I would like to become a musilim

http://www.islamonline.net/english/newtoislam/new2islam17.shtml


عدم شكر نعم الله
Ingratitude for God’s Blessings
The Rites of Worship This section deals with the four primary forms of worship, which are prayer, the Zakâh tax, fasting, and the Hajj pilgrimage. These four acts of worship, along with the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, are the five pillars that Islam rests upon. Allah’s Messenger (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Islam is built upon five things: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing prayer, paying the Zakâh tax, fasting during the month of Ramadân, and making pilgrimage to the House if one is able to do so.” These four pillars are the minimum required acts of worship. Negligence in performing these acts of worship is considered a major sin and can lead to apostasy. Islamic Law encourages the believer to perform more than these acts of worship in order for the believer to become even nearer to Allah. The Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) relates that Allah said: “My servant does not seek nearness to me with anything more beloved than what I have commanded him to do. My servant then continues to seek nearness to me with voluntary acts until I love him.” These acts of worship are as old as they are new: Acts of worship similar to these were prescribed in the religions that came before Islam. They were an integral part of those faiths. Allah says, referring to some of the Messengers (peace be upon them): “And We made them leaders that guided people by Our command. We inspired them to perform good deeds, establish prayer, and pay the Zakâh, and they were to us devout worshippers.” Allah says, after speaking about Mûsâ (Moses), Ibrâhîm (Abraham), Ishâq (Isaac), and Ya`qûb (Jacob, peace be upon them all): “O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those who came before you that perhaps you might be God fearing.” Allah says regarding the Hajj pilgrimage: “And when We gave to Ibrâhîm (Abraham) the site of the house (saying): Do not associate with Me anything in worship, and sanctify My house for those who circle it, or stand up, bow, and prostrate in prayer. And proclaim the pilgrimage to the people; they will come to you on foot, on every lean camel, and from every steep mountain pass.” Necessarily, the exact forms taken by these acts of worship were different for the previous manifestations of the Sacred Law. The manner of prayer in Islam is different than it was for the Jews And Christians. The same can be said about alms, fasting, and pilgrimage. Effects of these four acts of worship: These acts of worship, though they are pure acts of devotion that must be carried out no matter how restricted the worshipper’s understanding of them might be, have wisdom behind them. Knowing the wisdom behind them and the positive effects that they bring about can increase the worshipper’s resolve and zeal in performing them. This knowledge can increase the benefit realized by the worshipper as well. Source http://www.islamtoday.com/showme.cfm?cat_id=4&sub_cat_id=33


تسع فوائد عظيمة عند القراءة والتفكر بالقرآن
Nine Great Benefits of Reading and Reflecting Over the Qur'aan
Basic tenets of faith Faith (Aqeedah) is the firm creed that a Muslim's heart must be fixed upon, without any wavering or doubt. It excludes any supposition, doubt or suspicion. The Arabic word “Aqeedah” is derived from the root ‘aqada, which conveys meanings of certainty, affirmation, confirmation, etc. Allah says: (Allah will not punish you for what is unintentional in your oaths, but He will punish you for your deliberate oaths) [Qur’an 5:87] The "deliberate oaths" refers to the determination that someone has deep down in his/her heart. The whole verse means that Allah will not punish people for their unintentional beliefs or deeds, but he will punish them for what they deliberately mean, whether in their deeds or intentions. Also Allah says: (O you who believe! Give your response to Allah and His Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life, and know that Allah comes in between a man and his heart, and it is He to whom you shall all be gathered.) [Qur’an 8:24] In Islam, faith, (Iman or Aqeedah) is the matter of knowledge. The Muslim must believe in his heart and have faith and conviction, with no doubts or suspicions. The Islamic “Aqeedah” is established on the principle that "There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah". The principles of “Aaqeedah” are those which Allah has ordered Muslims to believe in. Allah (swt) says: (The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books and His Messengers. They say, ‘We make no distinction between one and another of His Messengers’ – and they say, ‘We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all)) [Qur’an 2:285] Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) described how Jebreel explained faith in Islam to him; “Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Day of Resurrection." Allah says: (And thus We inspired in You (Muhammad) a Spirit of Our command. You did not know what the ******ure was, nor what the Faith (iman) was. But we have made it a light whereby We guide whom We will of our bondmen...) [Qur’an 42:52] The basic principles that Muslims must believe in and follow are the five pillars of Islam. One will not be called a believer just by knowing and understanding these pillars but he must come to the level where he submits and implements them. Iman, in this manner, incorporates Islam. Imam Abu-Hanifa said, "The understanding of faith is better than understanding of the science." What he meant by faith here is the “tawheed” (believing that there is no good but Allah (set)) and he meant “shariah” by science. It is clear that he put the understanding of “tawheed”, which is the foundation of the Islamic faith, before the understanding of the “shariah”. Also, Sheikh Al-Haruwi Al-Ansari said in his book, “Itiqad Ahl Al-Sunnah”; "The first obligation upon the slave is the knowledge of Allah." This is also proven in Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) saying; “You will come to people from the People of the Book. The first thing that you should call them to is to worship Allah. If they gain the knowledge of Allah, then tell them that Allah obligates upon them five prayers during the day and night...” [Al-Bukhari, Muslim] Middle East Advertising by alClick Advertise Here Offshore Bank Accounts Get your offshore Bank account today! Its so easy even my mouse can do it. Offshore Banking Currency Specialist The best exchange rates for International funds transfer Currency and FX Trading Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People A meticulous, passionate, and very articulate de******ion of the vilification of Arab people in Western movies Jack G. Shaheen International Credit Cards Visa, MasterCards and American Express Cards issued by Offshore Banks - Ideal for expat workers International Credit Cards Middle East Advertising by alClick Advertise Here Offshore Bank Accounts Get your offshore Bank account today! Its so easy even my mouse can do it. Offshore Banking International Credit Cards Visa, MasterCards and American Express Cards issued by Offshore Banks - Ideal for expat workers International Credit Cards Currency Specialist The best exchange rates for International funds transfer Currency and FX Trading Currency Specialist The best exchange rates for International funds transfer Currency and FX Trading

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http://www.islamonline.com/cgi-bin/news_service/spot_full_story.asp?service_id=863

النظام الأخلاقي في الإسلام
MORAL SYSTEM OF ISLAM
MORAL SYSTEM OF ISLAM Islam has laid down some universal fundamental rights for humanity as a whole, which are to be observed and respected under all circumstances. To achieve these rights Islam provides not only legal safeguards but also a very effective moral system. Thus whatever leads to the welfare of the individual or the society is morally good in Islam and whatever is injurious is morally bad. Islam attaches so much importance to the love of God and love of man that it warns against too much of formalism. We read in the Quran: "It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West; but it is righteousness to believe in God and the Last Day and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask; and for the freeing of captives; to be steadfast in prayers, and practice regular charity; to fulfill the contracts which you made; and to be firm and patient in pain (or suffering) and adversity and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-conscious." (2:177) We are given a beautiful de******ion of the righteous and God-conscious man in these verses. He should obey salutary regulations, but he should fix his gaze on the love of God and the love of his fellow men. We are given four heads: Our faith should be true and sincere, We must be prepared to show it in deeds of charity to our fellow-men, We must be good citizens, supporting social organizations, and Our own individual soul must be firm and unshaken in all circumstances. This is the standard by which a particular mode of conduct is judged and classified as good or bad. This standard of judgment provides the nucleus around which the whole moral conduct should revolve. Before laying down any moral injunctions Islam seeks to firmly implant in man's heart the conviction that his dealings are with God who sees him at all times and in all places; that he may hide himself from the whole world but not from Him; that he may deceive everyone but cannot deceive God; that he can flee from the clutches of anyone else but not from God. Thus, by setting God's pleasure as the objective of man's life, Islam has furnished the highest possible standard of morality. This is bound to provide limitless avenues for the moral evolution of humanity. By making Divine revelations as the primary source of knowledge it gives permanence and stability to the moral standards which afford reasonable scope for genuine adjustments, adaptations and innovations, though not for perversions, wild variation, atomistic relativism or moral fluidity. It provides a sanction to morality in the love and fear of God, which will impel man to obey the moral law even without any external pressure. Through belief in God and the Day of Judgment it furnishes a force which enables a person to adopt the moral conduct with earnestness and sincerity, with all the devotion of heart and soul. It does not, through a false sense of originality and innovation, provide any novel moral virtues nor does it seek to minimize the importance of the well-known moral norms, nor does it give exaggerated importance to some and neglect others without cause. It takes up all the commonly known moral virtues and with a sense of balance and proportion it assigns a suitable place and function to each one of them in the total scheme of life. It widens the scope of man's individual and collective life - his domestic associations, his civic conduct, and his activities in the political, economic, legal, educational, and social realms. It covers his life from home to society, from the dining-table to the battlefield and peace conferences, literally from the cradle to the grave. In short, no sphere of life is exempt from the universal and comprehensive application of the moral principles of Islam. It makes morality reign supreme and ensures that the affairs of life, instead of dominated by selfish desires and petty interests, should be regulated by norms of morality. It stipulates for man a system of life which is based on all good and is free from all evil. It invokes the people, not only to practice virtue, but also to establish virtue and eradicate vice, to bid good and to forbid wrong. It wants that the verdict of conscience should prevail and virtue must not be subdued to play second fiddle to evil. Those who respond to this call are gathered together into a community and given the name "Muslim". And the singular object underlying the formation of this community ("Ummah") is that it should make an organized effort to establish and enforce goodness and suppress and eradicate evil. Here we furnish some basic moral teachings of Islam for various aspects of a Muslim's life. They cover the broad spectrum of personal moral conduct of a Muslim as well as his social responsibilities.

Source

http://www.al-sunnah.com/moral_system_of_islam.htm


الله جميل يحب الجمال
Allah is Beautiful & Loves Beauty
Allah is Beautiful & Loves Beauty From 'Abdullaah Ibn Mas'ood (radiyallaahu 'anhu) who said that the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "No one will enter Paradise who has an atom's weight of pride in his heart." A man said, "What if a man likes his clothes to look good and his shoes to look good?" He said, "Allaah is beautiful and loves beauty. Pride means denying the truth and looking down on people."...... Ibnul-Qayyim (d.751H) - may Allah bless him- said, commenting upon this hadeeth: ''The phrase 'Allaah is beautiful and loves beauty,' includes the beautiful clothing which was asked about in the same hadeeth. It is included by way of generalization, meaning that beauty in all things is what is meant here. In Saheeh Muslim, it says: "Allaah is good and only accepts that which is good." In Sunanut-Tirmidhee it says: "Allaah loves to see the effects of His blessing on His slave.'' It was reported that Abul-Ahwas al-Jashamee said: The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) saw me wearing old, tattered clothes, and asked me, "Do you have any wealth?" I said, "Yes." He said, "What kind of wealth?" I said, "All that Allaah has given me of camels and sheep." He said, "Then show the generous blessings that He has given you." Allaah, may He be glorified, loves the effects of His blessings to His slave to be made manifest, for this is part of the beauty that He loves, and that is part of the gratitude for His blessings which forms an inner beauty (beauty of character). Allaah loves to see the external beauty of His slaves which reflects His blessings on them, and the inner beauty of their gratitude to Him for those blessings. Because He loves beauty, He sends down on His slaves clothes and adornments with which they may make their outward appearance beautiful and He gives them taqwaa which makes their inner characters beautiful. Allaah says: "O Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves (screen your private parts, etc.) and as an adornment, and the raiment of righteousness, that is better." [Sooratul-A'raaf 7:26] And He says, speaking of the people of Paradise: ".and He gave them Nadrataan (a light of beauty) and joy. And their recompense shall be Paradise and silken garments, because they were patient." [Sooratul-Insaan 76:11-12] Their faces will be made beautiful with the nadrah (light of beauty), their innermost being with joy and their bodies with silken garments. Just as Allaah loves beauty in words, deeds, garments and outward appearance, so He hates ugliness in words, deeds, garments and outward appearance. He hates ugliness and its people, and loves beauty and its people. But two groups are misguided with regard to this issue: a group who say that everything that He has created is beautiful, so He loves all that He has created and we should love all that He has created and not hate anything. They say: whoever realizes that all that exists comes from Him will see that it is beautiful. these people have no sense of jealousy for the sake of Allaah or hatred and enmity for the sake of Allaah, or denouncing what is evil (munkar), or jihaad (struggle) for the sake of Allaah, or adhering His limits. They regard the beauty of images, male or female, as being part of the beauty that Allaah loves, and seek to worship Allaah through immoral acts. Some of them may even go so far as to claim that the One Whom they worship is manifested or incarnated in those images. The second group, on the other hand, say that Allaah condemns the beauty of images, forms and outward appearances. Allaah says about the munaafiqoon (hypocrites): "And when you look at them, their bodies please you." [Sooratul-Munaafiqoon 63:4] "And how many a generation have We destroyed before them. Who were better in wealth, goods and outward appearance?" [Soorah Maryam 19:54] In Saheeh Muslim it is reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Allaah does not look at your outward appearance and your wealth, rather He looks at your hearts and deeds." According to another hadeeth: "Shabbiness is part of faith." Allaah condemns those who are extravagant, which applies to extravagance in clothing as well as in food and drink. In order to settle this dispute, we may say that beauty in clothing and outward appearance is of three types, one of which is commendable, one is blameworthy and one of which is neither. The kind of beauty which is to be commended is that which is done for the sake of Allaah, to help one to obey Allaah and fulfil His commands, such as when the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) made himself look beautiful (i.e. handsome) when meeting the delegations that came to him. This is like wearing armour or battle-dress when fighting, or wearing silk and showing off (in front of the enemy). This is commendable because it is done to make the word of Allaah supreme and to support His religion and annoy His enemies. The blameworthy kind of beauty is that which is done for the sake of this world, for reasons of power, false pride and showing off, or to fulfil some (selfish) desires. This also includes cases where beauty is an end in itself for a person and is all he cares about. Many people have no other concern in life. As for the kind of beauty which is neither commendable nor blameworthy, it is that which has nothing to do with either of the two purposes mentioned above (i.e., it is neither for the sake of Allaah nor for the sake of worldly purposes). The hadeeth under discussion refers to two important principles, knowledge and behaviour. Allaah is to be acknowledged for beauty that bears no resemblance to anything else, and He is to be worshipped by means of the beauty which He loves in words, deeds and attitudes. He loves His slaves to beautify their tongues with the truth, to beautify their hearts with sincere devotion (ikhlaas), love, repentance and trust in Him, to beautify their faculties with obedience, and to beautify their bodies by showing His blessings upon them in their clothing and by keeping them pure and free of any filth, dirt or impurity, by removing the hairs which should be removed, by circumcision, and by clipping the nails. Thus they recognize Allaah through these qualities of beauty and seek to draw close to Him through beautiful words, deeds and attitudes. They acknowledge Him for the beauty which is His attribute and they worship Him through the beauty which He has prescribed and His religion. The hadeeth combines these two principles of knowledge and behaviour.''

Source

http://www.beconvinced.com/


الله هو الغني ونحن الفقراء
Allah Is The Rich, You Are The Poor
Allah Is The Rich, You Are The Poor By Kamil Mufti This is a fact that none can escape, yet you go after the treasures of the world and renounce the Lord of Truth. "Know that the life of this world is but a play and a passing delight and a beautiful show, and the (cause of) your boastful) vying with one another, and (of your) greed for more and more wealth and children." [57:20] Look at this world with the eyes of your heart, you will find it ugly and loathsome; look at it with your physical eyes and it will lure you to the side and slaughter you. Be ******* with whatever Allah has decreed for you. Fear Allah in your innermost being. Implement His commands. Once your heart complies with the Divine Decree, the Lord of Truth will grant you from sources you never imagined: "And whosoever is conscious of Allah, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Indeed Allah has sent a measure for all things." [65:2-3] Beg of His mercy; turn to Him with a heart full of sincere repentance. "O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance." [66:8] Stand before your Lord with humility, implore the Dispenser of Grace by His Most Beautiful Names and attributes of perfection. If He fulfills your wish, increase in your gratitude and servitude to Him. If He denies your request, then succumb to the Divine Decree of the All-Wise with a submissive heart. Do not argue or object to His will. Always remember: "…Allah knows and you know not." [24:19] Allah disposes of everything as He wills, and commands as He wills: "He is not to be questioned about what He does, though they are subject to His questioning." [21"23] If wealth and happiness are destined for you, they will come to you at their appointed time according to the Divine Decree of Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Do not be greedy but be moderate because you will receive all that was written for you. If you do so, you will earn the displeasure of the All Mighty, and lose all spiritual comfort in this life. Maalik ibn Deenaar once said: "If you want to acquire true knowledge of Allah, the All Mighty, then consent to His management and planning. Make not your mind and desire, passion or will associates to Him." O you of sound health but weak heart! Wake up and run to your Creator with repentance on your tongue, tears in your eyes, and sincerity in your heart. Cry before Him, before others cry for you. Make haste, O heedless one! "Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe to be affected by Allah's Reminder…?" [57:16] Remove the veils of darkness that have corroded your heart. Adorn it with His fear and love. Do you not fear the moment when you will stand before your Lord? There will be no screen between Him and you, nor an interpreter to translate for you. And your Creator will question you. You will find nothing to your left nor to your right but the blazing Fire of Hell. Do what the Prophet of Allah advised you, if you truly fear Allah: "…So let each of you protect himself against Hell-Fire, be it even with half a date - and if he finds not, then with a kind word." You are the servant, He is the Master. Prayers come from you, answers come from Him. Abstinence comes from you, protection comes from Him. Repentance comes from you, acceptance comes from Him. Go towards him walking, He will come to you running. Make your deeds pure for His sake alone, and He will extend His mercy to you. Upload His religion, and He will extend His bounty to you. Follow the Sunnah of His beloved, and He will extend His love to you. Look forward to your meeting with Allah. It will be very soon. Sooner than you can imagine! Make preparations for this meeting. Get rid of the love of this world from your heart; free it from everything other than the Lord of Truth. Do not buy the world and pay with the hereafter as a price. Do not sell the hereafter to acquire this world. "…Shall We tell you who are the greatest losers in whatever they may do? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought they were acquiring good by their deeds…" [18:103-104] The Most Wise did not create you to gratify your base desires and passions, nor did He create you for fun, amusement, eating, drinking, sleeping, or having sex! "I have created the jinns and the humans solely to worship Me." [51:56] But you are so heedless as if you have drunk the elixir of immortality. You think that the Angel of Death will never squeeze your soul out of your body? You have forgotten that you will pass through the Siraat with the intense Fire of Hell underneath you. You are unaware of the thrashing that awaits you in your grave by the angels of Allah. Hot stones of Jahannam for you to walk on, herbage bitter than aloes, foul putrid meat to eat, your lips to be cut by coarse scissors, getting trampled under the feet of the people of Pharaoh, screaming with your mouths wide open while the hot coals that you devoured come out of your anuses, cutting your own flesh from the sides to eat it, scratching your chests and faces with brass nails - all this awaits you if you do not pay the zakah, if you fornicate, devour usury, slander others, backbite, or malign people's honor. This is just the grave, Hell is yet to come! "…the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they but knew." [68:33]

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