The Founding Fathers and Islam

Library Papers Show Early Tolerance for Muslim Faith

By JAMES H. HUTSON

With more than 55 million items, the Library's Manuscript Division contains the papers of 23 presidents, from George Washington to Calvin Coolidge. In this article, Manuscript Division Chief James Hutson draws upon the papers of Washington, Thomas Jefferson and other primary documents to discuss the relationship of Islam to the new nation.

A selection from Jefferson's autobiography where he expresses satisfaction over the Virginia legislature's expression of tolerance in its Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom.

Many Muslims feel unwelcome in the United States in the aftermath of September 11, according to newspaper reports. Anecdotal evidence suggests that substantial numbers of Americans view their Muslim neighbors as an alien presence outside the limits of American life and history. While other minorities—African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans—were living within the boundaries of the present United States from the earliest days of the nation, Muslims are perceived to have had no part in the American experience.

Readers may be surprised to learn that there may have been hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Muslims in the United States in 1776—imported as slaves from areas of Africa where Islam flourished. Although there is no evidence that the Founders were aware of the religious convictions of their bondsmen, it is clear that the Founding Fathers thought about the relationship of Islam to the new nation and were prepared to make a place for it in the republic.

In his seminal Letter on Toleration (1689), John Locke insisted that Muslims and all others who believed in God be tolerated in England. Campaigning for religious freedom in Virginia, Jefferson followed Locke, his idol, in demanding recognition of the religious rights of the "Mahamdan," the Jew and the "pagan." Supporting Jefferson was his old ally, Richard Henry Lee, who had made a motion in Congress on June 7, 1776, that the American colonies declare independence. "True freedom," Lee asserted, "embraces the Mahomitan and the Gentoo (Hindu) as well as the Christian religion."

In his autobiography, Jefferson recounted with satisfaction that in the struggle to pass his landmark Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom (1786), the Virginia legislature "rejected by a great majority" an effort to limit the bill's scope "in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan." George Washington suggested a way for Muslims to "obtain proper relief" from a proposed Virginia bill, laying taxes to support Christian worship. On another occasion, the first president declared that he would welcome "Mohometans" to Mount Vernon if they were "good workmen" (see page 96). Officials in Massachusetts were equally insistent that their influential Constitution of 1780 afforded "the most ample liberty of conscience … to Deists, Mahometans, Jews and Christians," a point that Chief Justice Theophilus Parsons resoundingly affirmed in 1810.

Toward Islam itself the Founding generation held differing views. An evangelical Baptist spokesman denounced "Mahomet" as a "hateful" figure who, unlike the meek and gentle Jesus, spread his religion at the point of a sword. A Presbyterian preacher in rural South Carolina dusted off Grotius' 17th century reproach that the "religion of Mahomet originated in arms, breathes nothing but arms, is propagated by arms." Other, more influential observers had a different view of Muslims. In 1783, the president of Yale College, Ezra Stiles, cited a study showing that "Mohammadan" morals were "far superior to the Christian." Another New Englander believed that the "moral principles that were inculcated by their teachers had a happy tendency to render them good members of society." The reference here, as other commentators made clear, was to Islam's belief, which it shared with Christianity, in a "future state of rewards and punishments," a system of celestial carrots and sticks which the Founding generation considered necessary to guarantee good social conduct.

George Washington's 1785 letter wherein he declared that he would welcome "Mohometans" to Mount Vernon if they were "good workmen."

"A Mahometan," wrote a Boston newspaper columnist, "is excited to the practice of good morals in hopes that after the resurrection he shall enjoy the beautiful girls of paradise to all eternity; he is afraid to commit murder, adultery and theft, lest he should be cast into hell, where he must drink scalding water and the scum of the damned." Benjamin Rush, the Pennsylvania signer of the Declaration of Independence and friend of Adams and Jefferson, applauded this feature of Islam, asserting that he had "rather see the opinions of Confucius or Mohammed inculcated upon our youth than see them grow up wholly devoid of a system of religious principles."

That ordinary citizens shared these positive views is demonstrated by a petition of a group of citizens of Chesterfield County, Va., to the state assembly, Nov. 14, 1785: "Let Jews, Mehometans and Christians of every denomination enjoy religious liberty…thrust them not out now by establishing the Christian religion lest thereby we become our own enemys and weaken this infant state. It is mens labour in our Manufactories, their services by sea and land that aggrandize our Country and not their creeds. Chain your citizens to the state by their Interest. Let Jews, Mehometans, and Christians of every denomination find their advantage in living under your laws."

The Founders of this nation explicitly included Islam in their vision of the future of the republic. Freedom of religion, as they conceived it, encompassed it. Adherents of the faith were, with some exceptions, regarded as men and women who would make law-abiding, productive citizens. Far from fearing Islam, the Founders would have incorporated it into the fabric of American life.

For Some Muslim Wives, Abuse Knows No Borders

Traditional Pressures Can Persist in U.S.

By Pamela Constable
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 8, 2007; A01

One was a shy, slender young woman who spoke no English when she was brought from Pakistan to enter an arranged marriage with a stranger in Virginia. The other was a self-confident professional, born in Turkey but raised in the United States, who thought she knew what she was doing when she married an educated Muslim man in Maryland.

Yet both women fell under the sway of the same powerful pressures that sometimes reach around the globe to keep Muslim wives in the Washington region imprisoned in abusive marriages, unable to fight the gossip and shame that come with defying their culture and religion, isolated from help that is just a three-digit phone number away.

"My husband beat. He show knife. I am scared for him, for all family," said Shamim, 21, the Pakistani bride, who was rescued by police. She is being sheltered and tutored in English at a private home. "They say no money, no call mother at home. I cook for all, I not eat. I not know 911 what is. I think I go crazy."

Shireen, the woman in Maryland, speaks with articulate chagrin about how the crushing weight of social expectation kept her in a relationship that soon turned violent. Both women's last names are being withheld at their request.

"I was perfectly happy living alone, but the family kept pushing me to marry. I wanted to show them I was a good Muslim girl," said Shireen, now 37 and divorced. When her husband became abusive, she said, relatives told her to be a better wife. When she took him to court, she said, "everyone abandoned me. I was the one who had done something wrong."

Domestic abuse is hardly unique to Muslim immigrant communities; it is a sad fact of life in families of all backgrounds and origins. Yet, according to social workers, Islamic clerics and women's advocates, women from Muslim-majority cultures face extra pressure to submit to violent husbands and intense social ostracism if they muster the courage to file charges or flee.

A major obstacle to recognizing and fighting abuse, experts said, can be Islam itself. The religion prizes female modesty and fidelity while allowing men to divorce at will and have several wives at once. Many Muslims also believe that men have the right to beat their wives. An often-quoted verse in the Koran says a husband may chastise a disobedient wife, but the phrasing in Arabic is open to several interpretations.

"Many batterers manipulate Islamic law or use its perceived authority to control their wives. A man who has the power to divorce can really twist the knife," said Mazna Hussain, an attorney for abused women at the Tahirih Justice Center in Falls Church. "Muslim women want to be faithful to their religion, and the idea that you cannot disobey the word of God is very compelling, even if you are in an abusive relationship."

Mosques are a central focus of community life for Muslim immigrants, and the influence of their male clerics is enormous. Only a handful of these imams have spoken out on the problem of abuse, a source of shame and denial among their flocks.

In Sterling, Imam Mohamed Magid at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society offers counseling to engaged couples, ensuring they understand their mutual rights and duties. In Silver Spring, Imam Faizul Khan at the Islamic Society of the Washington Area holds weekly counseling sessions for troubled couples.

"For many years, our community did not face these issues. Women suffered in silence and fear. Even today, many imams think it could never happen in their mosque," Khan said. "Islam gives equal rights to men and women, but there are myths in Muslim society that men are superior and violence is permitted. This is wrong, and it needs to be said."

Khan and others are also trying to bring men into the debate by forming a group called Muslim Men Against Domestic Violence. But they said recruiting participants is not easy. Even when taken to court on charges of abuse, several experts said, many Muslim men will argue that they were within their rights or are being victimized by vindictive spouses.

Another powerful barrier to change can be the grip of Muslim culture, with its gossip among extended families and its tradition of arranged marriages, in which brides often are sent to live with their in-laws. Immigrant brides are frequently cut off from their families and isolated in new households, where they occupy the lowest social rung and might be forced to act as servants.

Social workers and government officials said there are numerous programs in the area to help Muslim women who are abused, such as hotlines with links to Arabic and Urdu speakers and shelters that serve meat slaughtered according to Islamic ritual. But if a young woman is brought to the United States, speaking no English and surrounded by in-laws, she might be as far from help as if she were living in a Pakistani or Moroccan village.

"Many women are kept inside, with no one to turn to," said Catherine Juhel, a counselor at the Foundation for Appropriate and Immediate Temporary Help (FAITH), an assistance program for Muslim women in Herndon. "They don't know the language or the laws here, only what their husband tells them. Often they come from a society where if you go to the police, they will bring you right back home. How can they be sure it would be any different here?"

A cudgel often wielded by abusive Muslim husbands in the United States is their power over the legal immigration status of their wives. Many brides arrive with temporary "marriage" visas obtained through husbands who are U.S. residents or citizens. Lawyers and social workers say an angry or demanding husband might threaten to "call immigration" and have the wife deported, raising the horrifying specter of her returning home in shame.

Many imported Muslim wives do not know that there are U.S. laws allowing them to seek residency alone if they can prove they have been abused by their spouses. Several legal-aid organizations in the region handle these petitions free of charge, and they help women seek protective orders and child custody.

A closely related problem is nervousness about the prospect of leaving home. In many Muslim societies, women are protected and housed by their fathers and then by their husbands; if they date or live alone, they risk being tarred as prostitutes. To seek shelter from strangers in an alien country might seem a worse fate than enduring abuse in familiar surroundings.

"Sometimes women do not want to go to shelters. Even if the man is beating her and the children, she may feel it is their Islamic duty to remain home and respect him," said Ambreen Ahmad, director of FAITH. "We try to show them that in Islam, their rights are protected and their duty is only to God. When they finally understand, they are so relieved they cry and cry. It is like breaking shackles."

In the case of Shamim, it took a series of contacts with sympathetic relatives and women's rights activists for her to summon the nerve to call 911. When she finally did, the police came in a patrol car, helped her pack while her husband and in-laws watched in astonishment, and escorted her to a friend's home.

"Now I am freedom," Shamim said, grinning broadly as she took a tea break recently from her English studies. "I stay America. Not go home. In home, everyone blame woman, it is my culture. Everyone blame me."

Yet even U.S.-educated women can be browbeaten into enduring abuse for fear of shaming their families or facing cruel gossip at the mosque. Organizations that help them escape are viewed by some conservative Muslims here as dangerous saboteurs of Muslim values and family.

In Shireen's case, even a college degree and a good job could not fend off the demands of family and community bent on fitting her into a traditional Muslim mold. Now that she finally has freed herself from an unhappy match, she said, she has become a pariah to the family that once hovered around her.

"I know I was stupid to give in, but you get overwhelmed by all the pressure," she said. "Now I have been totally shunned. I embarrassed my husband in the eyes of the community. It doesn't matter why I left him or what he did to me. Even in America, you can't always get away from home."

The Face of Submission

Sacrificing values in the name of making nice with dictators is pure appeasement. It buys nothing because you give them what they want for free, and, being the terrorist-sponsoring totalitarians they are, will simply want more. You also stab in the back all of those oppressed people -- reformers in the majority and all those oppressed minorities -- who look to America for a hope from the quicksand. Reform Party of Syria: Has Pelosi Gone Bonkers?

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was seen roaming the streets of Damascus flaunting a Hijab. The Hijab worn by women across the Muslim world has come to symbolize either one of three things: 1) a symbol that men control women by forcing piety, or 2) a return to religiosity because of oppressive rulers, or 3) a fashion statement. If you ask any expert on the Middle East, you would get any one of three answers. The ones who usually claim it is a fashion statement are the political rulers who usually oppress people in general. A Hijab is NOT a confirmation of the rights of women in the Middle East but rather a symbol of their suppression.

As a Muslim, I fully understand respect of our religion by visiting US officials and I applaud that respect. Had Speaker Pelosi worn the Hijab inside a Mosque, this would have indicated respect but for Pelosi to wear it on the streets of Damascus all the while she is sitting with the self-imposed Baschar al-Assad who has come to symbolize oppression and one of the reasons why women are forced to wear the Hijab as they turn to religion to express their freedom is a statement of submittal not only to oppression but also to lack of women's rights in the Middle East. Pelosi just reversed the work of the Syrian civil society and those who aspire for women's freedom in the Muslim countries many years back with her visual statement. Her lack of experience of the Middle East is showing.

Assad could not have been happier because Syrian women, seeing a US official confirming what their husbands, the Imams in the Mosques tell them, and the society at large imposes on them through peer pressure will see in her wearing a Hijab as a confirmation of the societal pressures they are constantly under. No one will ever know how many women took the Hijab on after seeing Pelosi wearing it. The damage Speaker Pelosi is causing with her visit to Syria will be felt for many years to come.

Some people love to talk, but they have no idea who they're talking to. . Charles, commenting on this story: :

...in her description of Israel’s readiness to talk with the Syrian thugocracy, Pelosi mysteriously forgot to mention one of Israel’s main prerequisites.

An Israeli government official said that was not the message Olmert had asked Pelosi earlier this week to convey to Assad, who seeks the return of the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

“The prime minister said Israel is interested in peace with Syria, but Syria would first have to abandon the path of terror and providing support for terrorist groups,” the official said, in reference to Palestinian group Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

Oh yeah, that.

When you're representing the hope of mankind, you've just got to accept that not everyone is going to like you, not everyone will give you what you want just by sitting around the table with them...so many politicians forget that.

Imagine if John Kerry had won. He'd be the one wearing the hijab in Damascus right now.

You should know this man

You may be an atheist or an agnostic; or you may belong to any of the religious denominations that exist in the world today.

You may be a Communist or a believer in democracy and freedom.

No matter who you are, and no matter what your ideological and political beliefs, personal and social habits happen to be.

You must still know this man.

Encyclopedia Brittanica, confirms: “…a mass of detail in the early sources shows that he was an honest and upright man who had gained the respect and loyalty of others who were likewise honest and upright men.” (Vol. 12).

Bernard Shaw said about him: “He must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much-needed peace and happiness”. (The Genuine Islam, Singapore, Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936).

He was by far the most remarkable man that ever set foot on this earth. He preached a religion, founded a State, built a nation, laid down a moral code, initiated numerous social and political reforms, established a powerful and dynamic society to practice and represent his teachings and completely revolutionized the worlds of human thought and behavior for all times to come.

His name is Muhammad, , .

Born in Arabia in the year 570 CE, he started his mission of preaching the religion of Truth, Islam (submission to One God) at the age of forty and departed from this world when he was sixty-three.

During this short period of 23 years of his prophethood, he changed the entire Arabian peninsula from paganism and idolatry to the worship of One God; from tribal quarrels and wars to national solidarity and cohesion; from drunkenness and wickedness to sobriety and piety; from lawlessness and anarchy to disciplined living; from utter bankruptcy to the highest standards of moral excellence. Human history has never known such a complete transformation of people or a place before or since – and imagine all these unbelievable wonders took place  in just over two decades.

La Martine, the renowned historian, speaking on The Essentials or Human Greatness, said: “If greatness of purpose, smallness of means and astounding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the (then) inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and souls … his forbearance in victory, his ambition, which was entirely devoted to one idea and in no manner striving for an empire; his endless prayers, his mystic conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death -- all these attest not to an impostor, but to a firm conviction which gave him the power to restore a dogma. This dogma was twofold, the unity of God and the immateriality of God; the former telling what God is, and the latter telling what God is not; the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the other starting an idea with the words.

Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images, the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all the standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?”

(La Martine, Historic de la Turquie, Paris, 1854, Vol. II, pp. 276-277).

The world has had its share of great personalities. However, these were one-sided figures who distinguished themselves in one or two fields, such as religious thought or military leadership. The lives and teachings of these great personalities of the world are shrouded in the mist of time. There is so much speculation about the time and place of their birth, the mode and style of their life, the nature and detail of their teachings and the degree and measure of their success or failure that it is impossible for humanity to reconstruct accurately the lives and teachings of these men.

Not so this man. Muhammad,  accomplished so much in such diverse fields of human thought and behavior in the fullest blaze of human history. Every detail of his private life and public utterances has been accurately documented and faithfully preserved to our day. The authenticity of the records so preserved is vouched for not only by the faithful followers, but also by his prejudiced critics.

Muhammad,  was a religious teacher, a social reformer, a moral guide, an administrative colossus, a faithful friend, a wonderful companion, a devoted husband, a loving father – all in one. No other man in history ever excelled or equaled him in any of these different aspects of life – but it was only for the selfless personality of Muhammad, to achieve such incredible perfection.

Mahatma Gandhi, speaking on the character of Muhammad, , says in Young India;

“I wanted to know the best of one who holds today undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind… I became more than convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle.

When I closed the 2nd volume (of the Prophet’s biography), I was sorry there was not more for me to read of the great life”.

Thomas Carlyle, in his Heroes and Hero-Worship, was simply amazed as to: “How one man single handedly, could weld warring tribes and wandering Bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation.”

Diwan Chand Sharma wrote: “Muhammad was the soul of kindness, and his influence was felt and never forgotten by those around him.” (D. C. Sharma, ‘The Prophets of the East’, Calcutta, 1935, pp. 12).

Speaking on the aspect of equality before God in Islam, the famous poetess of India, Sarojini Naidu says:

“It was the first religion that preached and practiced democracy; for, in the mosque, when the call for prayer is sounded and worshippers are gathered together, the democracy of Islam is embodied five times a day when the peasant and king kneel side by side and proclaim: God Alone is Great.

I have been struck over again by this indivisible unity of Islam that makes man instinctively a brother.” (S. Naidu, Ideals of Islam, vide Speeches & Writings, Madras, 1918, P. 169).

The world has not hesitated to raise to divinity, individuals whose lives and missions have been lost in legend. Historically, none of these legends achieved even a fraction of what Muhammad,  accomplished. And all his striving was for the sole purpose of uniting humanity for the worship of One God on the codes of moral excellence. Muhammad, , or his followers never at any time claimed that he was a Son of God or God-incarnate – but he always was and is even today considered as only a Messenger chosen by God.

Michael H. Hart in his recently published book on ratings of men who contributed towards the benefit and upliftment of man writes: “My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world’s most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels”. (M.H. Hart, ‘The 100: A ranking of the most influential persons in History’, New York, 1978 pp.33).

Today after a lapse of fourteen centuries, the life and teachings of Muhammad, , have survived without the slightest loss, alteration or interpolation. They offer the same undying hope for treating humankind’s many ills, which they did when he was alive. This is not a claim of the followers of Muhammad, , but also the inescapable conclusion forced upon by a critical and unbiased history.

The least you could know as a thinking and concerned human being is to stop for a moment and ask yourself: Could these statements sounding so extraordinary and revolutionary be really true? And supposing they really are true and you did not know this man Muhammad, , or hear about him, isn’t it time you respond to this tremendous challenge and put in some effort to know him?

It will cost you nothing but it may prove to be the beginning of a completely new era in your life.

We invite you to make a discovery of this wonderful man, Muhammad, , the like of whom never walked on the face of this earth.

Morality in Islam

One of the most important aspects of a Muslim's life is to have high moral standards. Since the beginning of Islam, Prophet Muhammad  was mainly concerned with teaching and disciplining Muslims to have the best manners and personal characteristics. His personal life and behaviour were reflective of his teachings, which were revealed to him by Allaah. In the Noble Quran, Allaah describes Prophet Muhammad saying (what means): “And indeed, you are of a great moral character.” [Quran, 68:4]

The Prophet's high standard of manners made him a model for all Muslims to follow. The Prophet used to emphasise how important good manners are for Muslims. He has said: “The best of you is the best among you in conduct.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

In another authentic narration, the Prophet mentioned that: “The heaviest thing to be placed in the balance of a believing slave on the Day of Judgement will be good behaviour. And Allaah hates the one who uses bad language.” [Al-Bayhaqi]

Someone once asked the Prophet what deed would lead a man to paradise, and he answered: “Piety and good conduct.”

In other narrations the Prophet made distinctions among Muslims based on their behaviour; the Prophet said: “The most perfect man in his faith, among the believers, is the one whose behaviour is the most excellent; and the best of you are those who are the best to their wives.” [Ahmad]

He even clarified that people will be on different levels in Paradise based on their good manners saying: “The dearest and nearest among you to me on the Day of Resurrection will be the one who is the best in conduct…” [Ibn An-Najjaar]

Now we shall talk about ethics in Islam, and how it is different from other ethical systems today.

Unlike other systems, the ethical system in Islam derives from a divine source. This divine source is the revelation from Allaah. Therefore, this system cannot be changed, or manipulated to fit our desires. It applies regardless of time or place. This system has not been changed for thousands of years, it cannot be changed today, and it will never change until the Day of Judgement. No one has the authority to change or alter this system, even if the whole world wants to do so. What was considered good morals in the past will remain as good morals throughout time.

What was considered as bad morals in the past will also remain so forever, even if society accepts it as a norm. The system of ethics is not affected by cultural norms, because Allaah is the One who determines what is acceptable and what is not.

The Noble Quran is very detailed and clearly mentions the significance of good manners, just like it mentions the importance of belief, worship, and all our daily affairs.

The Noble Quran mentions several good acts of morality repeatedly, for example:

• Dealing with one’s parents in the best manner
• Being nice to one’s relatives and neighbors
• Taking care of orphans and the poor
• Being honest
• Being sincere in all of one’s intentions
• Fulfilling one’s promises
• Treating all people fairly

The Noble Quran goes as far as to teach us the way that we should walk. Allaah Says (what means): “And, be moderate in your walking…” [Quran: 31:19] Allaah also Says (what means): “And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth in modesty, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace.” [Quran, 25:63]

The Noble Quran even tells us the proper etiquette of visiting one another. Allaah Says (what means):  “O you who have believed! Do not enter houses other than your own houses until you ascertain welcome and greet their inhabitants. That is best for you; perhaps you will be reminded [i.e., advised].” [Quran, 24:27]

The Quran also teaches us the way we should behave in a gathering, Allaah Says (what means):  “O you who have believed! When you are told: 'Space yourselves' in assemblies, then make space; Allaah will make space for you…” [Quran, 58:11]

If we were to actually practice the sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad we would find that there are many lessons to learn when eating, drinking, dressing, sleeping, travelling, greeting, taking permission, even sneezing, yawning and other seemingly trivial acts.

Unlike other ethical systems, Islam's moral system is a very detailed and complete package. Islam addresses every aspect of human life, no matter how minor. It is a complete package - it does not lack anything that needs to be completed nor does it have any defects that need to be amended.

The Islamic religion guides our morals that deal with the individual, the community, and Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It also guides us on how to deal with rulers and how to honor and respect scholars. Islam even directs us on how to act during times of peace and war.

It goes as far as guiding us on the treatment of animals. Prophet Muhammad said: “Fear Allaah when you treat the animals: take care of them, keep them in good health whether you ride on them or are raising them for their meat.” [Ahmad]

In another narration, Prophet, Muhammad said: “…when you slaughter an animal, make your slaughter in the best manner. Let one of you sharpen his knife and give ease to the animal (in order to reduce the pain).” [Muslim]

The Companions once asked the Prophet “Do we earn reward if we treat animals in a good manner? He answered: “Yes, surely you earn rewards whenever you treat any living being in a good manner.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

No other ethical system can match Islam's one. Only Allaah, with His great wisdom, could have made such a system that teaches humans how to deal with every aspect of their lives. This is because Islam is not a man made system; it is the religion of Allaah. He made it complete and integrated. No man has, can or ever will come up with a system that is so perfect. If you want a successful and happy life, then simply apply Islam to it, and you will have wonderful results.

Read quran its is the Word of Allah the sigh of guidance

Reading quran and exploring it is the true duty of a Muslim because it contains Allah’s message to all people and the quran teaching tells the people that how to act correctly. By learning quran you will find that it guides us to a correct way of life in this world. We as a practicing Muslim should teach our kids quran and let the kids learn quran recitation and do quran memorization and we also do quran memorization by heart and there is an other importing thing that learn quran with tajweed because the tajweed rules are very important regarding the pronunciation and way or read the holy quran and further more enhancing the quranic studies by learning quran tafseer and reading quran the translation with it listening to quran online with the quran recitation don by some of the top reciter also. It is the Book of Allah also talks about life after death. It tells us that Allah has prepared Paradise for good people and Hell for bad people. Wile reading Quran we see that it encourages the worship of only one God Who creates and provides for them. The Book forbids people from evil and condemns those who do wrong. It contains stories of the past Prophets and the examples of bad and good people. Find online quran courses 

 

Thermodynamics falsifies evolution

The Second law of Thermodynamics, which is accepted as one of the basic laws of physics, holds that under normal conditions all systems left on their own will tend to become disordered, dispersed and corrupted in direct relation to the amount of time that passes. Everything living or non-living wears out, deteriorates, decays, disintegrates and is destroyed. This is the absolute end that all beings will face one way or another and according to this law, this unavoidable process has no return.

This is something that all of us have observed. For example if you take a car to a desert and leave it there, you would hardly expect to find it in a better condition when you come back years later. On the contrary, you would see that its tyres had gone flat, its windows had been broken, its chassis had rusted and its motor had decayed. The same inevitable process holds true for living things.

The Second Law of Thermodynamics is the means by which this natural process is defined with physical equations and calculations.

This famous law of physics is also known as “The Law of Entropy”. Entropy is the range of the disorder involved in a system in physics. A system’s entropy is increased as it moves towards a more disordered, dispersed and unplanned state from an ordered, organized and planned one. The higher a system’s disorder, the higher is its entropy. The Law of Entropy holds that the entire universe unavoidably proceeds towards a more disordered, unplanned and disorganized state.

The validity of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, or the Law of Entropy, is experimentally and theoretically established. The most important scientists of our age agree on the fact that The Entropy Law will preside as the ruling paradigm over the next period of history. Albert Einstein, the greatest scientist of our age, said that it is the “premier law of all of science”. Sir Arthur Eddington also referred to it as the “supreme metaphysical law of the entire universe”.

Evolutionary theory is an assertion that is advanced by totally ignoring this basic and universally true law of physics. The mechanism offered by evolution totally contradicts this law. The theory of evolution says that disordered, dispersed and inorganic atoms and molecules spontaneously came together in time in a certain order and plan to form extremely complex molecules such as proteins, DNA and RNA, after which they gradually brought about millions of different living species with even more complex structures. According to the evolutionary theory, this supposed process that yields a more planned, more ordered, more complex and more organised structure at each stage has formed all by itself under natural conditions. The Law of Entropy makes it clear that this so-called natural process utterly contradicts the laws of physics.

Evolutionist scientists are also aware of this fact. J.H. Rush states: ''In the complex course of its evolution, life exhibits a remarkable contrast to the tendency expressed in the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Where the Second Law expresses an irreversible progression toward increased entropy and disorder, life evolves continually higher levels of order. ''

The evolutionist scientist Roger Lewin expresses the thermodynamic impasse of evolution in an article in Science: "One problem biologists have faced is the apparent contradiction by evolution of the second law of thermodynamics. Systems should decay through time, giving less, not more, order."  

Another evolutionist scientist, George Stravropoulos states the thermodynamic impossibility of the spontaneous formation of life and the unfeasibility of explaining the existence of complex living mechanisms by natural laws in the well-known evolutionist magazine American Scientist:

"Yet, under ordinary conditions, no complex organic molecule can ever form spontaneously but will rather disintegrate, in agreement with the second law. Indeed, the more complex it is, the more unstable it is, and the more assured, sooner or later, is its disintegration. Photosynthesis and all life processes, and life itself, despite confused or deliberately confusing language, cannot yet be understood in terms of thermodynamics or any other exact science. "

As acknowledged, the Second Law of Thermodynamics constitutes an insurmountable obstacle for the scenario of evolution in terms of both science and logic. Unable to put forth any scientific and consistent explanation to overcome this obstacle, evolutionists can only defeat it in their imagination. For instance, the famous evolutionist Jeremy Rifkin notes his belief that evolution overwhelms this law of physics with a “magical power”:

"The Entropy Law says that evolution dissipates the overall available energy for life on this planet. Our concept of evolution is the exact opposite. We believe that evolution somehow magically creates greater overall value and order on earth."

These words very well indicate that evolution is totally a dogmatic belief.

The myth of the “Open System”

Confronted by all these truths, evolutionists have had to take recourse to a mangling of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, saying that it holds true only for “closed systems” and that “open systems” are beyond the scope of this law.

An “open system” is a thermodynamic system in which energy and matter flow in and out, unlike a “closed system”, in which the initial energy and matter remains constant. Evolutionists hold that the world is an open system: that it is constantly exposed to an energy flow from the sun, which leads to the assumption that the law of entropy does not apply to the world as a whole, and that ordered, complex living beings can be generated from disordered, simple and inanimate structures.  

However, there is an obvious distortion here. The fact that a system has an energy inflow is not enough to make that system ordered. Specific mechanisms are needed to make the energy functional. For instance, a car needs a motor, a transmission system and related control mechanisms to convert the energy in gasoline to work. Without such an energy conversion system, the car will not be able to use the energy in gasoline.

The same thing applies in the case of life as well. It is true that life derives its energy from the sun. However, solar energy can only be converted into chemical energy by the incredibly complex energy conversion systems in living things (such as photosynthesis in plants and the digestive systems of humans and animals). No living thing can live without such energy conversion systems. Without an energy conversion system, the sun is nothing but a source of destructive energy that burns, parches or melts.

As may be seen, a thermodynamic system (be it open or closed) without an energy conversion mechanism of some sort is not advantageous for evolution. No one asserts that such complex and conscious mechanisms could have existed in nature under the conditions of the primeval earth. Indeed, the real problem confronting evolutionists is the question of how complex energy converting mechanisms such as photosynthesis in plants, which cannot be duplicated even with modern technology, could have come into being on their own.

The influx of solar energy into the world has no effect that would on its own bring order. No matter how high the temperature may become, amino acids resist forming bonds in ordered sequences. Energy by itself is not enough to make amino acids form the much more complex molecules of proteins or for proteins to form the much complex and organised structures of cell organelles. The real and essential source of this organization at all levels is conscious design: in a word, creation.

 

Learn Holy Quran because it will be a proof for us muslim on the Day of Judgment.

This is due to the statement of the Messenger: “And the Quran is a proof for you or against you.” [Muslim] so the deputy of every Muslim is to read quran and learn quran with tajweed so one of two things will occur with this proof, the Book of Allah. And this quran education will be in your favor, a proof for us on the Day when we will need every single good deed and learning quran along with doing quran memorization is one of it and to add more spread the quran teaching and spread the kids quran knowledge and listening to quran online and understand the quran tafseer , it will be something standing against us and follow the guidance of or prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, and these good deeds will be a proof against us! Who could be saved from the terrors of that Day if Allah’s own Speech is against him?!?! Think carefully, so reading Arabic Quran and teaching our kids quran qaida with the tafseer of quran  and let the kids memorize quran dear Muslim brother or sister, about your position with the reading Quran! Are you neglecting it, contradicting it, being heedless of its orders and prohibitions, are you thinking deeply over it?! Will it be on your side on the Day of Judgment.? So learn quran recitation! O Allah! We ask you, by Your Glorious Speech and the rest of your beautiful Names and Attributes, to make the Quran a proof for us! So the Quran tutor should let his student know about these facts also,

 

The concept of worship - I

A Muslim should go on in life remembering the purpose of his creation and the objective for which he exists in this life. Allaah clarifies to us this objective saying (what means): “And I created not the jinn and humans except that they should worship Me (alone).” [Quran 51:56].

 This verse plainly explains the purpose of our creation; that our lives should not be spent except in worshipping Allaah. Prayer, fasting, alms giving, Hajj, truthfulness, trustworthiness, being dutiful to parents, supplication, reading the Quran, hoping for Allaah’s mercy and being afraid of His punishment are all acts of worship.

The best deed to perform: The greatest type of worship is to perform that which Allaah makes obligatory on His servants and to refrain from all that He forbids. Abu Hurayrah narrated that Prophet said: “Allaah says: ‘The most beloved deeds with which my slave comes nearer to me are what I have enjoined on him.’” (Al-Bukhaari).

Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “Since the Salaf lived their whole life in worship, it is then necessary for us to know with which type of worship they started, and which one have they given priority.” He then answered: "The best acts of worship are the most pleasing to Allaah in that particular time. The best act of worship during the presence of a guest is to take care of him and not to be distracted from that by other recommended acts of worship. This is also in performing one’s duties towards one’s wife and family. The best act of worship in the night is to be occupied with prayer, reciting the Quran, supplication and Thikr. The best thing during the time of the Athaan (i.e. the call for prayer) is to leave whatever worship one is doing and answer the Mu`aththin (i.e. the one calling the Athaan) by repeating what he says. The best thing during the time of the five obligatory prayers is to exert one's efforts in their prompt performance. The best thing when the poor is in dire need of assistance is to assist him and give that preference over supererogatory Thikr. The best thing to do when your brother is sick or dead is to visit him, attend his funeral, and give that priority over your supererogatory Thikr. And the best thing to do when you are afflicted and suffer people’s harm is to be patient and not to run away from them." [End of quote]

The Muslim should be moving in between stations of servitude. If you see the scholars you see him with them; if you see those who are devotedly performing acts of worship, you see him with them, and if you see those giving generously in charity, you see him with them!

The conditions of accepting an act of worship: Indeed what has afflicted Muslims in the course of their long history and what is afflicting them today is a consequence of their deviation from the real concept of worship and application of the two conditions for acts of worship to be accepted, which are: sincerity and following the path of the messenger of Allaah . While abandoning sincerity leads to directing acts of worship that are solely Allaah’s to others besides Him; lack of following the path of the Prophet leads to the appearance of various kinds of worship for which there is no permission from Allaah nor recommendation from His Prophet .

However, some people restrict the concept of worship to rituals only. Whenever this set of people works, they abstain completely from worship and whenever they worship, they keep away completely from work. This is unfortunately the most common belief. It is the people who hold this concept who say, “What does religion have to do with a woman’s dressing and her work?" "What does religion have to do with our personal behaviour?" Their purpose is to remove religion from one’s life and confine it only to the mosque. That is why you see someone who prays, fasts, and reads Quran, yet he cheats, bribes, takes bribes and wrongs others. You also see a woman who prays yet she disobeys laws of Allaah by dressing immodestly and mingling with men.

Deeds which one performs habitually become acts of worship through good intentions. The farmer in his farm, the labourer, the trader, or the practitioner of any other profession is capable of turning his occupation into an act of worship, provided that he does not tarnish it with cheating, lying, tricking etc. This is the concept of worship in its wider sense. To have a full imagination of acts of obedience makes a Muslim full of good, mercy, and benefits for his fellow human beings, thereby encouraging him to do more acts of worship and assist his nation.

It is possible for you to add a viable brick into the structure of this nation and add to your scale of good deeds weighty works, which may appear insignificant to you. Listen to what the Prophet said: “Do you want me to tell you of what is better than the rank of fasting, prayer and charity?” The Companions said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allaah.” He said: “Conciliating between people among whom there is discord.” (Abu Daawood) He also said: “Whoever visits a sick person or a brother of his for Allaah’s sake, a caller will call him thus, ‘You are good and your passage is good. May you take Paradise for an abode.’ ” (At-Tirmithi).

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allaah said: “While a man was walking along the road, he saw a branch of a tree with thorns lying on the road and he removed it, so Allaah appreciated his deed (and thus rewarded him) for that and forgave his sins.” (Muslim). It is also reported that the Messenger of Allaah said: “Deeds of my nation – both the good and evil – were shown to me and I found that among their good deeds is the removal of harmful things from the pathway.” (Muslim).

Restricting righteous deeds to special acts of worship makes seekers of piety spend all their time in repetition of limited deeds as if they do not see that other ways lead to the pleasure of Allaah.

Important note to learn and Read Quran online

The Holy Quran is the word of Allah; it has been sent down to guide us and the guidance can online be gained through reading quran online. No other book can be like holy quran. As you come to the learn tajweed quran, Allah speaks to you and reading Arabic Quran is to hear Him, even to converse with Him, and to walk in His ways. So it is must for us as a Muslim to learn and do quran memorization by heart and the Quran tutor should teach the kids from quran qaida and then teaching quran online along with the quran tafseer and let the kids memorize quran so that we as Muslim could learn quran tajweed rules and then understand the quran tafseer  It is the encounter of life with the Life-giver. 'God - there is no god but He, the Ever-living, the Self-subsisting (by whom all subsist)  He has sent down upon you the Book with the Truth ... as a guidance unto mankind ...' (Al 'Imran 3: 2-3 learn quran recitation). So we should always remember the guidance of Allah and we should be listening to quran online along with obeying the commandments of Allah so let us join hands to lean the Koran and let our kids do quran memorization and learn the teaching of quran education online and apply them in there life there is kids quran lesson available online as well