Barack Hussein Obama - The Politics of Candidate Names

What's in a name? In politics it could be everything and Barack Hussein Obama if you say that on a voice recognition system will come out something like this; "Brocka Hussein old bomb a" is now having a little bit of a difficulty convincing people that he is not Muslem. Barack Hussein Obama claims to be a Christian and he says his estranged father was Muslim.

Now, Barack Hussein Obama is claiming that the Republicans are after him and they are using his middle name; "Hussein" each time they mention him. Of course, that is his middle name and it is not anyone's fault besides his estranged father and mother for naming him that. There is nothing wrong with calling someone by their true and correct name and that is his true and correct name.

Unfortunately, the presidential candidate admits it is a stumbling block, yet, one he must get over if he wishes to be President of the United States. Does this mean he is ashamed of his middle name Hussein? If he is ashamed of his middle name, does that mean that Barack Hussein Obama is against Muslims even though his father was one? If so, may I ask, why doesn't he like Muslims, why is he ashamed of his own name? Why does he get angry when other people mention his name?

If all these things bother him so much why didn't he change his name before he ran for president of the United States? It is not like anyone would not find out his middle name eventually. The Democrats are causally calling President Bush; "George Walker Bush" which is his true and correct name. He was a runner, before his knees got trashed, not a walker. Last time I checked President Bush never complained about people using his middle name when describing him. What is wrong with Brock Hussein Obama - why the double standard and why is he ashamed to be a Muslim? Something to contemplate in 2008.

The Glory of Muslim Names - Past and Future

The Muslim world is one where intellect and the quest for knowledge are looked upon as one of the most important qualities a man can posses. For this reason, a wide range of given names represent aspects of wisdom:

Zamir, a boy name meaning thought

Basir, a name meaning wise

Najib, a name meaning intelligent and the name of a famous Egyptian writer Najib Mahpuoj

The scorching sun, deserts, and the open wilderness and isolated water points are the natural environment of the Arab gulf, the birth place of Islam. As a result, names were given that symbolized profusion and plenty. Names such as Yam, a boy name that means ocean, Randa, meaning desert tree, and Zahara, a name meaning "flower" that is usually bestowed on girls, show the importance of nature in the Arab and Muslim cultures.

The Arab culture has made great contributions and achievements in astronomy. Given names honoring these contributions are in popular use. Adhara and Suhayl are popular girl names and the names of stars discovered by Muslim astronomers. Tariq, an extremely popular boy name that means morning star, Hala, which means moon and Alya meaning sky are all very popular names.

Arab babies are looked upon as kings and queens. Salma, which translates to whole and grand, Mona, meaning little noble one, and Aida, which means a princess are baby girl names with an air of royalty. Muslim parents choose names with the intention to influence their child's destiny:

Maleec, a name meaning king

Aamir, a baby boy name that means prince

Kareem, a name meaning noble

The Arab and Muslim world are in a great conflict between the influence of the contemporary Western society and the old regimes. Babies are our future. May it be that these peaceful, elegant names will set the tone for future relations between the Arab and Western world. As the famous Muslim boxer Mohammed Ali once said, "Rivers, ponds, lakes and streams. They have different names but all contain water. Religions have different names, but all contain truth."

Arabic Baby Names

The Arabic baby names are names from Arab speaking world also known as Muslim baby names. That is because Muslim is predominant in the Arab speaking world. Hence, some baby names are not really Arabic such as Iranian and Turkish baby names.

The Arabic baby names may be quite long. The Arabic baby names may consist of Ism (given name), Laqab (nick name), Nasab (parent name), and Nisba (family name). In same cases, the Kunya (which means first born son) precedes the baby names.

The Muslim religion have great influenced on the Arabic baby names. Many Arabic or Muslim baby names use the ninety eight attributes of Allah. In Arabic, Allah means God. Abd Al which means "servant of the" precedes many baby names. Similarly, Al or El means the article "the" in English. For example, Abd-Al-Sami means servant of all hearing, Abd-Al-Rashid means servant of the all guided, and Abd-Al-Jabbar means servant of the mighty. Now, Abdul is more common form of Abd Al.

The descendant names of Muhammad are also popular choice. For example, Umar, Ali, Bakr, and Fatima are descendants of Muhammad. Umar (strong supporter of Muhammad), Ali (cousin of Muhammad), Bakr (father in law of Muhammad), and Fatima (daughter of Muhammad) are baby names meaning life, lofty, young camel, and abstain respectively.

The names of prophet became popular as well. For example, Ibrahim which means father of many is counterpart of Abraham, and Mariam which means sea of bitterness is counterpart of Mary.

A great number of baby names start with Al (which means the), Ibn (which means song of), and Abu (which means father of). El means the same as Al. Al can also mean the tribe or clan of origin in some regions of Arab. For example, Al-Amir means the prince, Al-Asad means the lion, and Al-Fakhir means the proud. Another example, Abu Kadir means father of Kadir, Abu Idris means father of Idris, and Abu Ishaq means father of Ishaq.

By adding the letter A or H at the end, anybody can turn the male baby names into female baby names. For example, Khalida is a female baby name of Khalid, Hashima is a female baby name of Hashim, Abdullah is a female baby name of Abdul, and Iyyah is a female baby name of Iyya.

Many baby names also have modernized or shortened. For example, Avicenna (Ibn Sina), Achmed (Ahmed), Amurath (Al Murad), Saladin (Salah Al-din), Aladdin (Al-din), Nureddin (Nur Al-din), and Almanzor (Al Manzor).

The Media's Portrayal of Islam and the Hijab

Time, people, culture, society, and the environment we are surrounded by, can produce the formation of many perspectives regarding an issue that we see in today’s society. One of many controversial topics is Islam and the Hijab. Many questions and generalisations are often formed in the minds of many non-Muslims in regards to the concepts behind the Hijab through the influence of the media.

Throughout the years of conflict between the "West" and "Islam", the media has strongly altered the minds of non-Muslims by negative exploitation of Islam, and Muslims, in particular on Muslim women. Misconceptions such as, "Are you bald underneath" "Do you go to sleep with that on?" to the association of "terrorism" that contrasts to what Muslim women believe the Hijab represents.

A common misconception is "the Islamic Hijab is something cultural, not religious". The use of the word "cultural" is faulty when describing the Hijab as it implies that it is a result of customs and practices that are something separate from Islam. The cultural dress is referred to the ancient Pre-Islamic Era (Jahiliyah). It is the veil from the Pre-Islamic Era that is considered as "traditional" which stops women from contributing in society. On the contrary, the Islamic Hijab is not considered as an informal tradition, nor does it lower her self-respect. The Hijab is aimed at presenting women with poise and equality in society. An example of Pre-Islamic era in our modern world is the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Taliban are a party who regard such activities un-Islamic for women, who are prohibited from exercising their primary rights. The Taliban have banned women from employment outside the home, apart from the health sector, and have terminated education for girls.

Prophet Mohammad (peace & blessings be upon him) said, "Seeking knowledge is incumbent upon every Muslim". Even Henry VIII forbid women to study the Bible when the first English translations began to appear. It’s an irony although the Taliban claim their guiding philosophy on women are in place to ensure the physical protection and self-respect of women, where as, many Afghan women have been killed, beaten and publicly hung. For many Afghan women fear of being severely punished by the Taliban is their main security concern.

Another misconception is "Muslim women have no right in Islam". Islam gave women rights over 1400 years ago, which is still ignored by many Muslims and non-Muslims today. Firstly, Islam has given women the basic right to freedom of speech. In the early days of Islam, the leaders of the Islamic state regarding legal issues consulted women. Rights that were appointed to Muslim women since the beginning of time are only just surfacing for non-Muslims. In Islam, a woman is free to be whom she is inside, and protected from being portrayed as a sex symbol and lusted after. Islam praises the status of a woman by commanding that she "enjoys equal rights to those of man in everything, she stands on an equal footing with man" (Qur’an, Nadvi: 11) and both share mutual rights and obligations in all aspects of life.

Many women are treated in ways far from Islamic ideals, yet in the name of Islam. The Taliban is an example of a cultural and political name that has been branded with Islam. There is no freedom for women if they are imprisoned in their home in the name of the Hijab and Islam. Moreover, the veil of Islam is not associated with the veil of oppression.

Women that are regaining their identity and role in society, are now wearing the Hijab and are embracing its concept of liberation. They are taking their lawful places that Islam had awarded them fourteen hundred years ago. In fact, the western women had no rights nor did they have rights over their husband. Not only were woman the property of their husband but so were their possessions. In 1919 women in England fought for their rights to be elected to parliament. Because of their demands, they were imprisoned by the government and suffered greatly. It was not until the late nineteenth and early twentieth century when women were given these rights.

A quote from the Qur’an in Surah 2: 26 states:
"And for women has rights over men, similar to those of men over women."

The background history between Islam and the West will shed some light as to why Muslims are portrayed so negatively in the media. Some strong contributing factors are the medieval western conflict, the crusades, the oil crisis of the 1970’s, the Lebanese civil war, the Iranian revolution, the Gulf war, and the explosive Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the September 11 bombings, the Bali Massacre and the London bombings. All these events have caused Islam to be consistently associated with violence and unresolved conflict. Furthermore, the view of Muslims as being violent typically explains why Muslims are seen to establish a threat to the West. One of the most effective ways the media attempts to somehow prevent Islam being seen in a positive frame is to develop propaganda against Muslims and Islam.

The media is able to use the Hijab as a means of exploiting Muslim women, and degrading them. The media assumes, in some cases, that the actions of one Muslim are representations of the general Muslim population. This is generalisation. This sets a example for members of society to abuse and degrade them.

An image of a Muslim woman wearing the chador was labelled as "like death out for a walk" in the Australian Magazine, 25-26 Jan. 1995 issue. The media implied to locate the position of women in Islamic society as dominated. The image also portrayed the difference between Muslim and Western Women in today’s society.

In current affair programs, people watching are bombarded with images of Muslims as savage terrorists, killing innocent people with no remorse. What results from this is the viewers of these programs, recognise and accept only the labels, and therefore with Islam immediately associating it with negative images.

I asked a resident from Parramatta, who wished to be kept anonymous if "the September 11th bombings altered their mind about Islam and Muslim women?" He said "I never knew Islam and the Qur’an preached terrorism. It has made me aware of Islam and the teachings. It increased my awareness of the complexities of Islam and politics in the Middle East including the veiling of Muslim women". This answer shows how influential the media is towards its viewers.

Throughout the western society, the practice of Muslim women wearing the Hijab has resulted in extreme points of view towards their so-called "oppression" and lack of freedom. Despite the obvious portrayal of Muslim women and myths that surround it such as; "Muslim women are oppressed", there continues to be an abundance of Western women reverting to Islam. What Islam uses to protect women is the Hijab. This is ironic because the Western media often portray the Muslim veil as a suppressive force in a woman's life.

Every Muslim woman is required to wear a scarf or some sort of head covering and loose-fitting, modest attire. This is not a means of controlling a woman's sexuality or suppressing her but rather, a means for protection. It implies by dressing this way she will not be seen as a mere sex symbol but will be appreciated for her intellect. Furthermore, it will not subject her to harassment. It is interesting to state the head covering for women is not an Islamic innovation but was also practiced by Judeo-Christian women centuries earlier, and yet is laughed at by the West today.

Naima Omar, a student of University of Western Sydney says "It is funny to say the same veil worn by catholic nuns for God is despised and presented as a symbol of subjection and domination when it is worn by Muslim women for the intention to protect themselves and devoting themself to God".

The term Islam means “submission to the will of Allah” and “peace”. Muslims believe Islam is not a religion but a gift that has been awarded to them. They believe Islam is the way of life and that is harmonious however the media portrays the opposite.

Maria Moskovakis, 18, a Greek Orthodox says "yes of course Muslims are presented negatively in the news. An action by one Muslim is presented with so much bias. If one Muslim commits a crime, it is not the person but the religion presented that goes to trial. What we hear and see is all controlled.

As El-Gharib (1996-97) noted, television, books, newspapers, and magazines are used to present Islam as being a backward and barbaric religion. It has been seen as oppressive and unjust; and more than this, it is seen as being most oppressive to women. These various forms of media misrepresent Islam in different ways, however largely achieve the same negative result – the creation of a growing barrier of misunderstanding and hostility between Islam and it’s followers, and the West.

Muslims have an obligation to fulfil which is to educate themselves, their children to gain knowledge which is ordained upon them regardless of their race, gender and marital status etc.
A Hasan Hadith narrated by Ibn Majah in the Qur’an states:
"Seeking knowledge is a duty on every Muslim" and therefore gaining knowledge is regarded as an act of worship. Stopping any Muslim from gaining an education regardless of age and sex is not Islamic.

Dr Homer of Sweden was asked by the United Nations in 1975 to study the status of Women in the Arab countries and said: "It is the Swedish woman who should demand her freedom, as the women in the Arab countries has already reached the peak of her freedom under Islam." From "Status Of Women In Islam" page 23.

Many have become used to believing the false information that they are spoon fed every time they turn on the screen, listen to the radio or open a newspaper.

Victory in War on Terrorism Requires the Defeat of Radical Islam

On Wednesday evening, a U.S. air strike on a safehouse just east of Baqouba, Iraq killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, head of Iraq's Al Qaeda organization and one of the world's most active and deadliest terrorists. Shortly, thereafter, Al Qaeda in Iraq issued a statement that read, "The death of our leaders is life for us. It will only increase our persistence in continuing holy war so that the word of God will be supreme." Hours later, a car bomb blew up in a Baghdad market.

The successful air strike against al-Zarqawi is a positive deveopment in the ongoing global war on Islamist terrorism. Anytime a killer of al-Zarqawi's stature is taken out of circulation, progress is made. However, Radical Islam, the ideology behind Islamist terrorism, isn't the product of al-Zarqawi and his like. Rather, al-Zarqawi and his like are the products of Radical Islam.

Radical Islam, also known as Islamism, which should be distinguished from Islam itself, presents arguably the biggest threat to international peace and security in the opening years of the 21st century. By its very nature, it renders diplomacy useless.

Diplomacy entails the negotiation over disputes. The pursuit of diplomacy rests on the assumption that a given dispute is not irreconcilable. If a dispute is not irreconcilable, then the negotiating process can lead to common ground that bridges the parties’ differences in such a fashion that the core needs of all of the parties are met, even if some or many of their more ambitious or expansive desires are not.

However, the search for common ground cannot proceed unless the parties possess a minimal degree of tolerance. The parties must possess a willingness to live with one another, or the incentives must exist for them to develop such a willingness. In the former case, diplomacy can commence without delay. In the latter case, it likely won’t commence, much less succeed, unless the benefits reach a critical threshold necessary to shatter the inhibitions that preclude the parties' readiness to live with one another.

Radical Islam is currently at an evolutionary stage where its adherents do not wish to live with the "other." It is also currently at a stage of development where it seeks to suffocate any dissent by Muslims and non-Muslims alike through delegitimization, intimidation, and even brute force. The examples of Radical Islam’s intolerance of dissent are widespread and continuing to mount.

Radical Islamists have issued death threats against public officials, writers and intellectuals such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Irshad Manji and Salman Rushdie who have dared to speak out against their quasi-religious totalitarianism. They have attempted to bully Mukhtaran Bibi, a champion against rape and illiteracy, into silence. They have called for the death of Muslim pop star Deeyah for her video and song "What Will It Be" in which she appeals for women’s rights and empowerment in the Islamic world. Their mobs sought the execution of Abdul Rahman, an Afghan, whose only "crime" was his conversion to Christianity. They even attempted to compel Aftab and Sohela Ansari, a Muslim couple in India, to divorce after Aftab had uttered "talaq" [divorce] three times in his sleep.

Radical Islam is totalitarianism born anew, only this variant of totalitarianism comes in religious garb. "After having overcome fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, the world now faces a new totalitarian global threat: Islamism," a Manifesto of prominent Islamic scholars declares. "Like all totalitarianisms, Islamism is nurtured by fears and frustrations. The hate preachers bet on these feelings in order to form battalions destined to impose a liberticidal and unegalitarian world."

Currently, Radical Islamists’ often violent pursuit to create a totalitarian global Caliphate is not advancing unopposed among Muslims. A number of Muslims, who are increasingly concerned with the threat it poses, have been speaking out against it. "After years of being called a ‘whore,’ ‘devil’ and ‘bringer of shame’ by people who use Islam as their shield, I have decided to let this video speak for me," Deeyah explains adding, "I am tired of the people who clamor at the slightest hint of skin on a Muslim woman but who will not speak up when a woman is beaten and even murdered in the name of Islam." Zafarul-Islam Khan, an Islamic scholar, rejected the local Islamic leaders’ attempt to force the Ansaris to divorce stating, "This is a totally unnecessary controversy and the local ‘community leaders’ or whosoever has said it are totally ignorant of Islamic law." Precisely because it is encountering stiffening resistance among Muslims, Radical Islamists are seeking to clamp down on these heroes and heroines within Islam’s ranks. This is a dangerous development with potentially dire consequences if it succeeds.

Radical Islam is unadulterated and rigid intolerance. It seeks to strip people of their consciences. It seeks to deprive people of their most basic rights of free thought, free expression, and equality under the law. It seeks to impose ideological slavery and physical subservience on all who fall under its rule.

Because it rejects tolerance and opposes it, Radical Islam lacks the basic elements that make diplomacy and diplomatic compromise possible. It seeks to advance its totalitarian ideology as a matter of religion. This outlook greatly complicates the opportunity for compromise. Religion is a matter of faith, and not reason. Either one embraces its precepts or one doesn’t. Religion defines who one is. Changes on such fundamental issues can take decades, centuries, or longer to occur. The difference in time from the birth of Christianity to the Reformation is an example.

In contrast, in matters of reason, the application of logic to a set of facts or available information can lead one to change one’s thinking quite readily. The “costs” of doing so are much less than they are for one to change one’s religion or to modify it. This enhanced flexibility facilitates the compromises that make diplomacy effective. The lower threshold to change exists, because matters of logic concern what one does, not who one is. This outlook opens up even difficult disputes to compromise. President Nixon’s establishing ties with China or Presidents Reagan’s and Gorbachev’s breaking out of the Cold War’s ideological constraints represent two examples.

Even as diplomacy isn’t a solution for dealing with Radical Islam, this reality does not mean that war alone is the sole approach to addressing the global challenge it presents. Instead, the formation of an alliance with Islam’s moderates such as Ms. Manji could undermine Radical Islam’s quest for intellectual domination of the Islamic world. Denied of its ability to impose its will on the Islamic world, Radical Islam’s ability to harm the outside world would be much reduced.

However, even as the world seeks to forge a coalition with Islamic moderates, it is imperative that it also reject any attempts by Radical Islamists to stifle free expression, be it the controversial Danish cartoons or the Manifesto against Islamism. Indeed, the Danish cartoons might well represent a turning point for progress, if they stimulate reasoned discourse on why the outside world sees Radical Islam as it does. Dissent has fueled progress in the West. It can do so in the Islamic world, too.

Appeasement of Radical Islamists’ demands on the cartoons or attempts at free expression by Muslims who speak out against them would be disastrous. "Muslim intimidation needs to be faced head on," Ms. Manji declares. "Civilizational progress happens when individuals transgress, even blaspheme. Galileo offended the Church. So did Darwin. The concept of universal human rights offends most religions. Without offense, there is only silence."

Combined with a rejection of any kind of accommodation of the Radicals’ demands, this alliance with moderates can break ground for a long overdue Islamic Reformation in which moderation would ultimately triumph over extremism. At the same time, this alliance with moderate Muslims could shatter the Radicals’ propaganda that the outside world is at war with Islam. A broad coalition with moderate Muslims would demonstrate through example, not mere words, that it is the Radicals’ alone who wage a civilizational war along religious lines. In turn, Radical Islam would find itself increasingly marginalized among Muslims and non-Muslims alike. As it is marginalized, it would wither and die like all its totalitarian predecessors before it.

The need to take on this task is fairly urgent. Islam isn’t the proverbial problem today. Only the Radical Islamists' who seek to redefine Islam to fit their totalitarian ideology in pursuit of absolute worldly power are. But if Radical Islam triumphs in the Islamic world today and its Radicals succeed in turning Islam on its head to fit their quest for 21st century empire, it most definitely will be the problem tomorrow.

Don Sutherland has researched and written on a wide range of geopolitical issues.

Polygyny in Islam

Polygyny is the practice of having more than one wife, and unfortunately, it is a taboo subject for many people. Though Muslims, including those in the Middle East, are allowed to take more than one wife, this can be considered a "phenomena," as less than 1% of marriages are polygamous. Though polygyny is rarely accepted all over the world, the ideas behind this practice make it one that binds people together instead of separating them. In fact, it preserves marriages and makes sure that divorce, affairs, and unhappiness do not occur.

First of all, it is stated in the Quran (or Koran) in Surah (chapter) al-Nisa, Verse 3: "And if you have reason to fear that you might not act equitably towards orphans, then marry from among [other] women such as are lawful to you - [even] two, or three, or four: but if you have reason to fear that you might not be able to treat them with equal fairness, then [only] one - or [from among] those whom you rightfully possess. This will make it more likely that you will not deviate from the right course." This verse states that men can have up to four wives, or any number less than four. However, it also states that if a man can't treat his wives with fairness, then he has to keep only one. The phrase "deviate from the right course" indicates that a man must treat all his wives with equality, in money, spending time with them, giving them what they ask, etc., and if he can't, then to only keep one. This is fair to the wife and keeps the man from making irrational decisions in regard to marriage.

After establishing the proof that polygyny is permissible, let's look at the wisdom behind it. Polygyny allows for more children to be born, which in turn raises the size of the ummah (community). The ummah, with a large population, will have many workers, soldiers, teachers, etc. Basically, more people equals more prosperity, the spread of Islam, and greater defense for the ummah.

Man, according to his fitrah (natural disposition), is full of desire, and sex is the only halal (lawful) outlet for these desires. Some men may have more desire than others, and so one wife may not satisfy him. If polygyny isn't allowed, he might have an affair and end up hurting his wife and his already happy marriage. How many times has an incident like this been seen on TV, read about in the newspaper, or heard about through friends and family? If men in many countries can have as many girlfriends as they like, and have sexual relations with them, then why are people so opposed to having multiple wives? Girlfriends are not allowed in Islam, but the concept still remains - having sexual relations with more than one partner is normal, so having more than one wife is fine also.

In ratio, there are more women than men, and the Quran states that near the end of times, there will be fifty women to one man. If plural marriage isn't allowed, look at how many wives there would be without husbands. And in times of war, it is the men who go and fight, leaving their wives behind. This lessens the number of men, and if polygyny isn't allowed, there would be many lonely widows.

According to the fitrah of women, they have less desire than men, and so don't need as much sex as a man does. Additionally, if a woman were to have more than one husband, she might not know who is the father of her child. And men are by nature more violent and protective when it comes to women, so many fights would occur if one woman was to have more than one husband. So it is the responsibility of the man to take care of his wives, equally, which is another part of the fitrah of human beings.

In conclusion, there are many benefits to be had from polygyny. The idea is alien to a lot of people, but if they can get past the cultural, religious, and societal barriers that prevent them from embracing polygyny, there would be far less divorces, unhappy marriages, and affairs. Given that polygyny is practiced fairly and in keeping with the Quran, marriages would be more stable, there would be happier wives and husbands, and Muslims would be taking guidance from their holy book and following the example of the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) in keeping multiple wives.

Basics of a Muslim Marriage

Muslim marriage is a sacred event that binds a woman to her husband. This is not just a sacred event but an event that is communal and witnessed by a multitude of people. A Muslim marriage happens very religiously in accordance to the will of Allah. A Muslim man has the right to marry up to 4 wives and, a woman knows her place in the marriage. This is as a result of their years of study of the Koran. The Muslim culture prepares women thoroughly and, their marriages become a huge success. These marriages are governed by their laws known as Sharia. It is within this institution that they solve their problems. This form of solving problems has ensured that couples succeed in marriage. A Muslim marriage is cherished and the Internet will provide you all the information you need to understand more about it. A marriage partner in this religion is a companion and a friend. A partner should provide comfort and protection to their loved one. The common problems that affect all marriages will also affect this kind of marriage.

Many people go into relationships with a lot hopes and expectations. The first few years of marriage are blissful but, as you move into more phases of life, you will realize that it is not easy. It is therefore necessary for all Muslim couples to empower themselves with information that will go a long way in ensuring that all is well. The following are some of the tips that will help a Muslim couple strengthen their marriage and lead it to greater heights. In Islam, a man is seen as more of a shepherd to guide the family. Contrary to popular beliefs, this marriage is not based on dictatorship and it is a partnership. A husband has the role to nourish as he consults his wife in matters relating to the family. This should be done in a peaceful manner and, if there is a problem, it should be solved in quietness and humility.

An Islamic marriage will be strengthened by spending time together. This involves laughing together and enjoying the little things of life together. This is what true marital bliss is all about. Drawing closer together is an obligation and, this can only work for the betterment of the marriage relationship. The ultimate goal is to find peace and a resting place in each other. When it comes to matters of sex, an Islamic couple needs to put time and effort into it. There are things that are acceptable 'halal' and others that are forbidden 'haram'. Therefore, every need of a partner should be met in the right manner. The matters of sex are considered private and, a couple should never discuss such issues with others. The holy prophet recommends women and men to be sexually appealing and attractive to each other. Being beautiful and elegant in Islam is highly encouraged. This is a very helpful tip to guide Islamic couples on these matters. Finally, an Islamic couple needs to draw closer to Allah in their marriage. It is a way of life and, it is the defining factor that every Muslim cherishes.

Ramadan - A Nutrition Solution?

The blessed month of Ramadan is upon us again.

I was hoping to write this article at least a week before the beginning of this auspicious month, unfortunately this was not the case due to circumstances beyond my control.

Insha’Allah, the information presented below will be some what of an eye-opener for many, for others it shall be a new way to implement a side of Ramadan that is unfortunately neglected and for most of you it’ll be both.

Every year, when we sit down and prepare for iftar, I am disturbed at the amount of food that is prepared to break (or open) the fast, this coupled with the actual types of food that are presented is seriously a double whammy! Most of the food is deep-fried, full of sugar, highly processed and causes inflammation and free radical damage - basically: nothing but a health disaster. (Free radicals are formed when weak bonds split in the body, they can damage your body and come from a number of sources, e.g. cigarette smoke, pollution, deep-fried food etc.)

I remember, not in the too distant past, I was oblivious to the importance of good nutrition. I too would consume the aforementioned foods carelessly, not knowing the damage it was doing to me as well as its contribution to making my fasts more difficult – yes I said more difficult. Even more surprising and shocking is the fact that at the end of this month many put on extra weight despite the decreased caloric intake (i.e. eating less).

This must really amaze you, right? We eat less and put on more weight?!

So you’re probably wondering how this can occur and what is wrong with the status-quo?

Well before I delve into this, let me explain briefly what happens in our bodies when we fast.

During a fast, our metabolism drops and the body can delegate it resources to healing the body appropriately as opposed to constantly digesting the food we consume.
The body initially uses circulating glucose (i.e. the carbohydrates that you last consumed) to maintain bodily functions and sustain the organs, this source of energy does not last long. Thereafter the body shifts to the glucose stored in the muscles and then the liver (stored as glycogen). After the near depletion of these energy sources, the body shifts to the use of stored protein, this involves converting the amino acids (i.e. protein in its simplest form) into glucose (a process known as gluconeogenesis). When these primary sources of fuel are used, the body finally resorts to the use of fat as energy, though it is not the preferred source.

Because we fast from dawn till dusk, the body’s use of fat is somewhat minimal in comparison to the use of stored carbohydrates and protein.

Fat is very energy dense (approximately 9 calories per gram, where as carbohydrates and protein have approximately 4 calories per gram) and storage in the body is very simple.

The body does not solely use one source of energy until it has finished and then resort to the next, it only uses a larger amount of one compared to the other. For example, fats cannot be used without the presence of carbohydrates.

Don’t get me wrong, we do burn fat during our fast, though not a large amount. Fat is best utilized during sedentary activity (i.e. sitting, limited or no activity etc.), you’re probably burning fat as you read this article, unless you’re running or something – unlikely! So if you’re taking it easy (physically) during your fast, you’re more likely to burn more fat – that doesn’t mean blend in with your office/home furniture!

For those of you who are worried about losing muscle mass, don’t be, you’ll be fortunate if you were to even lose 1% (note: adequate nutrition is also required to minimise this loss further – shall be discussed in the next few blogs and briefly touched upon further below).

In very simple terms that is what occurs in our body during a fast.

So the next question should be….what is a good nutritional approach?

I’m glad you asked ;)

Well, overeating and gorging on lots of food is definitely one way of upsetting your body (aesthetically and definitely from a health perspective).

Remember, your body won’t have used a lot of fat during the fast (in comparison to the amount of protein and carbohydrates), so replenishing the protein and carbohydrate stores should be the priority, that doesn’t mean you can eat deep-fried chicken and all the sugar you want – that won’t work out very well!

The best food to break your fast with is some dates – we all know this as it was the practice of the prophet Muhammed (SAWS).

But did you know that dates are highly concentrated in sugars, primarily fructose, which is the sugar that is used by the liver and then supplied directly to the brain! Amazing huh? The first food that the prophet (SAWS) consumed instantly replenished the energy in a vital organ (the liver) and also his brain.

The liver also plays a major role in metabolism, hence the consumption of dates provides and prepares this organ with the much needed energy to accomplish this task adequately.

After breaking the fast and then praying Maghrib we can continue with our food.

Before we proceed with the “rights & wrongs” of some of the well-known dietary mishaps, I need to briefly touch upon fats again.

Over time, our fat stores accumulate environmental toxins such as PCBs, DDT and benzene. When bound in the adipose (i.e. fat) tissue, these toxins are relatively harmless, however during a fast the fat is broken down and used as energy, hence these toxins are released and given a second chance at causing havoc in the body. This should not result in consternation, on the contrary, it is a good reminder of the importance and benefit of appropriate nutrition and its ability in combating such issues. The release of such toxins is minimal as the fast is not longer than 24 whole hours, if this was the case then you really would release more. To really rid yourself of these toxins you would need to employ a detox regime (it’s not that daunting I promise, it’s very simple), however I shall not discuss this topic here as it shall divert us from the purpose of this article.

Simply put, eat foods high in antioxidants (these are natural body chemicals or drugs that reduce and combat free radical damage, e.g.fruit and vegetables – preferably with every meal) and those that have very strong detoxification (i.e. cleansing) abilities (e.g. cruciferous vegetables & sprouts – preferably in raw form or lightly steamed). Any further discussion of these topics would require an article within itself and therefore is beyond the scope of this article.

Now I can’t tell you what to eat exactly, but I can definitely give very good examples that will help you dictate and distinguish good choices from bad.

The first real meal after maghrib should consist of protein (e.g. chicken, turkey, egg white) and carbohydrates (brown wraps – aka Lebanese bread/kubz, brown rice, lentils – also high in protein, beans, quinoa, wholegrains etc.), with little fat (you will probably get enough fat from the above foods, though other good sources of fat are: olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocadoes etc.). I can’t specify exact amounts of food as everyone is different and requirements shall vary considerably, though the best indicator is when you feel content and satiety has been reached without overeating!

Try not to drink too much liquid with your meal (a small amount is fine) as this shall impair digestion. Approximately 30 - 60 minutes after the meal would be an ideal time to consume some liquids.

The next meal (probably after taraweeh) should consist of the same break down of macronutrients (i.e. protein and carbohydrates), though this is not a must, it is recommended. One could simply indulge in eating some fruit or anything that the individual desires (within a healthy reason).

Whatever you do, don’t have meals with a high combination of both carbohydrates and fat. When a high amount of carbohydrates and fats are consumed, the body releases a very large amount of insulin which inevitably results in weight gain as well as a myriad of other problems.

This doesn’t mean you can’t combine the two macronutrients, just be careful not to have too much of both at one sitting.

For suhoor (pre-dawn meal), I recommend a protein and fat meal. Examples of which include eggs (protein & fat), nuts & seeds (fats), fish: salmon, sardines, mackerel (all protein & fat) etc.

Now for those of you who really need some carbohydrates at that time of the morning and can’t possibly see yourselves eating the above, then I recommend steel-cut oats or rolled oats (not the quick cooking ones), barley porridge or a protein and carbohydrate meal of your choice.

It is important to note that the actual food types are just as important. For example, grilled chicken breast (without skin) is far superior compared to deep fried chicken. Deep fried chicken has been deep fried (obviously) in hydrogenated oil (this stuff is so bad that the FDA doesn’t even recommend a minimal amount to consume, they advise to avoid it totally!). In this example, I have stated to avoid the chicken skin due to the toxins in the skin (which is mainly composed of fat – remember this is where most of the environmental chemicals reside as discussed earlier) – this is a direct result of the mistreatment of the chickens and the environment and feed they are exposed to.

In terms of carbohydrate choices, the least processed are the best. Brown bread instead of white bread, oats/shredded wheat instead of rice krispies/coco pops etc., basically whole grain carbohydrates as opposed to refined grains. Fruits and vegetables are VERY good sources of carbohydrates and they are totally natural too, not mentioning the many health benefits one can experience with an increased intake, though vegetables contain very little carbohydrates so they won’t be very filling.

Good fat choices include seeds and nuts, olive oil, flaxseed, avocadoes etc.

Initially, when trying to implement this information you may be faced with many questions. This is a good thing, as it can result in you learning new information about good dietary habits and how to distinguish between different types of foods.

Take home points:

- Preferably break your fasts with dates

- Don’t overeat.

- Don’t consume too much fat and carbohydrates at the same meal.

- Avoid highly processed foods (e.g. biscuits, white bread etc.)

- Consume whole grains as opposed to sugary foods, this shall help maintain and sustain blood glucose levels for longer and help avoid the slump associated with high sugary meals.

- Don’t drink too much with your food, it is better to drink most of your liquids before or after your meal (30 – 60 mins. after is ideal).

I hope my attempt at making this topic simple and informative was accomplished. If you like the article please send it to others.

I specialise in nutrition and am a qualified level 3 (REPS) Personal Trainer (5 years)

I also hold a BSc. (HONS.) in Information Systems with Business Management.

Ramadan - a Month of Fasting and Special Food

One day, Muhammad was sitting alone in the wilderness near Mecca, when Angel Gabriel appeared before him. For the next ten days, the Angel taught him verses from the Quran, which he memorized. Islamic scholars believe that the first revelation occurred on the 27th night of Ramadan. This night is thus called Laylat-at-Qadr – Night of Power. According to the Quran, this is when God determines the course of the world for the following year.

Ramadan, the 9th month in the Moslem calendar, is a time when Moslems concentrate on their faith and spend less time on the concerns of their everyday lives. It is a time of worship and contemplation.

Throughout Ramadan, Moslems fast the entire month. This is called the Fast of Ramadan. During this period, strict restraints are placed on the daily lives of Moslems. They are not allowed to eat or drink during the daylight hours. At the end of the day, the fast is broken with prayer and a meal called the iftar. In the evening following the iftar it is customary for Moslems to go out visiting family and friends.

For iftar, the food prepared is rather unusual and appears almost only during Ramadan. Iftar begins with dates, in imitation of what the Prophet ate during the iftar of the first Fast of Ramadan. Then kanji is served. This is very different to the kanji that Sri Lankans normally enjoy. Spices and herbs and often chicken or beef is added to this kanji, making this almost a meal in itself.

Some of the other dishes found during this month are surtapam – rolled pancakes with panipol (grated coconut mixed with treacle and lightly spiced with cardamoms), pillawoos – crunchy, deep-fried banana batter, drizzled with treacle, ada – soft, juggery cakes, addukku Roti – layers of pancakes with a minced beef or chicken filling, baked in a pastry covering, pastol - rice flour and coconut patty with tripe filling and al-basara – shredded beef or chicken with semolina and baked like a cake.
When the fast ends (the 1st day of the month of Shawwal) it is celebrated in a holiday called Id-al-Fitr – the Feast of Fast Breaking. Gifts are exchanged. Friends and family gather to pray in congregation and for large meals.

Visit www.bojoon.com for free recipes of the special food and drinks prepared for Iftar and the wonderful festive lunch of mutton biriyani and accompaniments.

Sandamalee foundered Amazing Lanka Tours & Travels (Pvt.) Ltd to introduce to the world the classy travel destination Sri Lanka is. Though her expertise lies in Information Systems her passion is in food, as her core-product bojoon.com proves. With absolutely no inhibition when it comes to food her mission is to bring out Sri Lankan cuisine, one of the least known, yet a most exquisite culinary delight to the World palette.

Prophet Mohammad (SM) And His Life In Mecca

The people at that time in the desert land in the dark Arabia had kept faith upon him in order to lead the youth in a peaceful manner. The object of such promise was to help mankind by way of religion and leading them to control. The social people loved him and got acquaintance of 'Al-Amin' which means trustworthy. That is to say, the people of Mecca at that time had scarcity of faith among themselves, so they had developed faith with Mohammad having seen the activities of Mohammad based on spiritualistic behaviour linked with Allah directly, specifically when they kept their goods preserved to Mohammad, took it under his control and returned it at the response of them. Thus, the people of Mecca used to get acquaintance of great heart and thus a faith among them had been developed by degrees.

At that time, the people of Mecca were filled with distrust, ignorance and they were involved in various prejudices and believed in a variety of gods and goddess, meaning that they used to worship idols. In the year 595, he took part in trading with Khadija and within a short span of time, she earned lots of profit in her business, she got the identity of a true heart like Mohammad(SM). She was a wealthy lady at that time and by way of achieving the identity of a great personality like Mohammad (SM), she proposed to him for marriage. He told her that he would marry her under one condition- she had to bestow her wealth and fortune for the sake of Islam on the promise to live like the poor, the way he himself lives . Khadeja, having heard such proposal agreed to such condition and they got married. At that time, his age was 25, and she was 40.

After their marriage, an epidemic was taken place in the country that time. Mohammad(SM) had distributed all the resources he had possessed from Khadeja in order to remove the adversity of the people. At that time, the thought of sacrifice for the good of the people were intensified and he was influenced for devotion towards almighty Allah day by day. Apart from Mecca three miles away, in the cave of Hera, he was absorbed in deep meditation of almighty Allah. Such process of supplication continued for forty years. One day, during his meditation, the angel Jibrail (AM) came unto him and said," Oh! Mohammad, you are the rusul of Allah, you have been sent by Allah". And thereafter, a message of Allah came, "Read in the name of your lord, from this day onward, in the cave of Here, Mohammad (SM) used to receive messages from Allah through massager, Jibrail (AM), he got accurately and complete message of the holy Quran, with his unquestionable, the ultimate and the complete code of life. In order to convey the message of peace and solidarity, he had struggled through out his life. The non-Muslim troubled in many ways, they threw stones at him, spat at him, beat him and cursed him. He was tormented in various ways, he would tolerate all the misdeeds of the people, his sole message was," Those people who have unknowingly behaved with me in such a manner, I pray for them to Allah for salvation and forgiveness. The holy Quran has come down to this world with full codes, ethics and directions of Allah. Muhammad (SM) had achieved such messages from Allah directly and it is a recognizing phenomenon that the holy Quaran is completely bedded on super human creation.

Islam 101 - Was Islam Spread By the Sword?

The idea of Islam being spread by the sword is one of the most common misconceptions among both the Muslims and non-Muslims. Many non-Muslims have written untold volumes of anti-Islamic literature propagating the fallacy of Muslims holding swords above the heads of Christians and forcing them to convert to Islam. This is total nonsense. On the other hand we have some Muslim apologists who, in their great fervor to defend Islam and portray it as the peaceful religion it is, seem reluctant to admit that Muslims did indeed fight wars to expand their territories. So what is the truth of the situation? I would like to begin our quest for the truth on this matter by quoting the Qur'an, the literal word of God and the primary source for Islam: "Say the truth from your Lord, then let whomsoever wills believe and let whomsoever wills reject." 18:29

Let's start with the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and look at his example. He did preach Islam peacefully in Mecca for 13 years without once raising a finger against his enemies even though he and his followers were harshly persecuted, tortured, mocked and sometimes murdered. The first wars with Mecca did not occur until after the hijra to Medina, and those battles were defensive against Abu Sufyan and his amassed troops. After the Treaty of Hudaybiyya, the peace treaty between the Muslims and the Meccans, was unilaterally broken by the Meccans, the Muslims conquered Mecca without any bloodshed. Tribal customs would dictate that the Meccans should then be slaughtered for their transgressions against the victorious Muslims, and indeed the Meccans anticipated this, but Muhammad (PBUH) granted them amnesty on the condition that they cease fighting the Muslims. This was a beautiful act of mercy which led to the majority of Meccans choosing to convert to Islam, though no person was ever forced to do so.

What is conversion to Islam? Converting to Islam is something that has to be done by choice, it is something that you believe in your heart, that there is only one God and that Muhammad is His prophet and messenger. Words without belief are meaningless. Of course God alone knows what is in each and every person's heart, so you won't be able to fool God by meaningless lip service to Islam, and religion is solely for God and the benefit of the individual. So, forced conversion is impossible. The Qur'an attests to this fact in 2:256 where it states: "There is no compulsion in religion."

So how did Islam spread so rapidly across North Africa to the Iberian Peninsula and east across India and Central Asia all the way to Southeast Asia? Primarily it spread by trade. Very often while Muslim merchants were traveling abroad they would impress the people they did business with by their honesty and integrity, so much so that those people would ask questions, learn about Islam, and eventually choose to convert.

However, there were indeed wars as well, most of which were in the times of the first four caliphs. The prophet Muhammad advised his armies of how to approach the non-Muslim governments, he told his armies to call them first to Islam, and if they accept it then leave them alone. If they reject Islam, call on them to submit to the Muslim government and pay the jizyah tax, a poll tax paid by non-Muslims to the Muslim government for their protection and upkeep of the lands and buildings. If they refused both of those options, then they were to fight. But, the fighting itself had many rules, it wasn't just a bloodbath, free-for-all like we've seen in other times, for instance by the Mongols and the Christian Crusaders, rather it was warfare waged only against the armies themselves. It was forbidden to fight civilians and it was forbidden to destroy their agriculture and means of livelihood. There was no raping, pillaging and plundering by the Muslim armies; they fought only the armies sent out by the government until they surrendered and left the innocent civilians alone.

There are numerous hadiths of the prophet (PBUH) where he clearly distinguishes between the combatants and the non-combatants. In a hadith related by Abu Dawud he said, "Do no kill any old person, any child, or any woman," and he said, "Do no kill people sitting in places of worship." Abu Bakr, the first Caliph, gave detailed instructions to his army heading for Syria based on his knowledge of Qur'an and hadiths:

"Stop, O people, that I may give you ten rules for your guidance in the battlefield. Do not commit treachery or deviate from the right path. You must not mutilate dead bodies. Neither kill a child, nor a woman, nor an aged man. Bring no harm to the trees, nor burn them with fire, especially those which are fruitful. Slay not any of the enemy's flock, save for your food. You are likely to pass by people who have devoted their lives to monastic services; leave them alone."

Once a government had fallen into the hands of the Muslims, the citizens paid a poll tax and were free to practice any religion they chose. Christianity and Judaism flourished under Islamic rule since the Muslims protected their churches and synagogues and other holy places, even though they had the power to wipe them out if they had so chosen. Perhaps the most amazing law of all is that if a Christian or a Jew committed a crime and was found guilty, they were tried by their own courts and punished by their own laws, not by the courts and laws of the Muslims. Can you imagine in America today a Muslim being tried in an Islamic court rather than the American system? This was truly progressive governing.

Many of the citizens welcomed the Muslims as their rulers and viewed them as liberators who had rescued them from oppressive kingships, granting them their basic human rights and so much more. Many of the citizens of a conquered land would choose to embrace Islam once they came in contact with the Muslims, and Islam did spread rapidly through these acquired lands. But, individuals were never forced to convert to Islam.

The proof that individuals were not and are not forced to convert to Islam is in the facts of populations. In Egypt there are over 14 million Coptic Christians, in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and all the other lands ruled by Muslims there have continuously been large populations of Christians and Jews. Muslims ruled over Spain for more than 800 years, yet the Christian and Jewish populations have thrived throughout that time. There are over 450 million Muslims in Indonesia today but there was no war by Muslims that brought the religion there, it was only merchants. And, perhaps the most fascinating, the fastest growing religion in the United States and Europe is Islam. Are Americans and Europeans being forced to convert? Of course not, it's something else. These people see truth and justice in Islam that they don't find in any other religion or way of life. These people choose Islam for themselves, by themselves, just like the Meccans did 1400 years ago. That is the truth about how Islam has spread throughout the world.

Islam Helps You

I discussed many persons who were against religion of any kind. I used to ask them three questions. I used ,as well, to invite them to think deeply and clearly before answering my questions. These questions are:

1-Do you think that there is a Creator who has created this universe?

2-Should we worship the Creator of the universe or not?

3-Have you made a comparison between Islam and other doctrines?

As regards the first question, I do not know the reason that makes some people deny the presence of the God. The universe, the sky, the stars, the sea, the air are clear evidences that there is a Creator who has created this universe. The greatness of the universe is a clear evidence that a Great God has created it.

The answer of the first question leads us to the necessity of religion. How can you live in this universe without worshipping the Creator of the universe?

Islam is the true religion. Islam helps you to live in tranquility. Islam achieves the harmony and balance between the soul and the body. Islam leads you to the Heaven in the dayafter. But a lot of non-muslims have got their information about Islam from the writings of anti-Islamic writers. I invite them to read about Islam from the Islamic point of view. I invite them to make a comparison between Islam and other doctrines and I am sure that they will discover the greatness of Islam.

The Warped Psychology of Islam

The London Bombings are just the beginning. Londoners are probably wondering what they did to deserve it. After all, Great Britain has proven to be a place of refuge for Muslims. Parliament to the BBC has been united in their continued attacks and twisting of truths against Israel and in favor of the Palestinians, even when Israel has been the victim of a thousand days like the one London just faced.

So why would Islamic terrorist want to bomb their friends and allies? It just doesn’t make sense. Unless you realize that Islam doesn’t have any friends or allies, only infidels to be conquered and brought into submission. In fact, for the most part they don’t even want converts, they want the world to be subjugated to Islam, with Jews, and Christians considered the lowest rung on the ladder in their scale of classes.

The influx of Muslims into western societies, both throughout Europe and in America, has been no mistake, but a carefully planned insurgence, like a cancer spreading through a lung until the seemingly bigger more powerful host can’t breathe and keels over dead. This bombing today is the opening blow in what will become Britain’s initiation into the battle of Islam vs. the world. The purpose is to play upon the fears and weaknesses of western society, and use terror to alter the mindset, from one of freedom and self-determination to one of fright and surrender in order to gain some promise of safety. But that safety will never come!

As Yassir Arafat once said about the Jews “We will win the war because the Jews love life!” This telling statement explains the thinking of the terrorist infrastructure, they do not value the lives of their own people, and use them as pawns in their evil scheme to dominate cultures, and they certainly don’t value the lives of the infidels, not even the women and children. There is no sanctity, no lines that can’t be crossed, no twisting of truth that won’t be exploited, no lie to big, and no act of treachery to base.

The Muslims will move into your neighborhood and lead you to believe they are harmless, oppressed, and even will offer themselves as benefactors to a good cause, all in order to disarm you and sway your opinion to their side, and then when you are soft and vulnerable, they will strike. Ruthlessly. And then they will use your laws of freedom and equal protection to complain about discrimination when you start to target and profile their members. They will blame the ones that were attacked, and accuse the innocent victims of the very acts of brutality that they themselves have just committed. Think I am making that up? It happens to Israel every day.

But good liberals and peaceniks everywhere will take up their cause and fight for their democratic rights while the Muslims work even harder to destroy the democracy that is protecting them. And all the while the liberals in their humanistic self-righteousness will continue down their blind alley taking everyone else with them until there is nothing left.

Islam will never make peace with Israel, and they will ultimately never make peace with you! Theirs is a religion of hate, and conquest, and subjugation, and humiliation. The word Love never even appears in the Koran. WAKE UP!!!

This is the tactic of Islam, to terrorize your mind until you give up. Period.

Allah is NOT the same God as the God of the Jews and Christians. Allah was a moon god, one amongst thousands of gods that Muhammad declared to be the one true god, whose origins go back to Baal worship. He is not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that the Holy Bible declares to be the one true God. No… Allah is none other than Satan himself, and to compare the hateful religion of Islam to the revelation of the loving God of the Jews and Christians is simply ludicrous.

I live in Israel, I have been stoned by an angry Arab mob for absolutely no reason, and I have seen the brutality up close as has every Israeli, and I am telling the world, your time is coming. If you turn from the Jews and curse them and embrace these deceivers, then you have been deceived and you will pay the ultimate cost for it. The loss of western civilization, the loss of all freedom, and more importantly, the loss of the lives of someone you love very dearly, very possibly the loss of your own life, these are the costs of capitulation. If you don’t have the backbone to fight this war full out, you will lose, because the Muslims will fight you until they either win, or die trying. Are you so committed to your beliefs?

Israel does not have to answer to a separate and higher standard than does the rest of the world. I hear President Bush making all sorts of statements about attacking terror where it lives, and yet he never mentions the injustice that has been perpetrated upon Israel, and he under girds the very terrorist organizations he claims to fight when it comes to forcing Israel’s hand. It is hypocritical, and oh so dangerous. God will not be mocked, and His word says that when the world proclaims peace and safety sudden destruction will rain down upon them. That prophecy is moving closer to fulfillment with every tick of the clock.

I pray for the families of the injured and dead in London, just like I do for all the injured and dead in Israel. Having worked personally with several families and victims of terror over the last several years, I know what these people are going through, and the difficult days that face them. I pray for the Arab peoples to be freed from the bondage and evil that is Islam. And I pray that the people who have been blessed with freedom and abundance will understand the nature and the scope of the enemy that has invaded them. I pray that they will finally understand why they must stand with Israel, and not against her.

There is a gnawing feeling inside that tells me the world won’t get it however. They won’t wake up and take action. They won’t repent and seek the one true God who can actually help them, they will instead continue to curse Him and assure the destruction that is about to come upon their own heads. Oh Lord have mercy, forgive us our stubborn and rebellious spirit, turn us from darkness to light.

Fasting in Islam

Fasting in Islam means refrain from eating and drinking, and from all acts that may invalidate fasting from dawn terbit hinggalah sun go down, to increase the piety of a Muslim. Command difirmankan fasting by Allah on Al-Quran surat Al-Baqarah verse 183.

Fasting is one of the five Rukun Islam. There is fasting must fast and Sunna, but the procedure is still the same.

Fasting is forbidden within the time in which Muslims are forbidden to fast. Wisdom is fasting when all people see, that someone needs to celebrate occasions together.

* Hari Raya Idul Fitri (1 Syawal)
* Hari Raya Idul Adha (10 Zulhijjah)
* Day-to-day Tasyrik (11, 12, and 13 Zulhijjah)

Command in the Al-Quran

God's command to fast in the Al-Qur'an in surat Al-Baqarah verse 183.

"Yaa ayyuhaladziina aamanuu kutiba alaikumus siyaamu kamaa kutiba 'alalladziina min qablikum la allakum tataquun"

"O those who believe, have been obliged to fast for you as has been required up to the people before you, I hope you become the people who bertaqwa."

Hikmah Puasa

Worship shaum Ramadan is required of God to worship every Mu'min is intended for menghamba to God as it appears in QS. Al-Baqarah / 2: 183. Wisdom of worship shaum itself is to train people in a living patient. The purpose of the patient within the al-Quran is the 'persistent and ulet' as referred to in the QS. Ali 'Imran / 3: 146.

In Summary

Fasting is not refrain from talking bamyak, not much to see, not many eating and drinking, not much sleep. and fasting is also a place of worship where people do goodness in every lipak double reward.

Types of Fasting

* Fasting is compulsory legal
o Fasting Ramadan
o Fasting as votive
o Fasting kifarat or fine
* Fasting is legal sunah
o Fasting 6 days in Syawal
Fasting o `Arafah
o Fasting Monday-Thursday
o Fasting of David (one day fasting, not a day)
o Fasting Asyura (in the sacred month)

Terms mandatory fasting:

1. Islamite
2. Robust
3. Baligh (enough age)
4. Able to implement
5. People are in place (not being Safar)

Terms legitimate fasting:

1. Islam (not perverted)
2. Mummayiz (can distinguish the good and the bad)
3. Holy of menstruation and childbed
4. Knowing the acceptance of fasting

Rukun fasting:

1. Intention
2. Leave all the things that invalidate fasting from dawn to set up the sun

Christianity Islam Judaism - Even Their God is a Non Believer

Today, Feb. 8, 2006, French President Jacques Chirac accused newspapers printing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad of “provocation”, after yet another French publication put the contentious caricature on its pages. President Chirac said, “Anything that can hurt the convictions of another, particularly religious convictions, must be avoided. Freedom of expression must be exercised in a spirit of responsibility.” A conviction is a strong belief in the truth of their religion, a strong belief that their Holy Bible is the absolute truth, the Word of God Himself.

The Old Testament is the Holy Bible of Judaism. The Old Testament plus the New Testament is the Holy Bible of Christianity. The Old Testament plus the New Testament plus the Koran is the Holy Bible of Islam. To blaspheme is to say that the Holy Bible is wrong, false, untrue, not the Word of God. Galileo was a blasphemer. Galileo had a telescope. Galileo said that the Earth was moving even though the Holy Bible says three times that the Earth does not move and it never will. For his blasphemy Galileo was imprisoned for years by the infallible incapable of error Pope. The Pope would have executed Galileo for his blasphemy which was a capital offense but the two men were friends. The biggest blasphemer is your God, right in your Holy Bibles. As you can see with Galileo, blasphemy is often true.

To listen to the Televangelists, it would seem that there is a complete consensus that every word in the Holy Bible is true, the absolute truth word from God. Our telescopes to see what is going on here is our Bible scholars. The Bible scholars of Judaism, Christianity and Islam will all tell you the same thing. God of Mount Sinai, aka God the Father, The Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Allah, Elohim and Adonai carved the 10 commandments in stone Himself and gave them to Moses in 1200 BC. Moses died in 1200 BC. The first book of the Old Testament, Genesis was begun in 800 BC and the first 5 books of the Old Testament were edited, added to and deleted from and finally completed in 400 BC. The New Testament was begun in 100 AD, 70 years after the death of Jesus. It was edited, added to and deleted from for 225 years until its completion in 325 AD, where the Church Fathers elected Jesus God, because in the New Testament Jesus says that he is God and he is not God. The Prophet Muhammad could not read or write. The Koran was begun decades after his death. The Koran was an attempt to correct, straighten out the Old and the New Testament. We know that the Old Testament was written by the Priests and the Prophets of the time. We even know their names. They wrote laws and stories and dialogues and commandments and they signed them “said God”, “said Moses”, “said Abraham”, “said Adam”, “said Eve”, “said the snake”, etc.

Other Biblical Prophets watched as the Bible Writers took the name of God in vain for their own commandments and they railed against this sin right in your Holy Bible endlessly. God said of the Bible writing Priests and Prophets, "They say, 'Says the Lord', when the Lord has not sent them." Your God of Mount Sinai called your Holy Bible writers forgers of His will. (Ezekiel 13:1-22). God said of the Bible writing Priests and Prophets, "You Prophesy by Baal, Beelzebub, Satan!" (Jeremiah 2:8). According to the accurate translation of the Hebrew Tanach, the Old Testament, God said of the scribes, the bible writers: "They reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet are confused with wine, they err in vision, they stumble in giving judgment. All tables (God’s 2 stone tablets) are covered with filthy vomit; no place is clean." God accused your bible writers of being ignorant drunks leading you all into disaster by covering His Word, his 2 stone tables, with their filthy vomit, your Holy Bible. (Isaiah 28:7-15). God of Mount Sinai said in the Tanach that your Holy Bible writers wrote "commandment upon commandment, line upon line, here a little, there a little; in order that we all may go and fall backwards and be broken and ensnared and taken." (Isaiah 28:13). God called the Old Testament other than the 2 tablets, "feces". God cursed the bible writers and their offspring and vowed to spread the feces on their faces! (Malachi 2:1-3). God called his covenant with Moses, Levi, the 10 commandments the "Truth".

Jesus Christ was the Jewish born Rabbi, the Messiah of Christianity and Islam. His job was to purify the 613 commandments in the Old Testament down to God’s 10. Jesus said that when he returned he would command his angels to bring God’s 2 tablets into God’s Temple and gather up the Holy Bibles and throw them into the fire and burn them. (Matt. 13:24-30 KJV). Jesus Christ said that the Prophet Isaiah was right when God said through Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 29:13, "Full well you reject the commandments of God, that you may keep your own traditions. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Mark 7:6-9 K.J.V.). Jesus called the extra 603 commandments forgeries of men signed “God”, and "heavy burdens grievous to be borne placed on men’s shoulders by the scribes (bible writers) and Pharisees.” (Matthew 23:1-4). In Matthew 23 Jesus launches into an absolute diatribe, calling the bible writers venomous snakes spewing their deadly poison into your bibles which poison would lead you all into the fire.

Have you heard of 911? Why did it happen? Well, the Muslim men who flew the 2 airplanes into the two twin towers of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, honestly believed that they did it on the orders of your God of Mount Sinai, who commands them in the Koran to "Make War on the Jews and the Christians." Furthermore, these Muslim men also honestly believed to the depths of their souls that the moment they hit the towers, they would wake up in Heavenly Eternal Paradise with God of Mount Sinai, 72 Virgins, and Wine with no side effects because they read this in a book - that this would be their reward from God of Mount Sinai for Making War on the Christians and Jews. (Koran, Chapter, Sura, 9:29-30, and Chapter 56, Mecca). The Old and the New Testament also have countless such commandments, like in Psalm 2, where God tells the Messiah to break the Heathen (King James Version), the Non Believers, like pottery with a rod of iron into millions of pieces. Unfortunately Psalm 2 and the entire Old Testament has now been adopted by all 3 religions who now believe that all non group members, every man, woman, and child, are the Heathen who God of Mount Sinai wants pulverized, who God wants them to pulverize, for great eternal rewards.

In retaliation for 911, the President of the United States publicly announced to the World that he was launching a Crusade. As every Muslim person knows, the Crusades were a thousand years ago when the Pope led his Christian army across Europe, massacring every Jew in their way, reclaiming the Holy Land, until the Christian soldiers stood knee deep in Muslim blood in Jerusalem. So far the President of the United States has conquered Afghanistan and Iraq, and he is now threatening Syria and Iran. According to the scribes, the bible Writers, Jesus said that when he returned he would command his Christian Angels to throw every last Non-Christian man, woman, and child into the fire and massacre every last one of them because they all were Devils, all 4 billion of them on Earth today. (Matthew 13:36-43).

The Christian and Muslim and Jewish children of God of Mount Sinai following these scripts, these bibles, are presently engaged in the beginning of Nuclear World War III against each other. Every nuclear scientist knows that nuclear world war III will have no survivors. Albert Einstein, Dwight David Eisenhower and John Fitzgerald Kennedy all said, "The only way to win World War III is to prevent it." This statement is infinitely more true today. Our only hope of survival is to make World Peace. As long as there is Christianity, Islam and Judaism there will never be peace on Earth. The Temple of Love is the only solution for World Peace. Only The Temple of Love makes peace among and unites Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Everyone else. The Temple of Love works because we follow your own God's map to Peace on Earth forever.

Today, Feb. 8, 2,006, French President Jacques Chirac accused newspapers printing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad of “provocation”, after yet another French publication put the contentious caricature on its pages. President Chirac said, “Anything that can hurt the convictions of another, particularly religious convictions, must be avoided. Freedom of expression must be exercised in a spirit of responsibility.” A conviction is a strong belief in the truth of their religion, a strong belief that their Holy Bible is the absolute truth, the Word of God Himself. The burying your head in the sand approach so that people cannot see you may work for ostriches but it will never work for human beings. Only the truth will set you free. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are now leading us all into the Apocalypse and extinction, and even their God is a non believer in these 3 religions, as He says endlessly right in your holy bibles over and over again. If your own God does not believe in your religion then why do you? The Religion that your God does believe in that will prevent your extinction in the near future is The Temple of Love, The World Peace Religion of your God of Mount Sinai. See you there.

Spirit of Islam: A Primer

Last time I wrote a message on Islam, a Catholic priest said he reported me to the FCC for broadcasting what he referred to as "an eMail hate letter." Several long-time subscribers of various other denominations ALSO gave me a tongue-lashing... just before unsubscribing.

In contrast, many others thanked me. It's for them, and all other the seekers of truth, that I write. Not to mention the fact that, since early this morning, the phrase, "We become as the gods we serve" has been rolling around in my spirit.

I had no choice but to write this.

Moscow, October 25th, 2002, a special forces assault on a Moscow theater after a three-day siege left more than 90 hostages dead, but 750 others were rescued and dozens of their Chechen captors killed. What is the spiritual slant of these Chechens? They're Muslims.

Here in the states, a man goes on a killing rampage, randomly murdering 10 innocent people throughout Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Three others, including a 13-year-old boy, were critically wounded. The sniper's last name? Muhammad, a follower of Islam.

I could go on and on with worldwide reports of atrocities going on as we speak, direct results of Islamic aggression. It would be depressing.

Here's an interesting snippet I found on the REAL Muhammad whose upstart religion is now covering the planet: "Muhammad gained wealth & power when he led raiding parties against innocent caravans. Zealous followers of Muhammad raided the rich caravans traveling to Mecca for polytheistic worship. "In 624 Muhammad and 300 Muslims attack Meccan caravan at Fabr (Vabr) ... In 626 drives out Jewish tribes ... In 628 - 629 attacks Jewish Oasis at Khaibar."
Arabs in History by Bernard Lewis: Harper & Row - 1966 revised edition.

After reading that, one might say that terrorism is in the Islamic blood.

ALLAH IS LOVE?

Muslims today portray Allah as loving and kind yet obligate each follower to obey whenever one of Allah’s "spokesman" calls for a jihad or holy war. By the way, according to Paul Harvey on Friday, August 19, 2005, Pakistani schools are now teaching "Jihad" to their children. Since Allah is not the one and only true loving God of which the Bible speaks, suicidal terrorists were assuredly most unpleasantly surprised on September 11, 2001 after they caused the very planes on which they traveled to crash into American buildings. Surprise! They had believed all their lives that they would enter into Paradise and live happily ever after with Allah and Muhammad and a bevy of virgins. They had put "faith in faith" rather than putting faith in Jesus Christ.

The object of one’s faith is of utmost importance. If Jesus had been that object, rather than the Islamic Spirit of Religion, these attacks would never have happened. You see, if it is not the Holy Spirit who we allow to lead and guide us, SOME spirit WILL gladly fill that position. Spirits of Religion, Murder, Chaos and others, all operate in unison through Islam as they launch their constant assaults against humanity worldwide. These demonic spirits know us quite well and focus their attacks upon mankind's religious nature, i.e., our desire to please a god of some sort in an effort to obtain his blessings and favors ... regardless of that god's blood thirsty tendencies.

But you see, right there is where most Christians lose their impact in spiritual warfare: the majority of us don't even BELIEVE in demon spirits as being much more than mere symbols of evil.

Satan LOVES that about Christians!

BACK TO ISLAM

The simplest way to describe Islam is that it is a religion of submission to the will of Allah. To Muslims, Allah is the God that they worship, the one TRUE God. But his character revealed in the Qur'an is not the same as the character of the God of the Bible. If one is to submit to Allah, one must submit to Muhammad and all the people that are leaders of Islam. Faith in Islam is based upon the fundamentals of the Qur'an as well as the lifestyle of Muhammad. True, his historical life was not all that exemplary. According to Islam, however, Muhammad was actually sinless. He is portrayed as having been the holiest person on planet Earth. He is a revered by Muslims worldwide.

AYATOLLAH YOU SO!

Remember Ayatollah Khomeini from Iran? He was from the head of the Shiite sect and was called 'Ruhollah,' meaning 'the spirit of Allah.' That's what the Iranian people believed. They thought Khomeini was very holy. His words were the laws of Islam though he altered the law and regulations strongly. According to Reza Safa (a former militant Shiite Muslim) in his book Inside Islam, Khomeini's reign of terror was equaled to what happened in the French Revolution. Whoever resisted Khomeini and his regime was resisting Allah. When the Iranians started the war with Iraq, over 1 million Iranians and Iraqis died.

Unbeknownst to its followers, the Islamic jihad is a spiritual force that wants to wage war against everything that is from God; everything that is holy MUST be destroyed. It is oppressive and controlling. Again, we have to go back to the fact that Islam means submission, total submission; that it is a theocracy centered on the supreme will of Allah. To refuse obedience to Allah, or to those in leadership who serve him, is to be counted an infidel and an enemy of Islam.

TV's talking heads would have us believe that Muslims are very peace-loving people and that there's nothing in Islam that encourages war. Though the majority of Muslims are good people (all the ones I know are great!), in actuality, through warfare and terrorism, Islam has spread since the 7th century devouring nation after nation as Christians neglected the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus to "go and make disciples."

There are currently about one billion adherents to Islam. In Safa's book, there is a passage taken from Sura 9:5 of the Qur'an: "When the sacred months are passed, kill those who join other gods wherever you find them, and seize them, beleaguer them and lie in wait for them with every kind of ambush But if they convert and observe prayer and pay the obligatory alms, then let them go their way."

To those who fear the impact of Harry Potter books, THIS is the real book to be concerned about!

Are today's fanatics yielding to these teaching? You better believe it. Does the average Muslim know the Qur'an? Most Muslims I've met here in the USA are pretty clueless. Is the typical Muslim even able to read the Qur'an? Fact is, just as is the case with most Christians, the majority of Muslims are ignorant of what their holy book actually teaches. Though some may have an idea regarding its message, the majority are led about by their leaders like lambs to slaughter. Most people cannot understand the Qur'an, because it is in Arabic and they are told you have to understand the Qur'an in Arabic or you don't understand what it's saying at all. For all the Muslim nations that are not Arab, such as Iran, the Muslims must learn the language and study the Qur'an in Arabic. Most won't put forth the effort. They claim Islam they one would choose its favorite soccer team. They follow the instruction of Muslim clerics for a multitude of reasons. Imagine being taught to hate the Christian and the Jew from age 4. Imagine being taught that, to die as a martyr was a quick ticket to Paradise. Folks, this could be a very long war.

DO THEY KNOW?

Most Muslims are completely unaware of what their holy book teaches, just as most Christians are pretty clueless about the bible. Here are a few things the Qur'an has to say about Jesus:

His virgin birth...
When the angels said, 'O Mary, ALLAH gives thee glad tidings of a son through a word from HIM; his name shall be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, honoured in this world and in the next, and of those who are granted nearness to God; 'And he shall speak to the people in the cradle, and when of middle age, and he shall be of the righteous. She said, 'My Lord, how shall I have a son, when no man has touched me? He said, 'Such is the way of ALLAH. HE creates what HE pleases. When HE decrees a thing HE says to it 'Be,' and it is;" -- Qur'an, Surah 3:38-48

His Resurrection...
"Thereupon she pointed to him. They said, 'How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?' Jesus said, 'I am a servant of ALLAH. HE has given me the Book, and has made me a Prophet; 'And HE has made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and has enjoined upon me Prayer and almsgiving so long as I live; 'And HE has made me dutiful towards my mother, and has not made me arrogant and graceless; 'And peace was on me the day I was born, and peace will be on me the day I shall die, and the day I shall be raised up to life again.' That was Jesus, son of Mary. This is a statement of the truth concerning which they entertain doubt." -- Qur'an, Surah 19:30-35

DOES GOD LOVE MUSLIMS?

Of COURSE He does. The vast majority are wonderful, loving, hospitable folks who, just like the rest of us, must trust Jesus ALONE for their salvation. We must differentiate between these people and those who have yielded to the spirit of jihad and resist the tendency to prejudge every Middle-Easterner. Typically, once a person yields to the Islamic spirit, they fall within the grasp of a very vengeful, hateful, demonic, Spirit of Death. The determining factors regarding whether or not a person chooses to participate in a jihad might include the leaders one is listening to, and how strictly one decides to adhere to the militant teachings of the Qur'an. Islam actually has two major demonic entities at its helm: First, there is the Spirit of Fear. Islam creates fear and rules within the atmosphere it creates. Second, is the Spirit of Death. War, terrorism, and suicide are all well-represented within every jihad.

What are we up against?

Safa knows.

I recall sitting in Bible College, listening with more than a little synicism to the prophetic warnings of a former 8-year missionary to South Africa. His warning? Islam is coming! At that time, I couldn't even recall SEEING a person from the Middle East there in Arlington, Texas.

A billion people currently adhere to Islam, a religion growing at a rate of 50 million a year. How many have yielded to this jihad spirit? No one knows for certain but by the commentary I'm hearing, even within so-called Christian circles, very few "experts" understand what we are up against. We are facing an enormous demonic stronghold - one to which the world, including "Christian America" - has given place.

Islam is nothing less than an allegiance to a demon spirit. Though the West is not at war with Islam, Islam has certainly waged war against us. "The weapons we use are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds," 2 Cor 10:4. Islam has permeated countries such as Iran, Iraq, North Africa, Egypt, Algeria and Sudan. France has more mosques than churches and England is being overrun by those of the Muslim faith. Regarding Pakistan, Safa writes in his book that “Pakistan has 120 million Muslims,” he says. “Out of that, 10-15 percent are the radical Muslims—the Taliban variety.”

At the very root of Islam is Satanic involvement. “Spiritually speaking, Islam is one of the wisest moves of Satan,” Safa says. Muslim tradition holds that the angel Gabriel appeared to Muhammad and gave him revelations that formed the Qur'an. “When Gabriel appeared to him (Muhammad) he would get a revelation. Sometimes he would see a cloud and at the sight of the cloud he would shiver and go home and hide himself under a blanket, such fear would come upon him,” Safa says. Fear, as with death, has been part of Islam since day one.

Because the true battle with Islam is in the spiritual realm, Safa believes the West’s reliance upon military might will ultimately fail. “... showing the strength of the arm doesn’t stop them — it increases their resolve,” he says. I have stated from day one, if we killed Sadaam and Osama, there would be a thousand more right behind them. Frankly, if we REALLY wanted to defeat the Islamic spirit, we would bombard theirr children with the gospel through coloring books, candy wrapped in tracts, puppet shows, movies and videos.

At the heart of Islam is works-based righteousness. “They work so hard to please God,” Safa says. “The pinnacle of that law is martyrdom.” In Islam, Martyrdom is the only way to assure one’s salvation.

In “Inside Islam,” Safa tells of the Ayatollah Khomeini’s televised appeal for ten thousand volunteers to fight against Iraq. Young boys who volunteered became known as the basiji, meaning, “the mobilized.”

“The next day all the boys on the street who had volunteered had a piece of red tape on their foreheads. The basijis volunteered to clear the minefields with their bodies, and they did it. Military leaders would send out as many as five thousand boys at once to run through the fields and trip the mines,” Safa writes.

“Many of the boys were only 12 or 13 years old,” he adds. “To them, Khomeini gave the promise of behesht (“paradise”). To symbolize this false promise, he gave them a key which they hung around their neck—a key with which they could open the gate of heaven.”

The suicide bombers of 9-11 are just another case in point. “These people are already dead before they attack us,” Safa says.

THE GOOD NEWS?

As Islamic terrorism grips the nations, a confident, peaceful Church will be given the Divine opportunity to tell the world about our source of peace amidst the Islamic storm. This is exactly how Reza Safa, an ex-radical Muslim from Iran was saved: through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We can tell them about what it is we've found through the intimacy of our personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

You DO have that type of relationship with Him, don't you?

Reza Safa's quotes from Monday, January 28, 2002 report by ASSIST News Service as well as his book, Inside Islam.

CLOSING QUESTIONS & COMMENTS

To my thinking Muslim friends, I have these six brief questions to ask regarding Jesus, followed by a few comments...

1) Does the Qur'an say that Jesus was sinless? Was He a perfect man?

2) Does the Qur'an tell Muhammad to repent?

3) The Qur'an says many times that Jesus is the Messiah? Agree?

4) Was Mohammad the Messiah?

5) Where's the body of Jesus?

6) The body of Muhammad is buried in Medina, as you may know. Why did God take Jesus but NOT Muhammad?

Strangely, Muslim teachers today allege that Jesus’ message was given to the Jews only, yet the Qur'an mentions Jesus as being "a sign for all peoples [beings]" (Surat 21:91). While Muslims call Jesus ‘Nabi Isa’ (literally Jesus the Messenger), the actual message he brought is not recorded in the Qur’an; it is found in the Gospel.

The Qur'an teaches: "We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob ... to Moses and Jesus and that given to all prophets from their Lord. We make no differences between one and another of them" (Surat 2:136).

To justify such contradiction to the Qur’an, Muslim teachers declare that the Bible, which originally recorded the messages of “Abraham ... Moses and Jesus”, is no more the Word of God, but has been changed and corrupted.

That again is not what the Qur’an teaches, when it says: "People of the Book! [commonly accepted as referring to the Jews and the Christians] ... stand fast by the Law, the Gospel and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord" (Surat 5:68). These words were written in the seventh century. Many old Bible manuscripts still in existence today are considerably older than that, yet they do not differ from today’s Bibles. One would expect Muslim teachers to state when the Bible was supposedly changed, by whom, and for what purposes, but they do not.

The Qur’an actually challenges Muslims: "If you were in doubt as to what we have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee," (Surat 10:94). Which Book? The Book given before the Qur'an, of course! No man can honestly claim, on the basis of the Qur'an, that the Bible has been corrupted. It actually orders: "Ask those who possess the message," (Surat 21:7). Those were the Jews and Christians, the People of the Book.

As we already noticed, the Qur’an explicitly states that the Gospel is the Word of God. And it also states categorically that "no man can change the Words of Allah" (Surat 10:64 and 6:34).