Wazua
»
Club SK
»
Life
»
LIFE UNDER ISLAMIC RULE?
Rank: Member Joined: 11/6/2010 Posts: 222 Location: NAMANGA
|
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.orgShare this article Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Share on print More Sharing Services 131 While many people are regularly persecuted by Islam's blasphemy law, one particular case made August headlines: a 14-year-old Christian girl in Pakistan, Rimsha Masih, was arrested, accused of burning pages of a Quran. Rioting Muslims destroyed Christian homes and churches, tore Bibles to pieces and broke crosses, while calling for the death penalty against her. Because this story made it to the mainstream media, widespread international condemnation caused Pakistani authorities to release her recently, not by annulling Pakistan's blasphemy law, but by finding loopholes, from characterizing the girl as retarded—Islamic law does not mandate punishment for blasphemers if they are retarded—to the unprecedented exposure of a Muslim cleric who framed her. Because this incident prompted a widespread rampage against Pakistan's Christians, thousands have deserted their homes and are dispossessed. The Christians from Rimsha's neighborhood, including women and children, fled into the woods in fear of Muslim retribution, while others were evicted by their Muslim landlords. A few Christians sleeping overnight on the ground just miles away from Pakistani government buildings decided to build a church there and make it their permanent dwelling place. "Here it is not anybody's home, nobody's land. Let us live here in safety," said one. Another said: "We have cleared this place with our hands, and we have laid the first foundation of a small church here. Although this is a mere skeleton made of tree branches, this is the holy home of God. This should be respected." Categorized by theme, August's batch of Muslim persecution of Christians around the world includes (but is not limited to) the following accounts, listed by theme and in country alphabetical order, not necessarily according to severity. Jihad Killings and Christian Displacement Iraq: What Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors, characterized as "religicide," continues unabated in the nation that was liberated by U.S. forces a decade ago: "Christians in cities like Baghdad and Mosul are gripped by terrorism. They are fleeing in droves. Today [August 16] it was reported that at least 20 people died in blasts and shootings across the country." Before the toppling of Saddam Hussein, Mosul was home to some 75,000 Christians, but now the number has dropped to around 25,000. Christian homes are set on fire, bombs placed in their cars; other Christian families are receiving letters threatening them to leave Iraq or be kidnapped or killed. Ivory Coast: As part of the civil war, Muslim rebels "massacred hundreds and displaced tens of thousands" of predominantly Christian supporters of Laurent Gbagbo. Since the attack, when their homes were taken by rebels, some 5,000 predominantly Christian ethnic Guere have been forced to flee into the ungoverned, inhospitable bush, or to the Catholic mission in Duekoue. The priest there reported that the mission has also been threatened by "crowds of angry youths." Mali: As many as 200,000 Christians are fleeing to Algeria and Mauritania, where they are seeking a safe haven from Islamic terrorists linked to al-Qaeda, who have become increasingly active in the northern regions of the nation. Nigeria: The Islamic terrorist organization Boko Haram [Western Education is a Sin] continued its jihad [holy war] to purge north Nigeria of all Christians. In one instance, gunmen murdered a 57-year-old evangelist of a Pentecostal church. When threatened earlier, he had said "I leave everything in the hands of God." Syria: Some 12,000 people were blockaded in the predominantly Christian town of Rableh by anti-government forces; they killed several people trying to leave and refused the entry of food and medical supplies. Government forces had reportedly driven out the opposition by August 24. Christians were also given an ultimatum to leave the nearby cities of Qusayr and Homs, which has been almost entirely cleansed of its 50,000-60,000 Christian population. The predominantly Christian part of Aleppo was also hit by heavy fighting earlier this month; and a car bomb was detonated in the predominantly Christian area of Jaramana, a suburb of Damascus, as "a crowd of faithful, families, elderly people, women and children, were heading to the cemetery to bury two young people who had died a day earlier, on August 27, also victims of an IED. Twelve died (other sources say as many as 27), including five children, and injuring more than 50 people." Further, "a family of Armenian Christians was found murdered, and all members of the family horribly decapitated." Church Attacks Azerbaijan: The highest appeals court upheld the decision to close Greater Grace Church, "the first religious community to be liquidated by a court since the country's harsh new religion law came into force in 2009." The church, registered since 1993, had provided a place for Christian worship and teaching for almost 20 years; and with a congregation of nearly 500, was one of the larger Protestant churches in the country. Indonesia: Two churches were the latest to be forcibly closed in West Java: First, a "large tent" used for services by St. Johannes Baptista Church in Bogor was sealed off by authorities on August 7. The congregation had been using the tent since 2006 as a temporary location while they awaited a permit for a proper building, for which it had applied in 2000. Police threatened to "tear down" the tent if the Christians continued to use it; the church leader suspects the hostility is linked to the growth of the congregation, which now numbers around 500. Second, Batak Karo Protestant Church in Bandung was sealed off by protesters who claimed that the congregation had earlier agreed not to use the building, even though it now has all necessary permits to hold service. Kenya: After a fight ensued between the supporters of a Muslim cleric who had died and the police, a church near the mosque where the funeral was being held was set on fire, and another church was attacked. Separately, another church was attacked and looted "by an armed mob," believed to be sympathizers of the al-Shabaab terrorist organization. In the words of the pastor who witnessed the pillage, "attackers armed with guns stormed the compound and immediately began pulling down one iron sheet after another, and soon 60 iron sheets were gone. It was a terrible sight to watch the walls of the church come down, [but] I could not shout for help because the attackers could gun me down. Shocked and dismayed, the church's 60 congregants arrived for worship the next day to find their church building in ruins." Police were told that there were threats of an attack and that local Muslims were saying things such as "we do not want infidels in this area," but did nothing. These latest attacks "came only one week after al-Shabab militants hurled grenades into the African Inland Church of Garissa, in eastern Kenya, and opened fire on congregants, killing 17 people, including 15 worshippers. Grenades were also thrown at the local Catholic church." More than 14 churches have been attacked in Kenya since April. Nigeria: Gunmen, probably connected with the jihadi organization Boko Haram, "stormed the Deeper Life Church, where Christian worshippers were gathered in prayer, and surrounded the church in the middle of a worship service and opened fire with AK-47 assault rifles on the worshippers." At least 19 of them were killed, including the pastor. The following day, an unexploded bomb was discovered at Revival Church. Syria: Gunmen attacked the Catholic monastery of Mar Musa, which dates from the 4th century, and is located north of Damascus. None of the monks was hurt, although the monastery was, in the words of Father Dall'Oglio, "sacked," and "gunmen stole everything they could steal," including tractors and other agricultural tools. Apostasy, Blasphemy, Proselytism Egypt: A Christian man accused of defaming Islam was arrested after a complaint in which he was accused of posting opinions in Facebook which insulted Muhammad. Insults to Islam and the prophet are considered crimes in Egypt under Article 98(f) of the Penal Code, which states: "Confinement for a period of not less than six months and not exceeding five years… shall be the penalty inflicted on whoever makes use of religion in propagating, either by words, in writing, or in any other means, extreme ideas for the purpose of inciting strife, ridiculing or insulting a heavenly religion or a sect following it, or damaging national unity." Pakistan: After a Pakistani flag with the name of "Allah" on it accidentally blew from a Christian's property to a Muslim's, the Muslim accused the Christian of deliberately trying to blaspheme the name of Allah. This accusation was advertised in the local mosques, and prompted enraged Muslims to threaten to burn down the homes of the 15 Christian families in the area. Also, a Christian pastor, who had preached among Muslims, some of whom showed interest in converting, was threatened and subsequently kidnapped. Tanzania: A 17-year-old girl, Eva Abdullah, who had abandoned Islam three years ago to convert to Christianity, was sentenced to two years in prison after being accused of desecrating the Quran. Her parents had disowned her and "a group of radicals" tried to "persuade" her to renounce her Christian faith. When she refused, they falsely accused her of desecrating a Quran. Tunisia: The nation's ruling Islamist party filed a bill to criminalize offenses against "sacred values." "Crimes" would mandate prison terms and fines for broadly worded offenses, such as insulting or mocking the "sanctity of religion." Among other things, the bill also codifies the levels of offense to religious feelings, including "insults, profanity, derision and representation of Allah and Mohammed." Dhimmitude [General Abuse, Debasement, and Suppression of Non-Muslims as "Tolerated" Citizens] Egypt: The nation's jihad organizations dropped leaflets calling on Muslims to kill Christians wherever they found them. Coptic shop owners who sell Christian icons and statues received threatening letters. Muslim "gangs" plundered and kidnapped for ransom Christians. Islamists in the Constituent Assembly demanded that the Coptic Church's funds be placed under state financial control, a measure categorically rejected by Copts: the state in no way funds the Church, even though mosques are funded by taxpayers, including Christians. Condemning the proposal, the acting Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church said the demand has only one meaning: "that Copts are clearly persecuted." Despite promising greater representation for Egypt's Copts, President Morsi broke his word and allowed only one Copt, a female, to represent the nation's 10-14% Christians in the newly formed Cabinet: "We had expected an increase in the representation of Copts especially after the number of ministries increased to 35. But the formation ignored all the known rights and concepts of citizenship," said the acting Patriarch: "It is not right that Copts get treated in this way." When Egypt's Constituent Assembly proposed a law to criminalize "forced labor, slavery, the trafficking of women and children, human organs, and the sex trade," from which Christians, especially females, would benefit, the Islamist party complained. Iran: According to Mohabat News, authorities "raise[d] unsubstantiated charges" against five arrested converts to Christianity to "pressure" and "intimidate" them, including by falsely accusing them of desecrating the Quran, and holding them for indefinite periods. "Although their situation is still unclear six months after their arrest, there is no doubt that the Christians' only crime is related to their faith in Jesus Christ." Pakistan: Eleven Christian student nurses were poisoned with mercury in their tea. It is believed that the Christian women were targeted as punishment for drinking tea while their Muslim colleagues were fasting during the month of Ramadan. And a 56-year-old Christian woman at the Karachi Press Club recounted how she and her family were enslaved and forced to work without pay, and tortured and beaten. Muslim "feudal lords" are threatening her and her extended family, with, among other charges, accusations of blasphemy: "Please protect us," they said. "We don't want to go back." Saudi Arabia: The last of the 35 Ethiopian Christians held in detention since December after being arrested for holding a prayer meeting in a private home was deported home: "We have arrived home safe," one of the released said: "We believe that we are released as the result of the pressure exerted by ICC and others. The Saudi officials do not tolerate any religions other than Islam. They consider non-Muslims unbelievers. They are full of hatred towards non-Muslims." Syria: A number of Melchite Greek Catholic priests, including the archbishop, fled to Lebanon after their offices were ransacked. According to Fides, "unidentified groups who want to feed a religious war and drag the Syrian population into sectarian conflicts" attacked the Christian area in the old quarter of Aleppo. A Byzantine Christian museum and an office of the Maronite Christian faith were also damaged. Turkey: The chairman of Parliament's education committee is accusing the French government of "planting seeds of hate" with its move to include the Armenian genocide in history and geography books used in French secondary schools. Armenia, backed by many historians, says that about 1.5 million Armenians were killed in what is now eastern Turkey during World War I in a deliberate policy of genocide ordered by the Ottoman government. Uzbekistan: A 26-year-old Christian woman, paralyzed from youth, and her mother were violently attacked by six men with sticks who broke into their home at 4 a.m. The men ransacked the home, confiscating icons, bibles, religious calendars and prayer books. When the paralyzed woman furtively tried to phone for help, she was beaten again. They were all taken to the police department, where the woman was "offered to convert to Islam." She refused, and the judge eventually "decided that the women had resisted police and had stored the banned religious literature at home and conducted missionary activities. He fined them 20 minimum monthly wages each." It is humiliating to be associated with thieves and murderers.
|
|
|
Rank: Elder Joined: 3/2/2007 Posts: 8,776 Location: Cameroon
|
I have met so many pagans n atheists. They are far much better people and lead a far much peaceful life than these crazy allah sycophants. The world is under attack from the delusional believers of the 72 virgins. Honestly, I give no hoot about merchants of violence, I would rather live peacefully then go to hell. There are more deaths n violence in the name of allah than in the name of the devil. Nkt! TULIA.........UFUNZWE!
|
|
|
Rank: Member Joined: 4/18/2011 Posts: 459
|
How about giving a similar list of positive acts committed in the name of Islam.
Meanwhile, Christianity can be summarised as follows: "Love your God with your heart with all your mind and with all your soul, and secondly Love your neighbour as yourself. "
What would you summarise Islam to stand for?
It is within God's power to create Human beings who are able to obey Him fully without question. We see that in other created living and non living things. God however gave us freedom to choose between good and bad and based on our choices we would be rewarded or punished. Would one be rewarded for something which he was forced to do?
According to (Islam)Sharia law if you steal your hand is supposed to be cut off, If you fornicate or commit adultery you are stoned to death, if you change religions you are disowned, so people hang in there for lack of choice, DO SUCH PEOPLE DESERVE A REWARD?
I think a reward would be due to someone who given a choice between temporary happiness which is lacking in Love of God and Eternal Life after fighting the good fight( against sin) He chose to fight the good fight.
|
|
|
Rank: Member Joined: 4/25/2011 Posts: 368 Location: Nairobi
|
|
|
|
Rank: Member Joined: 11/6/2010 Posts: 222 Location: NAMANGA
|
NOW THIS GOT ME THINKING...... http://wikiislam.net/wiki/72_Virgins
Sensual Paradise In Islam, the concept of 72 virgins (houri) refers to an aspect of Jannah (Paradise). This concept is grounded in Qur'anic text which describe a sensual Paradise where believing men are rewarded by being wed[1] to virgins with "full grown", "swelling" or "pears-shaped" breasts.[2][3] Contemporary mainstream Islamic scholars, for example; Gibril Haddad, have commented on the erotic nature of the Qur'anic Paradise, by saying some men may need ghusl (ablution required after sexual discharge) just for hearing certain verses.[4] Orthodox Muslim theologians such as al-Ghazali (died 1111 CE) and al-Ash'ari (died 935 CE) have all discussed the sensual pleasures found in Paradise. It is quoted by Ibn Kathir, in his Qur'anic Commentary, the Tafsir ibn Kathir,[5] and they are graphically described by Qur'anic commentator and polymath, al-Suyuti (died 1505), who, echoing a hasan hadith[6] from Ibn Majah,[7] wrote that the perpetual virgins will all "have appetizing vaginas", and that the "penis of the Elected never softens. The erection is eternal".[8] The sensual pleasures between believers and houri in Paradise are also confirmed by the two Sahih collections of hadith, namely Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, where we read that they will be virgins who "will not urinate, relieve nature, spit, or have any nasal secretions", and whose "sweat will smell like musk".[9] They are so beautiful, pure and transparent that "the marrow of the bones of their legs will be seen through the bones and the flesh",[10] and that "the believers will visit and enjoy them".[11] Authenticity Whilst there are numerous sources, including the Qur'an, which tell us believing males will be rewarded with virgins, many who are concerned about the authenticity of the 72 virgins concept are under the misconception that there is only one weak (da`if) reference to the exact number of houri given to them. These narrations are in fact found in many hadith collections with varying levels of authenticity, ranging from hasan (good) to sahih (authentic). For example, in the Sunan Ibn Majah, one of the six major Hadith collections,[28] it states in a hasan (good)[6] narration that every male admitted into Paradise will be given eternal erections and wed to 72 wives, all with libidinous sex organs.[7] Similarly in another hadith with multiple narrators that has been graded hasan (good), it states that the martyr (shahid) will be married to seventy-two of al-hoor al-‘iyn.[29][30] In the Sunan al-Tirmidhi, another of the six major Hadith collections,[28] it states that the smallest reward for the people of Heaven is an abode with seventy-two houri.[31] Note that this is not a "weak Hadith that has no Sanad (chain of narrators)", as some have claimed.[32] It has been graded hasan sahih gharib,[6] meaning this hadith is hasan since it has several chains of transmitters, it is sahih as the chains are all authentic and it is gharib in the words that Imam Tirmidhi narrated.[33] Also reported in Sunan al-Kubra and Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and declared sahih (authentic)[6] by Ibn Abi Shayba, Ibn Hibban, and al-Hakim is the hadith that states the servant in Paradise will be married with seventy wives and that they'll be given the sexual strength for a hundred.[34] Terrorism Suicide is clearly forbidden in Islam, but the permissibility of martyrdom operations (Istishhad) is an altogether different topic, with scholars being split on the issue. Notable scholars and apologists such as Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the world's most quoted independent Islamic jurist,[40] and Dr. Zakir Naik, known for his advocacy of "Qur'anic science", have justified the use of suicide bombing in Islam.[41][42] Opinion polls have further shown that an extremely large number of Muslims from around the world support the practice.[40][43][44][45] The Qur'an states that all Muslim males, not only martyrs, will be rewarded with virgins.[25] However, the Qur'an does also mention that those who fight in the way of Allah (jihad) and get killed will be given a "great reward",[46] and there are also hasan (good) hadith[30] which refer to 72 virgins as one of the "seven blessings from Allah" to the martyr.[29] This has lead to the 72 virgins concept being widely used as a way to entice other Muslims into carrying out "martyrdom operations" for Islam. This is witnessed in Palestine, where the actions of a mother who sends her son to die as a martyr is sometimes seen as "marrying him off",[47] and where the concept is used in Friday sermons and music videos, both airing on official television.[48][49] It has even been used in the United Kingdom, where, in one event, Muslim teens were told to train with Kalashnikov rifles with the promise that the would receive 72 virgins in paradise if they died as religious martyrs.[50] Contrary to what the Qur'an, hadith, scholars and Muslims themselves say, a Western author named Margaret Nydell in a book that "promotes understanding between modern-day Arabs and Westerners", states that mainstream Muslims regard the belief of 72 virgins in the same way that mainstream Christians regard the belief that after death they will be issued with wings and a harp, and walk on clouds.[51] However, both the Qur'an and Muhammad in the hadith literature discuss the issue of virgins being provided for men in Paradise. So, unless the Bible, and more specifically Jesus in the four Gospels, claims Christians will indeed be issued with wings and a harp upon their arrival in Heaven, this claim is inaccurate and misleading. It is humiliating to be associated with thieves and murderers.
|
|
|
Rank: Elder Joined: 7/1/2011 Posts: 8,804 Location: Nairobi
|
Either one is ruling or is being ruled. There's no middle ground.
If you are being ruled by another, you must bear the burden of oppression. And if you rule another you must oppress. There is no way out of it for there's a big chasm of incomprehension, miscommunication, unmatched needs and resources between the ruler and the ruled.
So the main problem is not Islam or Islamic rule. In fact Islam is not the problem at all!
The problem is that we are politically naive and unconscious.
First, Christianity has now become politically inept due to its seperation from the state, and more fundamentally, Its externalization of God as a ruler who can only be accessed through church authority (Scripture and prayer included).
In the end, the Christian lives under the expectation of benevolent dictatorship. Even if a ruler provides bread and circuses, the ruled will always have something to groan about. This is where metaphysical rebellion comes in.
Democracy on the other hand has failed to reach its ideals. Thousands of workers will have to shout, and run, and plead for weeks to get a wage raise while a couple of legislators will raise their incomes exponentially within minutes. Neither does capitalism serve the people. Millions are desperate for capital, while only a few enjoy access to it.
Our family structures add to our woes. Authority is centered on parents and elders and the child cannot speak out for his/her interest without being caned. My experience is that children are more often than not, treated as subhumans. Nay, I have met very few people who do not blame their parents and particularly their fathers for their woes.
So, if there was a ruler in the Christian world, then he is dead. And now there seems to be a quest for a new ruler. That is, new forms of oppression.
But why shouldn't the individual everywhere and anywhere ascend to the throne? Is it because of diffidence or is it because the individual is unaware that he is everyone and that he can only be if he has opened all channels of communication and uses the unlimited resources inherent in open conversation?
The other important thing is that of mortality. @Kaka m, has raised the issue of 'hanging in there' essentially as a life saving strategy. But where is Man's immortality and where is his mortality?
It is now known that identity is mainly about roles and relationships and intentions and these things have run continuously since time began. This is the immortal man. Mortal man then is the form that the immortal man expresses himself in and with.
This mortal form can be destroyed in many ways and at any time. So it is not something that should be protected at all times and that can even be protected comprehensively. One must always be ready to lose it.
The big question then is how are we going to live, and not what is going to happen to us.
|
|
|
Rank: Member Joined: 4/25/2011 Posts: 368 Location: Nairobi
|
Woiwoi...@Can someone help @Impunity see this. I am sure he will forever be very happy. alustaadh wrote:NOW THIS GOT ME THINKING...... http://wikiislam.net/wiki/72_Virgins
Sensual Paradise In Islam, the concept of 72 virgins (houri) refers to an aspect of Jannah (Paradise). This concept is grounded in Qur'anic text which describe a sensual Paradise where believing men are rewarded by being wed[1] to virgins with "full grown", "swelling" or "pears-shaped" breasts.[2][3] Contemporary mainstream Islamic scholars, for example; Gibril Haddad, have commented on the erotic nature of the Qur'anic Paradise, by saying some men may need ghusl (ablution required after sexual discharge) just for hearing certain verses.[4] Orthodox Muslim theologians such as al-Ghazali (died 1111 CE) and al-Ash'ari (died 935 CE) have all discussed the sensual pleasures found in Paradise. It is quoted by Ibn Kathir, in his Qur'anic Commentary, the Tafsir ibn Kathir,[5] and they are graphically described by Qur'anic commentator and polymath, al-Suyuti (died 1505), who, echoing a hasan hadith[6] from Ibn Majah,[7] wrote that the perpetual virgins will all "have appetizing vaginas", and that the "penis of the Elected never softens. The erection is eternal".[8] The sensual pleasures between believers and houri in Paradise are also confirmed by the two Sahih collections of hadith, namely Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, where we read that they will be virgins who "will not urinate, relieve nature, spit, or have any nasal secretions", and whose "sweat will smell like musk".[9] They are so beautiful, pure and transparent that "the marrow of the bones of their legs will be seen through the bones and the flesh",[10] and that "the believers will visit and enjoy them".[11] Authenticity Whilst there are numerous sources, including the Qur'an, which tell us believing males will be rewarded with virgins, many who are concerned about the authenticity of the 72 virgins concept are under the misconception that there is only one weak (da`if) reference to the exact number of houri given to them. These narrations are in fact found in many hadith collections with varying levels of authenticity, ranging from hasan (good) to sahih (authentic). For example, in the Sunan Ibn Majah, one of the six major Hadith collections,[28] it states in a hasan (good)[6] narration that every male admitted into Paradise will be given eternal erections and wed to 72 wives, all with libidinous sex organs.[7] Similarly in another hadith with multiple narrators that has been graded hasan (good), it states that the martyr (shahid) will be married to seventy-two of al-hoor al-‘iyn.[29][30] In the Sunan al-Tirmidhi, another of the six major Hadith collections,[28] it states that the smallest reward for the people of Heaven is an abode with seventy-two houri.[31] Note that this is not a "weak Hadith that has no Sanad (chain of narrators)", as some have claimed.[32] It has been graded hasan sahih gharib,[6] meaning this hadith is hasan since it has several chains of transmitters, it is sahih as the chains are all authentic and it is gharib in the words that Imam Tirmidhi narrated.[33] Also reported in Sunan al-Kubra and Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and declared sahih (authentic)[6] by Ibn Abi Shayba, Ibn Hibban, and al-Hakim is the hadith that states the servant in Paradise will be married with seventy wives and that they'll be given the sexual strength for a hundred.[34] Terrorism Suicide is clearly forbidden in Islam, but the permissibility of martyrdom operations (Istishhad) is an altogether different topic, with scholars being split on the issue. Notable scholars and apologists such as Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the world's most quoted independent Islamic jurist,[40] and Dr. Zakir Naik, known for his advocacy of "Qur'anic science", have justified the use of suicide bombing in Islam.[41][42] Opinion polls have further shown that an extremely large number of Muslims from around the world support the practice.[40][43][44][45] The Qur'an states that all Muslim males, not only martyrs, will be rewarded with virgins.[25] However, the Qur'an does also mention that those who fight in the way of Allah (jihad) and get killed will be given a "great reward",[46] and there are also hasan (good) hadith[30] which refer to 72 virgins as one of the "seven blessings from Allah" to the martyr.[29] This has lead to the 72 virgins concept being widely used as a way to entice other Muslims into carrying out "martyrdom operations" for Islam. This is witnessed in Palestine, where the actions of a mother who sends her son to die as a martyr is sometimes seen as "marrying him off",[47] and where the concept is used in Friday sermons and music videos, both airing on official television.[48][49] It has even been used in the United Kingdom, where, in one event, Muslim teens were told to train with Kalashnikov rifles with the promise that the would receive 72 virgins in paradise if they died as religious martyrs.[50] Contrary to what the Qur'an, hadith, scholars and Muslims themselves say, a Western author named Margaret Nydell in a book that "promotes understanding between modern-day Arabs and Westerners", states that mainstream Muslims regard the belief of 72 virgins in the same way that mainstream Christians regard the belief that after death they will be issued with wings and a harp, and walk on clouds.[51] However, both the Qur'an and Muhammad in the hadith literature discuss the issue of virgins being provided for men in Paradise. So, unless the Bible, and more specifically Jesus in the four Gospels, claims Christians will indeed be issued with wings and a harp upon their arrival in Heaven, this claim is inaccurate and misleading.
|
|
|
Rank: Hello Joined: 10/8/2012 Posts: 1
|
When we say “objectives of Islamic Law”, we are referring to the general aims that Islamic Law strives to fulfill with respect to the human life as well as the specific aims that particular legal injunctions have been set down in order to achieve.
These objectives, therefore, can be classified into two broad categories: general and specific.
The general objectives of Islamic Law are those that aim at realizing the general human welfare, both in this world and in the Hereafter. This is achieved by Islamic Law through the legislation of a body of legal injunctions. The specific objectives of Islamic Law are those that Islamic Law seeks to realize in a narrower domain of human activity, such as economics, family life, or the political order. This is achieved through specific legislation aimed at dealing with particular issues.
The Prioritization of These Objectives
The factors that secure human can be ranked in their order of importance as follows:
1. Necessities: These are things that mankind cannot dispense with, no matter what the circumstances. The most important of these are the five universal necessities that will be discussed shortly.
2. Needs: These are things that people require in order to fulfill important requirements of their lives, the absence of which leads to hardship and disorder, but which does not bring about an end to life itself. These things make themselves manifest in the specific Islamic injunctions pertaining to commerce, marriage, and other forms of transactions.
3. Niceties: These are things that beautify life and make if fuller and richer. They include concerns such as dressing neatly, the proper preparation of food, and all other good habits that shape human behavior.
All the revealed religions and all rational people agree that the most important way to ensure human welfare is through the preservation of five universal necessities. These are: faith, life, reason, lineage, and wealth. Islamic Law provides all the injunctions needed to protect and preserve all five of these necessities. It legislates what is needed to ensure their existence in human society as well as what is needed to develop them and preserve them from being corrupted or lost.
The Preservation of Faith
Islam has stressed the importance of faith for human life by citing the natural human inclination to worship Allah, man’s religious sentiments and inner feelings, the strength of the elements of goodness and virtue within him, and the prosperity and tranquility that faith affords him. Due to these factors, faith is a vital necessity of human life. Allah says:
So set your face towards the pure faith, Allah’s natural way upon which He created mankind. There can be no change in Allah’s Creation. This is the straight faith, but most men do not know.
For the same reason, Bridgestone says: “There have been – and continue to be – human societies that do not possess science, art, or philosophy, but there has never been a society without religion.”
In consideration of these factors, Islamic Law protects faith. In some cases, this is achieved by planting faith firmly and deeply in the heart and mind. In other cases, this is through nurturing the seed of faith that is already present in an individual and supporting it with what will develop it and make it endure.
As a means to achieving these goals, Islam has established the following:
The means taken to establish faith in the heart
1. Faith must be firmly established on clearly defined articles. The articles of faith are: belief in Allah, His Messengers, His Books, His angels, the Day of Judgment, and Divine Decree, both the good and the bad of it. Allah says:
The Messenger believes in what was sent down to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. All of them believe in Allah, His angels, His books, and His Messengers. (They say:) We make no distinction between any of the Messengers.
Allah also says:
O you who believe, believe in Allah, His Messenger, the Book that was sent down upon the Messenger, and what was sent down before. Whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His books, His Messengers, and the Day of Judgment has gone far astray.
2. Faith is established on the basis of knowledge and rational proofs. On these grounds, Islam calls towards examination, contemplation and reflection. Allah says: Do they not look into the dominion of the heavens and the Earth and all the things that Allah has created?
Allah reproaches those who do not reflect upon the many signs that are present in Creation, saying:
How many a sign in the heavens and Earth they pass by while they are aversely turned away.
He also reproaches those who follow their desires and blindly follow their forefathers in belief without having any proof at hand and without engaging in any contemplation. Allah says:
When it is said to them, ‘Follow what Allah has sent down’ they say, ‘Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following.’ Would they do this even though their fathers did not understand anything nor were they guided?
3. The pillars of Islam must be established. These pillars are the principle acts of worship that Islam enjoins upon the believers. The first of these is to make an open testimony of one’s Islam. This is then followed by prayer, Zakah, fasting, and performing the Hajj pilgrimage. Among the most important affects of these acts of worship – and the profound wisdom behind them – is that they create a direct bond between the worshipper and his Lord, strengthening and rejuvenating the faith that exists in the heart of the believer.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) relates to us that Allah says:
The servant does not seek nearness to Me with anything more beloved to Me than what I have commanded him to do. Then the servant continues to seek nearness to Me with voluntary acts until I love him.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) also says:
Islam is built on five pillars: testifying that there is no god save Allah and that Muhammad is his Messenger, establishing prayer, paying the Zakah tax, fasting the month of Ramadan, and performing the Hajj pilgrimage if one finds the means to do so.
4. It is a duty to call others to Islam. This duty extends to maintaining and sponsoring such efforts, and to giving due support and protection to those who are carrying it out. Allah says:
Let there arise from amongst you a group of people who invite to all that is good, command what is right and prohibit what is wrong. These are the successful ones.
He also says: Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good exhortation and argue with them in the best manner.
Allah mentions the advice that Luqman gave to his son:
O my son, perform the prayer, command what is right, and prohibit what is wrong, and bear patiently whatever befalls you.
The Means Taken to Maintain and Preserve Faith
What is meant here are the methods pursued by Islamic Law to protect and safeguard faith after it has been achieved, to maintain its purity in the heart, and to remove any obstacles from its path. Among these means are the following:
Islam guarantees and protects freedom of religion
Islam does not compel anyone to embrace it and permits a plurality of religious beliefs to coexist under its authority within the boundaries of the Islamic state. It affords the people of other faiths the freedom to maintain their beliefs, religious practices, and civil codes. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said:
They have the rights that we have and the duties that we have.
Furthermore, one of the goals of jihad (struggle in the cause of Allah) is to protect religious freedom. Allah says:
Had it not been for Allah checking one people by means of another, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, wherein Allah’s name is often mentioned, would have been torn down.
Islam prescribes Jihad to defend the faith, repel its enemies, and to protect it.
Allah says:
Fight in the path of Allah against those who fight you and do not transgress bounds; verily Allah does not love the transgressors.
Allah also says: What is wrong with you that you do not fight in the path of Allah and for the weak and oppressed men, women, and children whose cry is, ‘Our Lord, rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors, and raise for us from Your grace one who will protect us, and raise for us from Your grace one who will help us.
After accepting Islam, it is obligatory to adhere to the teachings of the faith and to put them into practice.
This gives faith vitality in the hearts of its practitioners and lets it have its affect on their sentiments. Because of this, belief and good works are mentioned together in many verses of the Quran, wherein the following phrase is repeated quite frequently:
Verily those who believe and work righteous deeds…
Apostasy is a crime punishable by law. This ensures that a person is serious when embracing Islam, so that no one enters into Islam without first having firm and complete conviction. Moreover, Allah does not accept anyone’s faith unless it springs from conviction. If a person enters Islam, it must be a permanent decision taken on the basis of firm conviction. If he rejects faith thereafter, he is actually introducing to the public a measure of intellectual and political uncertainty that can disrupt society and destroy its desired level of intellectual and psychological stability.
Allah mentions the words of the idolaters who called to these activities:
A group of the People of the Scripture said: “Believe in what came down upon those who believe at the beginning of the day, then disbelieve at the end of the day, so perhaps they might return from faith.”
Thus, the punishment for apostasy was legislated to safeguard the seriousness and the sacredness of faith.
A number of necessary and complementary acts of worship have been established to act as a protective shield for one’s faith.
Among these are performing prayers in congregation and numerous forms of voluntary worship. These acts establish and ingrain faith within the hearts of the people who perform them and strengthen faith in the society where these acts are put into practice. This brings to both the individual and society a sense of security, tranquility, and righteousness.
The Preservation of Life
The sanctity of human life is one of the necessities of human existence. Islam has set down a number of means to secure the sanctity of life. Among them are the following:
A. The means taken to promote the existence of human life:
Islamic Law prescribes marriage. Islam has legislated it for the purpose of producing progeny, increasing the human population, and providing people who will develop the Earth and sow the seeds of human life for the generations to come. Islam extols the sacred relationship between a husband and wife and considers it to be one of Allah’s signs. Allah says:
Among His signs is that he created for you wives from among yourselves that you may find comfort in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy.
B. The means taken to safeguard the continuity of life:
1. Islam obligates man to secure the means to sustain his life. This includes obtaining food, drink, clothing, and shelter. It is forbidden for a Muslim to eschew these necessities to the point where it endangers his life. It also obligates the state to provide the minimum amount of these necessities to those who are incapable of providing for themselves. Furthermore, it obligates one who is in danger of losing his life to prevent death by consuming the property of others to the extent of his need.
2. The state is obligated to furnish the necessary infrastructure to ensure public safety. This includes such things as providing a justice system and a police force.
3. It is obligatory to defend the honor of the human being. This manifests itself in such laws as the prohibition of false accusation and defamation. It is also why restricting human activities without justification is prohibited. In this way, liberties such as freedom of thought, freedom of opinion, economic freedom, the freedom to reside where one wants to, and the freedom to relocate are safeguarded and ensured. Allah says:
Whoever abuses believing men and women undeservedly, they bear upon themselves the crime of slander and manifest sin.
4. Islamic Law provides concessions under certain conditions to ward off undue difficulty that might cause personal harm or injury. One of these concessions is the right of the one who is sick or traveling to break his fast in Ramadan. Another is the right of the traveler to shorten his prayers.
5. Islam prohibits the taking of human life, whether that life be one’s own or that of someone else. Allah says: Do not kill yourselves. Verily Allah is to you Most Merciful.
The crime of murder is deplorable, so much so that taking one life is considered equivalent to killing all of mankind. Allah says: Whoever kills a person, not in retaliation for murder or iniquity in the Earth, then it would be as if he killed all of mankind.
Allah also says: Do not kill a person whose life Allah has made sacred except in the dispensation of justice.
He says: Whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, abiding therein. Allah’s wrath is upon him, and His curse; and He has prepared for him a great punishment.
In an authentic hadîth, it is related that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: Whoever kills someone who has a covenant with us will never smell the fragrance of Paradise.
6. Retribution is prescribed in the case of murder while payment of blood money and freeing a slave are obligatory in the case of unintentional manslaughter.
Allah says: O you who believe, the law of retribution is prescribed for you in murder.
Allah also says: It is not for a believer to kill another believer except by mistake; and whosoever kills a believer by mistake must set free a believing slave and pay blood money to the his family unless they remit it. If the deceased belonged to a people at war with you and he was a believer, then a believing slave must be set free; and if he belonged to a people with whom you have a treaty, then blood money must be paid to his family and a slave must be freed. And whoever finds this (the freeing of a slave) beyond his means must fast for two consecutive months seeking repentance from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
7. Jihad may be proclaimed in order to preserve lives and safeguard those who are weak and oppressed in the Earth.
Allah says: What is wrong with you that you do not fight in the path of Allah and for the weak and oppressed men, women, and children.
8. It is obligatory for a Muslim to save a person who is in danger of being murdered or killed for another reason, if that Muslim is capable of doing so.
9. Islamic Law prescribes self-defense when one is attacked. One should defend oneself if attacked and the defender is not in any way responsible if the attacker dies, as long as it is clear that the other truly intended to attack him.
The Preservation of Reason
Islam affords a great deal of importance to reason since it is the basis on which human beings are held responsible. Reason is the attribute that honors the human being and exalts him above the rest of Creation. It is what qualifies him to be Allah’s vicegerent on Earth and to carry out the sacred trust from Allah. Allah says: Verily, We had offered the trust to the heavens and the Earth and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it. But man bore it.
Due to its extreme importance, Islamic Law seeks to preserve reason and establishes a number of injunctions to ensure the health and freedom of the rational faculties. Among these are the following:
1. Islam has prohibited every substance that affects the mind, harms it, or decreases its abilities. This includes substances like wine and hashish. Allah says: O you who believe, intoxicants, gambling, sacrificing to idols, and divination are an abomination of Satan’s handiwork. So avoid all of this that perhaps you might be successful.
2. Islam sets down a stiff legal punishment to discourage the use of intoxicants. This is on account of the serious danger that they pose to both the individual and society.
3. Islam develops the intellect and nurtures it on a spirit of independent thinking. It guides the intellect to understand, to contemplate, to follow rational arguments and proofs, and to discard the blind following of others. Allah says: Or have they taken for worship gods beside Him? Say (O Muhammad): “Bring your proof.”
Allah also says: Whoever invokes besides Allah another god, of whom he has no proof, then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Verily, the disbelievers will not be successful.
The Quran declares to the unbelievers: Bring your proof, if you are truthful.
4. Islam calls toward developing and cultivating the mind. On the material level, this includes getting proper nourishment that strengthens the body and enlivens the mind. For this reason, it is disliked for a judge to pass judgment when he is hungry. This is also the reason why, if food happens to be served at the time of prayer, it is preferable to eat before going to perform the prayer. On the intellectual level, Islam emphatically encourages the pursuit of knowledge, considering it to be the basis of faith.
Allah says: It is only the knowledgeable among His servants who fear Allah.
Allah commands us to offer the following supplication: Say, ‘O my Lord, increase me in knowledge!
Likewise, Islam affords everyone an opportunity to learn, making it a general right of all people in society. Moreover, it has made a certain level of knowledge obligatory upon every Muslim man and woman.
5. Islam elevates the status of reason and honors those who possess it. This is emphasized in more than one verse of the Quran. Allah says the following:
- Give glad tidings to my servants who listen to the word and follow the best thereof. These are the ones whom Allah has guided, and these are the ones who possess understanding.
- Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the Earth and the alternation of the night and day are signs for people who possess understanding.”
- Say, ‘Are those who know the same as those who know not?’ The only ones who consider are the people who possess understanding.
6. The rational faculties must be kept free from the influence of superstition and the shackles of delusion. For this reason, Islam forbids practices based on deceit and superstition, such as witchcraft, fortune telling, and sleight of hand magic. Likewise, it prohibits the rational faculties from delving into questions of the unseen without having the ability to do so and without possessing knowledge coming from the revelation that was sent down to the Prophets. This is merely an unjustifiable way of wasting one’s intellectual abilities.
Allah says: Verily those who dispute about Allah’s signs without any authority having come to them, they have nothing in their hearts except pride. They shall never attain it. So seek refuge in Allah, Verily, He is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing.
7. Use of reason should be based upon a fruitful manner of gathering information and drawing conclusions, and upon a firm grasp of the facts.
There are two approaches to this:
* Rational investigation. Islam has set down the proper method for rational investigation, one that provides certainty. This means that Islam calls to confirming things before believing them before belief. Allah says: And follow not that which you have no knowledge.
Allah also says, quoting the youths who sought refuge from their people by going to the cave:
These people of ours have taken for worship gods beside Allah. Why, then, do they not bring a clear proof for them? So who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allah.
* Reflection and contemplation. Islam calls to reflection and contemplation about the laws of nature, encouraging humanity to bring them to light and appreciate their intricacy and how deeply they are interrelated. It also calls to induction based on careful observation and detailed examination in order to attain certainty.
8. Islam directs the mind to seek out the wisdom and subtleties behind its legislations. Allah says: Do they not, then, carefully consider the Quran? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found within it many a contradiction.
9. Likewise, Islam directs the intellect towards attaining knowledge of the physical world and how to benefit from it in order to build civilization. Allah says: He is the one who has made the Earth subservient to you; so walk in its land and eat of His provision.
10. Islam has left open the door of juristic reasoning with respect to its legislation wherever there is a matter for which there is no direct textual evidence. There are two areas where this can occur:
A. Ascertaining the objectives and aims of the texts and legal injunctions.
B. Deriving legal injunctions for newly occurring problems and situations. This is a very broad area that takes recourse to a number of general principles, like juristic analogy, considering the general welfare, and juristic preference.
The Preservation of Lineage
Lineage, here, is understood to mean the continuation of the human species through the agency of hereditary descent. Islam strives to perpetuate the human line on Earth until the Last Day. In order to bring about this objective, Islam has set down the following principles and legislations:
1. Islam enjoins marriage. Islam permits and encourages marriage, considering it to be the pure and natural way for a man and woman to come together. It is not only for the purpose of fulfilling natural impulses, but also to fulfill the noble purpose of preserving the human species and producing righteous offspring who will develop the world, establish an exemplary model of human life, and assume the role of Allah’s vicegerent on Earth.
This is ultimately so that they can pass on this vicegerency to those who come after them, perpetuating the human contribution and allowing human civilization to prosper in the shade of the most noble principles and moral virtues.
2. Islam pays close attention to the upbringing of the youth and fostering bonds of love. Parents are obligated to take care of their children and provide for them until they no longer need their parents’ support.
3. Islam pays close attention to establishing the family on a firm foundation, considering it to be the stronghold that protects and fosters the next generation. Islam establishes the marital bond on the basis of free choice and the mutual consent of the two parties, then afterwards on the basis of harmonious dealings between the two spouses and mutual consultation on all matters. This brings feelings of affection and mutual understanding between them, causing each of the two spouses to seek the happiness of the other. Allah says:
Among His signs is that he created for you wives from among yourselves that you may find comfort in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy.
4. Islam encompasses all possible relationships between men and women with a collection of principles and codes of moral conduct. These ensure that the noble aims of these relationships are fulfilled and that destructive practices in relationships between the sexes are avoided.
Among these obligations is the duty of every man to avert his gaze from every woman and for every woman to avert her gaze from every man. This helps to prevent sexual desire from being ignited. Likewise, Islamic Law combats the causes of temptation by making concealing clothing of a specific quality obligatory on the Muslims.
Outside of dire necessity, Islam prohibits a man to be alone with a woman to whom he is not related by blood, fosterage, or marriage, even if proper dress is observed, unless she is chaperoned by one of her near relatives.
The home, necessarily, enjoys a great deal of sanctity in Islam, whereby it is forbidden to enter another’s home without seeking the permission of its occupants and greeting them with peace.
Allah says: O you who believe, do not enter houses other than your own before seeking their permission and greeting their occupants with peace.
Added to these and other etiquettes, Islam provides codes of conduct when interaction between unrelated men and women becomes necessary.
5. Islam forbids every assault on chastity and honor. For this reason, Allah has forbidden fornication and adultery, as well as falsely accusing someone of sexual iniquity, setting fixed, prescribed punishments for both of these crimes in order to discourage them. With regard to fornication, Allah says: The woman and man guilty of illegal sexual intercourse, flog each of them with a hundred stripes. Do not let pity dissuade you from carrying out a punishment prescribed by Allah.
Allah says, with respect to falsely accusing someone of sexual iniquity: And those who accuse chaste women and fail to produce four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes, and reject their testimony forever.
The Preservation of Wealth
It is always the case with Islam, when dealing with man’s natural inclinations, that it permits their fulfillment within reasonable limits in a refined, enlightened, and sound manner, so that good and not evil can come of them. This is the case exactly when it comes to man’s natural inclination to possess. Islam permits individual ownership, while at the same time providing the necessary legislation to prevent the harmful effects that this inclination would have if left unchecked, like the loss of social equilibrium and the concentration of wealth within a small sector of society. Some of the systems that Islam has put into place to fulfill this function are those of Zakah, inheritance, and social security. From this perspective, Islam considers wealth to be a one of the indispensable necessities of human life.
|
|
|
Rank: Member Joined: 11/6/2010 Posts: 222 Location: NAMANGA
|
@Falsehoodenemy. welcome.  we are interested in examining religious philosophies. here. Thanx for your contribution. Anything that promotes peace, love and harmony amongst mankind is good. Do you have more of this stuff? It is humiliating to be associated with thieves and murderers.
|
|
|
Rank: Member Joined: 4/25/2011 Posts: 368 Location: Nairobi
|
@Alustaahd, Falsehhoodenemy just copy pasted from this http://www.ediscoverisla...human-life-wealth-faith The site http://www.ediscoverislam.com is maintained by Muslims to help propagate Islam which is not a problem. Your Judgement required.
|
|
|
Wazua
»
Club SK
»
Life
»
LIFE UNDER ISLAMIC RULE?
Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.
|