I would like to become a musilim

http://thetruereligion.org/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=17


مفهوم الرسالة في الإسلام
Risalah (The Message)
Risalah (The Message) The word Risalah is defined as 'message'. But here we use it for the whole process of God's chosen messengers coming forth, one after another, under Allah's Divine Guidance. From the beginning of Mankind, prophets have come to their respective peoples. Their mission was to exhort them to worship none but Allah and to lead a life of virtue. The first man Adam (pbuh) was a prophet, as were Abraham, David, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them all). We read in the Islamic tradition that over a hundred thousand prophets have preached the Religion of God here. The Holy Qur'an says that there has never been a people to whom a prophet has not come and that all those prophets taught their people the same message. The essence of that message is: Worship Allah alone and do good. The distinction of Muhammad (pbuh) among these prophets is simply that he was the Last Prophet, through whom the Divine Guidance was completed and perfected. One important point for Muslims to remember is that they should respect all the prophets of God alike; that they should not discriminate between God's prophets. In the Holy Qur'an, Allah says to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): "Nothing is said to you that was not said to the messengers before you…" (41: 43). This means that all the prophets preached basically the same religion. This fact underscores the idea of the continuity of the Divine Message. Hence it is evident that Islam is not a new religion, but it is the Religion of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and all the prophets who came to all the peoples of the world at several stages in human history. But at the same time, it should be emphasized here that Islam, as taught by Muhammad, is its latest and most complete form of the message. For this reason, we have to study and follow it from the model life of the Last Prophet, Muhammad (pbuh). It is also worthy of note that the events and incidents in the life of Muhammad (pbuh) have been so faithfully recorded by his companions in such detail that there is no other life that can bear comparison to it. This is important because Muslims must be able to get the guidelines they require from the life of the Prophet. By the declaration of the second part of the Muslim shahada (witness), which is "ash-hadu anna Muhammad rasool Allah" (Muhammad is the messenger of Allah), a Muslim vows to accept Muhammad (pbuh) as his role model in life. If the Qur'an is the Word of God, the model life led by Muhammad is its practical expression.

That means a Muslim has to actualize the commands and prohibitions

of God given in the Qur'an by following in all the areas of life, Allah's Messenger, Muhammad (pbuh).

Source

http://www.islam-online.net/english/newtoislam/new2islam15.shtml

عواقب المعصية
Impact & Effect of Sins
Impact & Effect of Sins When Allah commands us to give up sins and to avoid them it is not because our sins will harm Him. It is only us who will benefit by avoiding sins. Likewise, we alone will be affected by the sins we commit. It was the habit of the righteous ancestors to think about their sins whenever they were faced with hardship in anything. In fact, sins have many bad effects on the lives of the sinners. How can sins change our lives? What are the effects of sins on our well-being? Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyah explains to us these effects in his well-known book Al-Jawab Al-Kafi: Prevention of knowledge: Knowledge is a light which Allah throws into the heart and disobedience extinguishes this light. Imam Ash-Shafi`i said: “I complained to Wakee` about the weakness of my memory, so he ordered me to abandon disobedience and informed me that knowledge is light. He said that the light of Allah is not given to the disobedient.” Prevention of sustenance: Just as righteousness brings about sustenance, the abandonment of righteousness causes poverty. There is nothing which can bring about sustenance like the abandonment of sins. Prevention of obedience (to Allah): If there was no other punishment for sin except that it prevents one from obeying Allah then this would be sufficient. Disobedience weakens the heart and the body: The fact that it weakens the heart is clear. Disobedience continues to weaken the heart until its life ceases completely. Disobedience reduces one's lifespan and destroys any blessings: Just as righteousness increases one’s lifespan, sinning reduces it. Legacy of the cursed: Every type of disobedience is the legacy of a nation from among those which Allah destroyed. Sodomy is a legacy of the people of Lot, taking more than one's due right and giving what is less is a legacy of the people of Shu`aib, spreading mischief and corruption is a legacy of the people of Pharaoh and pride, including arrogance and tyranny, is a legacy of the people of Hud. So the disobedient one is somehow a part of those nations who were the enemies of Allah. Disobedience is a cause of the servant being held in contempt by his Lord: Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: “They became contemptible in (His sight) so they disobeyed Him. If they were honorable (in His sight) He would have protected them.” Effect of sins on others: The ill-effects of the sinner fall upon those around him as well as the animals as a result of which they are touched by harm. Living in sin: The servant continues to commit sins until they become very easy for him and seem insignificant in his heart and this is a sure sign of destruction. Every time a sin becomes insignificant in the sight of the servant it becomes great in the sight of Allah. Disobedience brings humiliation and lowliness: Every aspect of honor lies in the obedience of Allah. Ibn Al-Mubarak said: “I have seen sins kill the hearts. And humiliation is inherited by their continuity. The abandonment of sins gives life to the hearts. And the prevention of your soul is better for it.” Disobedience corrupts the intellect: The intellect has light and disobedience extinguishes this light. When the light of the intellect is extinguished it becomes weak and deficient. Sealing of the heart: When disobedience increases, the servant’s heart becomes sealed so that he becomes of those who are heedless. The Exalted said: [But no! A stain has been left on their hearts on account of what they used to earn (that is, their actions)] (Al-Mutaffifin 83: 14). Sins cause various types of corruption to occur in the land: Corruption of the water, the air, the plants, the fruit, and the dwelling places. The Exalted said: [Mischief has appeared on the land and the sea on account of what the hands of men have earned; that He may give them a taste of some of (the actions) they have done, in order that they may return] (Ar-Rum 30: 41). Disappearance of modesty: Modesty is the essence of the life of the heart and is the basis of every good. Its disappearance is the disappearance of all that is good. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Modesty is goodness, all of it.” Sins weaken and reduce the magnification of Allah the Almighty in the heart of the servant. Sins are the cause of Allah forgetting His servant: Sinning also causes Allah to abandon him and leave him to fend for himself with his soul and his Satan and in this is destruction from which no deliverance can be hoped for. Being removed from the realm of benevolence: When a persons sins, benevolence is removed from his heart. When benevolence fills the heart it prevents it from disobedience. Disobedience causes the favors (of Allah) to cease and makes His revenge lawful: No blessing ceases to reach a servant except because of a sin, and no retribution is made lawful upon him except because of a sin. Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “No trial has descended except due to a sin and it (the trial) is not repelled except by repentance.”

Source

http://www.islamonline.net/english/OnthePathofReturn/articles/12-2004/03.shtml


باب التوبة مفتوح
The Door of Repentance Is Wide Open
The Door of Repentance Is Wide Open By Sheikh Ahmad Kutty It is never too late for a true Muslim to repent to Allah, and to shed tears for the wrong doing he has committed, keeping in mind that if one manages to escape the punishment of mortals, he will not for sure escape the punishment of Allah in the Hereafter. So, it is better to start a new leaf and let bygones be bygones. As long as you are sincere in your repentance, Allah Almighty will accept your Repentance and forgive you your sins. If you committed evil but have repented sincerely, and changed your life around for better, then Allah has certainly promised to grant you mercy and forgiveness. It is one of the basic principles of belief in Islam that Allah is All-Relenting, All-Forgiving and All-Merciful. Here are a few verses which clearly convey this crucial concept: [Do they not know that it is Allah Who accepts the repentance of His servants and receives (approves) their charity, and that Allah is the Relenting, the Compassionate?] (At-Tawbah 9: 104) [Say: ‘O My servants who wronged against their souls, do not despair of Allah’s mercy! For Allah forgives all sins; for He is indeed Forgiving, Compassionate.] (Az-Zumar 39: 53) So do not put off repentance; take the necessary steps immediately, for no one can tell when the death will overtake us. The door of repentance is open so long as we are not in the throes of death, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Allah accepts the repentance of His servant so long as death has not reached his collar bone.” But since we have no way of knowing when death will overtake us, we must never be complacent or slack in hastening to taking steps towards repentance. While speaking of repentance, we must rush to add, that it cannot be considered as valid unless one takes the following steps: One must feel deep remorse for the sins one has committed. One must refrain from it totally while also abstaining from all those leads or circumstances that led him to such a sin in the first place. He must be firmly resolved never to sin again, and immediately becoming occupied in whatever good deeds that he can in order to wipe out his past sins. All of the above involve sins involving the rights of Allah; if, however, your sins involve the rights of human beings, then you must also do whatever it takes to return or compensate or redress the grievances of the person you have wronged. Paying him his dues or compensating him in whatever ways possible becomes an essential condition of valid repentance. Repentance, as stated above once accomplished, will undoubtedly wipe out one’s sins, and guarantee him a clean record. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “One who has repented of a sin (sincerely) is like one who has never sinned at all.” In conclusion, after sinning, one should not feel despair. Rather one should forward sincere repentance to Allah and rest assured that Allah Almighty will forgive his sin, as long as his repentance meets the abovementioned conditions of sincerity. Moreover, you must learn how to forget, for the more you look back to your old days of sinful habit, the wider the door is open for Satan to draw you back. Scholars used to resemble this case to that of gazelle being chased by hound. Despite that gazelle is naturally faster in speed, but its frequent looking back weakens its morale and makes it an easy prey for hounds.

Source

http://www.islamonline.net/english/OnthePathofReturn/articles/12-2004/01.shtml


أهمية الوقت في الإسلام
The Importance of Time in Islam
The Importance of Time in Islam In general, sensible people know the importance of time. There are among those who believe in the popular saying as “Time is gold.” Time in Islam is more than gold or any precious material thing in this world. Of all religions, only Islam guides mankind not only to the importance of time but also how to value it. Allah the Almighty and His Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), very clearly tell us the value of time, why we must not waste it and how we can make use of our time wisely to increase our eeman (faith) and thus attain success, especially eternal success in the life Hereafter. Both the Qur’an and the Sunnah enjoin Muslims to be conscious of time. We are reminded that life in this world is nothing but temporary. We never know when death has been appointed for us. We must value time for the satisfaction of Allah the Almighty. For our guidance and success, we must never waste time nor abuse it. Bin ‘Abbas narrated that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said: “There are two blessings which many people lose: (They are) health and free time for doing good.” (Bukhari 8/421) Indeed, we displease Allah the Most High when we abuse time. We must remember that time must be spent to fulfill our very purpose in life ¾ that is to worship Allah all throughout our lives. Allah makes this very clear in the Qur’an when He says: “I have created not the jinn and men except that they should worship Me (Alone). I seek not any provision from them nor do I ask that they should feed Me. Verily, Allah is the All-Provider, Owner of Power, Most Strong.” Qur’an (51:56-58) “So glorify the praises of your Rabb (Only God and Sustainer) and be of those who prostrate themselves (to Him). And worship your Rabb until there comes unto you the Hour that is certain (i.e., death).” (Qur'an 15:98-99) Everything we do in accordance with the Qur’an and the Sunnah is an act of worship. Such worship must be done sincerely for the pleasure of Allah alone. We should make use of our time (which includes our “free time”) in doing beneficial things especially those that will make us closer to Allah and earn His Mercy. We have to make use of our time wisely by knowing more of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. We must have correct knowledge of what Allah and His Messenger have commanded us to do and at the same time to refrain from what they have forbidden us. This is imperative so that we earn Allah’s pleasure and reward. Allah the Exalted makes it very clear, when he says: “O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger (Mohammad) and render not vain your deeds.” (Qur'an 47:33) Corollary to the above divine commandment, we must ask ourselves: Have we been obeying Allah and His Messenger? To what extent have we used our time learning the Qur’an and the Sunnah in order to have correct eeman (Faith), to do righteous deeds, to enjoin the Truth or do Da’wah, and be patient and constant? As time passes by, are we sure we are devoting our time for the sincere worship and pleasure of Allah the Most High? Are we taking guidance from the following very enlightening Ayat (Qur’anic verses)? “By the time, verily man is in loss, except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and join (together) in the mutual enjoining of Truth, and of patience and constancy.” Qur’an (103:1-3) In line with the above Qur’anic injunction, we have to discipline ourselves by giving value to the importance of time. We must be prompt in doing good deeds, which will increase our faith and subsequently enable us to gain Allah’s pleasure and mercy. We have to remember that on the day of judgement we shall be asked how we spent our lives, wealth and knowledge. In other words, we will be questioned on how we spent everything that Allah has given us as implied in the following Hadith: Narrated Abdullah Bin Mas`ud Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said: “A man shall be asked concerning five things on the day of resurrection: concerning his life, how he spent it; concerning his youth, how he grew old; concerning his wealth, whence he acquired it, and in what way he spent it; and what was it that he did with the knowledge that he had.” Abu Barzah Nadlah ibn Ubayd al-Aslami narrated that the Prophet(PBUH) said: “A servant of Allah will remain standing on the Day of Judgment till he is questioned: about his age and how he spent it; and about his knowledge and how he utilized it; about his wealth from where he acquired it and in what (activities) he spent it; and about his body as to how he used it.” If we are to evaluate ourselves objectively, have we been spending our time wisely for the pleasure of Allah the Almighty? Have we been spending our lives based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah? Have we been practicing Muslims? How many of us are Muminoon (faithful Muslims) and/or Mutaqqoon (God-fearing Muslims)? How much knowledge of the Qur’an and the Sunnah do we know? Do we practice what we learn and impart the same to others or at least share them to our families and kin? Have we ever enjoined to others what is right and forbid what is wrong? To be successful, we have to manage our time wisely by making plans for virtuous deeds that please Allah the Almighty. We must spend time learning Islam

(based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah and the right deductions from these two revealed ures).

Source

http://www.islamonline.com/cgi-bin/news_service/spot_full_story.asp?service_id=763

معنى التوحيد
Tawhid or Belief in One God

Tawhid or Belief in One God The basis of Islam is the belief in the One God, Who is the Creator and Sustainer of the whole universe and everything in it. The first part of the Shahadah, (Witnessing to the Fundamental Doctrine of Islam) is La ilaha illallah. It means: There is no one worthy of worship except Allah. This simple statement implies the following ideas: · Allah, the Creator of the whole universe is One. · Humanity is One, as all the human beings are created equal. · The Religion is One, as all the prophets taught the same God-given Religion. There is an underlying unity in the diverse phenomena of the universe, which is borne out by the uniformity of laws that govern the working of every part of the universe. We do not see any clash in the so-called laws of nature, which are also called the laws of science, as scientists have discovered them. This is a fact that very clearly points to the Unity of the Lawgiver, Allah. Human beings, whether black, white, brown, Asian, Australian or European show the same qualities that characterize the species called homosapiens (man the wise). This means that differences of nationality, race or language are accidental and have no innate value. As Dryden, the famous English essayist wrote, "mankind is ever the same." This unity of mankind is linked to the Unity of the Creator, from the Islamic point of view. From the very beginning of mankind, God has revealed through His prophets answers to man's eternal questions. To different peoples of the world who lived in different periods of history, God sent His Guidance through His prophets. And it was thus that religion came into existence. Though taught by different prophets, the essential religion of God had to be the same since the Source of this guidance was the same and the addressees were basically also the same. Hence the Unity of religion. Since the life of a Muslim is to be completely God-directed, he/she has to accept the following ideas about God: Allah is the One God, Who has no partner; there is nothing and no one like Him. He is the First, the Last, and the Everlasting; He is All-Powerful, Eternally Just, the Supreme, the Sovereign. He is the All-Knowing, and All-Merciful, and He is the only One capable of granting life to anything. For the above reasons, accept His Guidance alone, worship Him alone and seek His help alone. Allah says in the Holy Qur'an: "He knows what is in land and sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. Not a grain in the earth's shadow, not a thing fresh or withered, but it is in a Book Manifest. It is He who recalls you by night, and He knows what you work by day" (An'am, 6: 59-60). Also: "There is no God but He, the Living, the Everlasting. Slumber seizes Him not, neither sleep; to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Who is there that shall intercede with Him save by His leave? He knows what lies before them and what is after them, and they comprehend not anything of His knowledge save such as He wills. His throne comprises the heavens and earth; the preserving of them oppresses Him not; He is the All-High, the All-Glorious" (Baqara, 2: 255) So what should be our duty to God? Allah says: "O you men, serve your Lord Who created you, and those that were before you; so that you will be God-fearing; Who assigned to you the earth for a couch, and heaven for an edifice, and sent down out of heaven water, wherewith He brought forth fruits for your provision; so set not up rivals to God wittingly" (al-Baqara, 2: 21-22). Thus, a Muslim has to surrender his/ her self to Allah, the Only Creator and Preserver - Who alone deserves our whole-hearted worship and unconditional obedience.

Source

http://www.islamonline.net/english/newtoislam/new2islam16.shtml

شكر الله (الجزء الأول)
Thanking Allah Part one
Thanking Allah:Part one Praising Allah (Hamd) has a more general and inclusive meaning than thanking or gratitude (Shukr), for thanks and gratitude are only a repay for a favour, whereas Hamd is both a recompense like thanks and spontaneous praise. If you understand the universal nature of Hamd you will know that your saying "Al-Hamdu Lillah" (Praise Be To Allah) requires praise of Him for His majesty, vastness, unity, might, bestowal of favors, knowledge, ability and power, wisdom and other attributes, and that it includes the meanings of His ninety-nine beautiful names. What a word [it is] which gathers together that which volumes find difficult to express. In Islamic terminology, Thankfulness is the acknowledgment of the fact that Allah is the only Grantor of graces, and full submission to Allah in a way that assures that acknowledgment. The graces (favors) of Allah are endless and countless. Allah says: "And if you were to count the blessings of Allah, you will never be able to count them." Qur'an (14: 34) He, the All Mighty also says: "And whatever blessings and good you have, it is from Allah ..." Qur'an (16: 53) Thanks with the tongue is praise of the Bestower of Blessings and speaking about the blessings. Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), said: "To talk about blessings is gratitude." Thanks expressed by the limbs means to act in obedience to Allah and to abandon disobedience to Him. A thanks with the heart is recognition of the extent of the blessing and the knowledge that it is a gracious bestowal and not from the slave's own merit. Know that the blessings which require gratitude cannot be enumerated, but they can be expressed in terms of three categories: 1- Worldly blessings such as health and wealth; 2- Blessings of the religion such as knowledge and fear and respect to Allah 3- Other-wordly blessings, which are one's being recompensed with much reward for few actions in a short life. How can one thank Allah? The word 'worshipers' represents mankind, for all of mankind should totally submit to the will of Allah- We can thank Allah in many ways. Among these ways: 1. Prostrating to Allah: If you receive a blessing from Allah or when Allah save you from a disaster. Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) used to prostrate to Allah whenever he received a pleasant thing or was told good news. This prostration is conducted for the sole purpose of giving thanks to Allah, the Granter of the grace and benefit that the servant received. Abdur-Rahman ibn 'Auf narrates that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) went out once and he followed him until he entered a grove of palm trees and prostrated. His prostration was so long that 'Abdur-Rahman feared that Allah had taken his soul. 'Abdur-Rahman came to look at him and he raised his head and said: "What is wrong, Abdur-Rahman'?" Abdur rahman mentioned what had happened, and he (PBUH) said: "Gibra'el came to me and said: 'Shall I not give you glad tidings'? Allah says to you, Whoever prays upon you, I pray upon him. Whoever salutes you, I salute him.' Therefore, I prostrated to Allah in thanks." 2. Thanking Allah in words: The majority of Muslim scholars agreed that if one does not thank Allah for the grace he has, then that grace will be taken away from him and may never come back. Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said: "It is a fine thing when a believer praises and thanks Allah if good comes to him, and praises Allah and shows endurance if smitten by affliction. The believer is rewarded for everything, even for the morsel he raises to his wife's mouth." 3. Talking about the benefits Allah has granted to you. This is because hiding and denying the benefits of Allah is being ungrateful. Allaah says in the Qur'an: "Do they believe in the false deities and deny the favor of Allaah."Qur'an (16:72) Narrated by Zaid bin Khalid Al Juhani: The Prophet (PBUH) led us in the Fajr prayer at Hudaibiya after a rainy night. On completion of the prayer, he faced the people and said: "Do you know what your Lord has said (revealed)?" The people replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said, "Allah has said, 'In this morning some of my slaves remained as true believers and some became non-believers; whoever said that the rain was due to the Blessings and the Mercy of Allah had belief in Me and he disbelieves in the stars, and whoever said that it rained because of a particular star had no belief in Me but believes in that star." 4. Helping people in need: It was mentioned in a Hadith of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) that: "As the grants from Allah to a servant increase so will the people's needs of that blessed servant's services. If the servant ignores their needs, it will cause those grants to be removed" Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said: "If anyone strokes an orphan's head, doing so only for Allah's sake, he will have blessings for every hair over which his hand passes; and if anyone treats well an orphan girl or boy under his care, he and I shall be like these two in Paradise," putting two of his fingers together."

Source