I'd like to take advantage of my blog to share with the world a little about me as a Muslim. I know, due to the overwhelming biased media, that most people know little about what Muslims really believe or what Islam really teaches. There are plenty of misconceptions and I'd like to take the time to try and dispel those misconceptions. Thus, I'm introducing Muslim Mondays! Now, with that said, I'd like to start by saying you can't judge Islam based on the actions of Muslims. In every group there's a bad bunch - just like there are Christians who beat their wives, or drink or do bad things - that doesn't mean that Christianity itself is at fault... likewise, Islam is not to be faulted for the bad actions of those claiming to be followers.
So what does Islam mean? Islam by definition means to submit, surrender and obey in peace and sincerity to the will of God - anyone who does this is a Muslim.
It also means you believe in only one God, and Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) is the last and final prophet of God (Allah) - ending the long line of noble prophets before him, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Jesus, etc... (peace and blessings be on them all).
Muslims believe in God, the Creator, the Sustainer of all the universe. We don't believe in a sun god, or a moon god. We believe in The One and Only, God - which translated in Arabic is Allah.
We also believe in the sacred texts which have been revealed - essentially known as the Bible - the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel. However, these texts have been changed by man and are no longer in their original form - and they have many errors and inconsistencies. God is perfect and His word is perfect - these texts are not and can no longer be considered the words of God.
However, God revealed the Qur'an and the Qur'an has been protected and has remained intact, never changed - not even a letter, for more than 1400 years. If I could chose one verse which proves to me that the Qur'an is from God - it would be the following verse:
"Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay); Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed; Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create!"
Al-Mu'minun 23:12-14
It was not until the 20th century that scientists have confirmed our bodies are made up of every element found from the earth/ground/dirt. The Bible also talks about man being created from clay/dust/dirt... however, God gives further explanation in the Qur'an and gives details about how the embryo is formed in the uterus. Science has confirmed the stages of the development of an embryo/baby in the uterus and the descriptions found in the Qur'an coincide with those stages.
There is no way possible for a man more than 1400 years ago to just make that up. That "information" came directly from the Creator alone. Of course there is much more that makes me believe in the Qur'an - but if I had to pick one example - this would be it.
Therefore, I follow the teachings of the Qur'an as they have been preserved and protected and not changed by man - so they remain the true Word of God.
A very beautiful post! Found you in the Bloggy Mommy January Blog Hop :)
ReplyDeleteThank you!! I'm happy to know people are actually reading my posts - makes me feel amazing. Again, thank you!
ReplyDeleteI'm a Muslim mum too and it's true what you said. We cannot blame every Muslim for the actions of some. You look nice in a hijab. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Sister! Please be sure to follow me - I'm going to write some more Muslim Monday posts... let me know if there's anything specific you would like to see. - Serena
ReplyDeleteI live in a country where the majority are Muslims. But I'm just curious how Muslims who are in the minority live in other countries. When the whole phobia regarding Muslims are rampant, even my friends who live overseas are afraid to wear their hijab in public.
ReplyDeleteThere are pros and cons for living in a non-Muslim country as well as a Muslim country... Of course, living in big cities where the population is very diverse helps a lot. I think the important thing for every Muslim to learn is our deen and obedience to Allah should never come at the cost of being afraid of others. If we try to please people we will undoubtedly fail - so we should all strive to please Allah instead. There's a hadith that comes to mind - I'll try and write a post about it in the next couple weeks (I have to track it down). :D
ReplyDeleteIt's very beautiful post. I swear I thought I have befriended you on MBS! because the first time I saw your picture with hijab I straightly want to be friends with you :) I just come back to the blogging world after relocating to Qatar one month ago from UAE, but I am from Indonesia. I haven't really browsing a bit in your blog but I wonder if you have a post about your decision on using hijab. I am in deep thinking to start using it too. Come and check my blog, I just add your button on my button collection page and follow you on twitter and networked blog. I hope you would do that for me too :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I have been wanting to write a post on my decision to wear hijab and what it means to me, etc... Insha'Allah I will write it soon! Yes, I am now following you on Twitter and Networked Blogs! I look forward to getting to know you more!
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