreed? That’s a nod.

 

So then, all these things are ephemeral pursuits in life. What’s more, they may not be attainable to everyone. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth living. Because life has meaning. It’s got to be far deeper than merely getting by before you die.

 

What is the purpose of life?!

Quite simply, this is the very question which many have failed to answer adequately.

But when the answer comes from the Supreme Creator of all existence, things become a whole lot clearer.

As Muslims, we believe in One Supreme Creator of the universe and all existence. You may say God, we prefer to use Allah- you can’t add gender or plurals to the latter.

Allah is The Supreme Creator of all. Everything has a beginning and an end. But Allah is The Ever-Living, The Self-Existing, The Originator.  Allah created you and me, and everything. Allah owns everything, including you and me. We belong to Allah. And we will return to Allah soon…

Allah informs us that we were created for a purpose, and that purpose is to worship none but Allah alone, without partners or associates.

“and I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship me (alone). [Qur’an, chapter 51: verse 56 (English interpretation of Arabic)]

I haven’t finished this letter yet. Thanks for your time though, I’m going to have to continue it soon, if Allah wills…

Islam Explained (post 2)

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Continued…

Previously, we discussed that the fundamental principle in Islam is to affirm the Oneness of Allah, in His Lordship, His names and attributes and His right to be worshipped exclusively. We also discussed belief in the prophets and messengers of God (Allah) , the last of whom was prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), as well as the scriptures of the past, and the final revealed book, The Noble Qur’an.

pattern pentagons

Here follows some more enlightening facts about our Islamic beliefs and principles:

7. Unseen Creation- Muslims believe in the unseen creation, such as the angels and jinns.The angels always obey Allah. Regarding the jinn, there are believers and disbelievers among the them. Satan (man’s biggest enemy) is from among the Jinn creation.

 

8.Heaven and hell- Muslims believe that there is judgement and an afterlife following this ephemeral worldly existence. We will be held accountable for our actions on the Day of Judgement. We strive to reach paradise, the abode of eternal pleasure, by obediently doing what Allah loves and is pleased with, and by striving to avoid what He forbids and is displeased with.

 

9.Divine decree and predestination- Allah has absolute control over the universe and there is no power nor strength except with Him. His Wisdom is great. His justice is perfect. And He is All-Knowing, All-Observant and All-aware, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful. He wants good for His servants. He knows exactly why everything that occurs in the universe does so, because He decreed it with infinite wisdom. He knows the past, the present, the future, i.e. what has happened, what is happening and what will happen. We have choice to do good or bad, yet this does not operate outside the comprehensive decree and irresistible will of Allah, The Irresistible, The Mighty Compeller. Good and bad things happen to us in this world, as a test of our faith in God. If we turn to God (Allah) always and have faith, trust, repent and bear patiently, we will get through the trials successfully.

 

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