Seasons Greetings ^_^

I find that this article below written by Ustaz Hazrizal will perhaps be an enlightening view for Muslims (esp. in Malaysia??) that kept arguing about the hukum on celebration of Christmas.
Hope you guys will find it refreshing, as I did. :)


Kad Krismas Saya Untuk ‘Anda’

“Amir, awak rindukan Krismas?” saya bertanya.

Di satu sudut masjid, Amir duduk bersimpuh tersenyum mendengar soalan saya.

Tengah hari itu cuaca di Belfast sungguh sejuk. Hanya tinggal beberapa hari lagi, Krismas tiba. Di sana sini lagu-lagu Krismas berkumandang. Teringat saya kepada suasana Aidilfitri di Malaysia, manusia bagai dipaksa-paksa untuk beremosi dengan lagu raya. Sama ada untuk melakukan barangan, menyuruh anak perantau pulang ke desa, atau dipasang sekadar menandakan musim raya sudah bermula.

Lisburn Road yang selalunya comot lagi suram dengan sentuhan cuaca Ireland Utara, indah berhias dengan pelbagai dekorasi, tidak mengalah dengan kemeriahan di sekitar pusat membeli belah Castle Court di tengah bandar.

“Tidak. Tiada rasa rindu. Tetapi rasa lebih berhubung” jawab Amir dengan tenang.

Amir adalah anak tempatan. Sudah lama memeluk Islam dan tiada gelaran ‘saudara baru’ untuknya lagi.

“Bagaimana pula lebih berhubung?” saya kurang jelas dengan maksudnya.

“Dulu-dulu, saya sekeluarga menyambut Krismas tanpa sebab yang jelas. Malah tanpa sedar, seperti ada kekeliruan antara Jesus dan Santa Claus” jelas pemuda itu.

Amir menggambarkan kepada saya betapa Krismas disambut lebih kepada sebuah adat yang sekular. Tiada intipati agama yang jelas. Hadir ke perhimpunan di gereja pun tidak dirasakan sebagai ritual agama.

“Di Belfast ini, hidup sebagai minoriti menjadikan Muslim lebih menghargai Aidilfitri. Tetapi di negara saya, Ramadan semakin disudahkan dengan perayaan yang semakin sekular. Hilang roh agamanya” saya berkongsi.

“Itulah perbezaan agama minoriti dan majoriti barangkali” Amir menyambung mesej saya tadi.

“Selepas memeluk Islam, awak masih menyambut Krismas?” saya ingin tahu.

“Ya dan tidak” jawabnya ringkas.

“Bagaimana begitu?” saya tidak pasti.

“Ya, saya masih menyambut Krismas dengan pulang menziarahi keluarga saya dan menyertai perhimpunan keluarga kami. Ada hidangan yang saya makan, ada yang tidak. Tetapi saya tidak lagi menyambut Krismas dengan jiwa yang sama seperti mereka kerana saya rasa saya lebih Kristian selepas memeluk Islam!” jelas Amir.

“Oh! Lebih Kristian selepas memeluk Islam? Unik tu!” saya terpinga-pinga.

“Tentu sahaja. Jika dahulu, status Jesus sukar untuk saya hadam ke dalam jiwa dan keyakinan. Tetapi kini segalanya jelas. Maryam dan Isa lebih indah dan suci di dalam Aqidah Islam” ujar pemuda Irish itu.

Amir membacakan kepada saya firman Allah di dalam al-Quran, surah Aal ‘Imraan:

“(Ingatlah) ketika malaikat berkata: “Wahai Maryam! Bahawasanya Allah memberikan khabar yang menggembirakanmu, dengan (mengurniakan seorang anak yang engkau akan kandungkan semata-mata dengan) kalimah daripada Allah, nama anak itu: Al-Masih, Isa Ibni Maryam, seorang yang terkemuka di Dunia dan di Akhirat, dan ia juga dari orang-orang yang didampingkan (diberi kemuliaan di sisi Allah). Dan ia akan berkata-kata kepada orang ramai semasa ia masih kecil dalam buaian, dan semasa ia dewasa, dan ia adalah daripada orang-orang yang soleh.” [Aal 'Imraan 3: 45-46]

“Versi Islam untuk Annunciation?” saya menyoal.

Amir tersenyum.

Dia memang tidak banyak berbicara.

“Eh, saya perlu beredar sekarang. Maafkan saya, Imam. Kita jumpa lagi Insya Allah” Amir tiba-tiba bangun. Teringatkan sesuatu barangkali.

“Baiklah. Merry Christmas?” saya memberi ucapan dalam nada menyoal.

“Islamic Christmas?” beliau juga menjawabnya dengan nada menyoal.

Kami ketawa.

KRISMAS DAN PELUANG DAKWAH

Saya teringat kepada pesanan Said Hawwa di dalam risalah Maulid beliau yang terhimpun di dalam kitab Kay Laa Namdhee Ba’eedan ‘an Ihtiyaajaat al-’Asr. Al-Marhum berpesan, biar pun Maulid tidak disambut di zaman Nabi sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam atas sebab yang makruf, ia tidak seharusnya menjadi alasan untuk tarikh yang difahami sebagai Maulid al-Rasul itu dibiarkan begitu sahaja. Ramai manusia yang secara otomatik tertanya-tanya apakah tiada sambutan, tiada ceramah, tiada kenduri. Kesediaan masyarakat untuk ‘diprogramkan’ itu mesti dimanfaatkan oleh pendakwah. Tolaklah ke tepi anasir-anasir yang bersalahan dengan Sunnah. Namun mengapa tidak diadakan majlis ilmu mengingati Rasul sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Mengapa tidak baginda dipuji dan dikenang bersama selawat dengan bahasa syair yang indah, selagi syair itu tidak mengungkapkan syirik dan bid’ah?

Demikian juga perihal Krismas.

Ketika sahabat handai malah mungkin ada yang sanak saudara dan ahli keluarga yang menyambut Krismas kerana agama mereka, mengapa tidak sentimen dan emosi yang wujud dimanfaatkan sebagai peluang dakwah?

Umat Islam harus sudah mampu keluar daripada berulang kali memperdebatkan persoalan hukum mengucap tahniah kepada non-Muslim.

Jadikan sahaja ia peluang dakwah, ungkapkan sesuatu yang lebih Islamik.

Hantarkan kad Krismas yang disertakan dengan petikan-petikan ayat al-Quran yang berbicara tentang Isa dan Maryam.

Beritahu rakan Kristian anda bahawa kita kaum Muslimin juga memuliakan Jesus dan Mary. Namun Risalah Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam datang memurnikan kepercayaan kami mengenainya. Hadiahkan buku-buku yang baik pada menjelaskan tentang Islam serta hubungkaitnya dengan Risalah Jesus. Buku yang sedap dibaca, buku yang tidak mencederakan kasih sayang mereka kepada Jesus dan Mary, tetapi menggunakan kasih sayang itu untuk mengajak mereka kepada Aqidah yang lebih memurnikan cinta seorang mukmin kepada sekalian Rasul, di samping Isa juga bondanya Maryam.

Seperti kata Amir, “saya terasa lebih Kristian selepas memeluk Islam. Lebih dekat dengan Jesus Christ”

Mungkin sudah agak terlambat, tetapi malam itu saya mengerjakan Photoshop untuk membuat kad Krismas berserta petikan al-Quran tentang Jesus dan Mary. Kad itu dikongsikan bersama Jamal, Presiden Belfast Islamic Centre untuk dihantar kepada beberapa klien yang biasa berurusan dengan kami daripada kalangan agensi tempatan.

“Dan peringatkanlah mereka dengan hari-hari Allah. “Sesungguhnya yang demikian itu, mengandungi tanda-tanda yang menunjukkan kekuasaan Allah bagi tiap-tiap seorang yang kuat bersabar, lagi kuat bersyukur” [Ibrahim 14: 5]


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I cannot agree more with the character Amir, for when a non Muslim reverts, he/she seemed to be more aware of the truth and more careful about the things that they do in their life.
Since they have the opportunity to be a non Muslim before, they can differentiate between religion and culture.

Like Amir, I find that Muslim reverts have the tendency to appreciate the practices in Islam because they understand that these do not fall into culture. They will try their best to steer away from the 'cultural' practices, because they know that the practices in Islam is always based on the truth; upon Quraan and Sunnah, and other practices are unnecessary, and they want to follow Islam to the best that they can, no matter how awkward it may seemed to be to 'some' taklid buta Muslims.

For example, there has been numerous misunderstanding on Islam, where 'culturally' in our country we insist for a revert to change their name, adding an Arab name, or even change their father's name. This does not potray the true teaching of Islam at all! Our Prophet never taught us to change the names as long as it has a good meaning. Changing names actually deviates far from the truth! Some Muslim may argue saying that it is harmless, but for some race it is a very sensitive issue when it comes to changing names. See how easily 'culture' can lead create confusion and misunderstanding on Islam?

Also, culturally, the term mualaf is often misused in our country; we always like to call a revert Mualaf (kononnya membawa maksud saudara baru) for his/her whole life time! Truth is, the Quran uses the term Al-Mu'allafati Quloobuhum to refer to people who have either recently accepted Islam or are in the process. The singular would be Mu'aalafun Qalbuh (man) or Mu'allafun Qalbuha (woman). The first part, Mu'allaf, by itself does not mean a revert, it means a compiled work.

So in the article above, Amir was never intimadated by other Muslims in Belfast since they do not blindly follow the culture of calling a revert 'mualaf' or saudara baru.

While there are certain culture that is permissible, one must always be aware of the practices that they do, because Islam is simple. It always have been. Obey Allah and obey His Messenger. Allah has commanded us to follow Islam the way that our Prophet Muhammad had taught us. Yes, there are numerous mischevious backstabbing Muslims (or Munafiqs) and non Muslims who will always try to create confusion among the Muslim ummah; but if we stick rightly to the path of Allah by following the Quraan and Sunnah one should be able to the feel peace and just of Islam in their hearts and in their mind.

It is without doubt that Christmas is not a religious celebration it is more cultural (that is already known), but if we Muslims show the beauty of Islam where we meet and greet and perhaps give some dakwah to our Christian brothers/sisters, by telling them that as a Muslim, we too, love Jesus and Mary, show them the surahs in Quraan, have a friendly discussion with them, clear the confusion between Jesus in the Quraan and in the Bible, then inshallah, one will never know if Allah open their hearts to accept Islam.

One beautiful example of a revert who I really look up upon is Brother Yusuf Estes (he's one of my favourite daiee!) ^_^ Here is a video (it's very entertaining, I promise!)
on Why did Bro. Yusuf Estes embrace Islam. I hope this will be an eye opener to all of us, inshallah. May Allah lead us to the true path of Islam. :)

Heaven, where true love goes

When things are down
And you are out of your mind
Just Remember Allah is The Merciful .

When your life is in darkness
And nothing is right
Just Remember
Through the darkness, Allah is The Light.

When nothing makes sense
And your heading for demise
Just Remember
It doesn't make sense, but Allah is The Wise.

When times are troubled
And no one seems to care
Just Remember, that Allah will care .

When your heart is breaking
And your pain makes you fall
Just Remember, Allah relieves it all.

When you are weak
And the road seems long
Just Remember, Seek strength from The Strong.

When life is a burden
And everything is unstable
Just Remember, Allah is The Able.

When the way is cloudy
And there is no one by your side
Just Remember, Allah is The Only Guide.

When no one wants to listen
Or is willing to lend an ear
Just Remember, Allah is always ready to hear.

When you are poor and penniless
And you are stuck in a niche
Just Remember, Allah is The Rich.

When you are down in your misery
And there is nowhere to run
Just Remember,
You can always run to The One.

When you are all alone
And your pain has no end
Just Remember, Allah is the only one you can depend.

And when your scars are hurting
And your heart is in fear
Just Remember, Allah is really here.

The irony of burn the Quran day (an overdue post)

Lets think logically...

It doesn’t matter how many Quraans they are going to burn, being outraged to these laughable dim-witted people are not a cool solution. It doesn’t matter if these thick headed people wants to burn Quraan, what Muslims should do is to laugh at them (yes laugh!) and enquire them instead who would REALLY be in trouble if, we Muslims would burn all the Bible? Isn’t this a BIGGER problem for the Christians due to a really obvious reason? (Gotcha!)

Muslims doesn’t have to worry at all because hundreds and thousands of Muslims (we’re talking about a REALLY HUGE groups of Muslims around the globe here, people remember?) have already memorised the whole Quraan! Mashallah remember the huffaz, and hafiz? Don’t forget the mufassirs, muhaddiths too!

That's the beauty of Islam! The fact that we can validate and maintain the authenticity of all of our sources from the time of our Prophet til today makes us the only religion that does not have blind faith people! Lets be a cool and calm Muslim and laugh at those evident bunch of idiots. Think about it. Peace! :D

Sunshine, Dust and the Messenger ^_^

A beautiful nasheed from DawudWharnsby Ali, I love 'em lyrics. :)

Sunshine, Dust and the Messenger

Morning light through the bedroom window.

Slow motion dust specks swirling in the sun.

I close my eyes,

and I’m floating along.

Sun - did you warm the face of the Prophet

the way you warm mine and make this room glow?

Dust - were you brushed from the beard of the Prophet,

Returning from Jihad, so long ago?

اللهم صل علي محمد

يا رب علمىن

اللهم صل علي محمد

صلى الله عليه وسلم

Rain pouring down upon my garden,

rhythm for the wind that sings his song.

I close my eyes

and I’m drumming along.

Rhythm of rain - were you once a river,

that purified the Prophet before his prayers?

Wind - were you a breath form the lips of the Prophet

carrying wisdom to thirsty ears?

اللهم صل علي محمد

يا رب علمىن

اللهم صل علي محمد

صلى الله عليه وسلم

Sharp, clear crescent, light in the blue night.

Slipping in silence through a star scattered sky.

I close my eyes

and I know that I belong.

Were you the same moon that lit the way of the Prophet,

slipping through the desert on his Hijrah?

Stars did you map the way to Madinah,

for the blessed Messenger of Allah?

اللهم صل علي محمد

يا رب علمىن

اللهم صل علي محمد

صلى الله عليه وسلم

I close my eyes,

and I’m floating along.

I close my eyes

and I’m drumming a song.

Eid Mubarak

Taqabbalallahu minnaa wa minkum :)

Happy Eid to all Muslim around the globe (especially to my Ototo-san, Kimisawa).
Enjoy the takbeer by Native Deen! ^_^



A nasheed by Native Deen called 'Eid Morning' from the album 'Not Afraid to Stand Alone

These are the lyrics
Chorus
Allahu-Akbar-U'llahu-Akbar-U'llaahu-Akbar

Laa-Ilaha Ill'allah
Allahu-Akbar-U'llahu-Akbar-U Wa-Lillah'il-Hamd
Allahu-Akbar-U'llahu-Akbar-U'llaahu-Akbar, Laa-Ilaha Ill'allah
Allahu-Akbar-U'llahu-Akbar-U Wa-Lillah'il-Hamd

Allahu Akbar-U-Kabira ... Wal-Hamdu-Lillahi Kathira
Wa-Subhan'allahi Wa-Be-Hamdi-Hi Bukra-Tan Wa-Ascila

Laa-Ilaha-Ill'alla-Hu Wahdah ... Sadaqa Wa-Adah ... Wa-Nasara Abdah
Wa-A-Azza Junda-Hu Wa-Hazam'al-Ahzaab Wahdah

Laa-Ilaha Ill'allah ... Wa-La Na-A-Budu Illaa Iyyah
Mukh-Le-Scina Lah'uddina Walaw Karih'al-Kaafiroon

Allah-Umma-Salli-Ala Sayyedinaa Muhammad,
Wa-Ala Aali Sayyedinaa Muhammad
Wa-Ala As'habi Sayyedinaa Muhammad,
Wa-Ala An'sari Sayyedinaa Muhammad
Wa-Ala Azwaji Sayyedinaa Muhammad,
Wa-Ala-Zurriyati-Sayyedina Muhammad-In
Wa-Sallim Tasliman Kathira

Translation Of Takbeer-Ul-Eid

Allah is great, Allah is great, Allah is great, There is no god but Allah
Allah is great, Allah is great, and praise is due to Him.
Allah is great, Allah is great, Allah is great, There is no god but Allah

Allah is great, Allah is great, and praise is due to Him.
Allah is the Greatest, and an abundance of praise is due to Him,
And glory and praise be to him morning and evening.

There is no god but Allah, alone, He was true to His promise,
And He granted victory to His worshipper, and He supported His group,
And He conquered the parties (of evil) all by Himself.

There is no deity but Allah, and we worship no one but Him,
And we will sincerely follow the religion for Him,
Even against the wishes of the unbelievers.

May Allah pray upon our Muhammad, and upon his family,
And upon his companions, and upon his supporters,
And upon his wives, And upon his descendants,
And grant an abundance of peace on him.

An Evening Talk on 'Freemason' by Dr. Omar Zaid

"the Jews will not be pleased with you, nor the Christians until you follow their religion. Say: Surely Allah's guidance, that is the (true) guidance. And if you follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you shall have no guardian from Allah, nor any helper." Al-Baqarah :120

"You will follow the ways of the nations before you inch by inch and foot by foot to such degree that if they entered a lizard's hole, you would go in after them". When Prophet PBUH was asked by former nations he meant the Christians and the Jews, he replied, "Who else could it be?".[1]

Here are some of the video presentation on Freemasonry by Dr. Omar Zaid ( I went to his talk at IIS, Setiawangsa today and I seriously think he's a Muslim version of Dr. House, M.D. -for his cynical yet honest approach).

"Dr. Omar's the most un-politically correct scholar I know personally. His relentless pursuit of truth is unsparing. That's why we need him and more like him"
- Prof. Hassan Nagar, PhD. Arabic and English Lit., ISTAC, UIA, KL, Malaysia

A brief biography of Dr. Omar Zaid.
Dr. Omar Zaid is a retired Emergency Room Physician now Research Fellow at ISTAC (IIUM) since July 2007. Prior to his conversion to Islam in 2004, Dr. Zaid was an Evangelical Christian Missionary in Sarawak East Malaysia. In his search for truth Dr. Zaid explored occult metaphysics became intimate with Dr. Rudolph Steiners Anthroposophy, became a Freemason then a Born Again Christian before finally reverting to Islam in 2004 .

He currently does research on Church History, Gnosticism, Mystery Religions, Fertility Cults, the history of Hermetic Societies and Human Development and Sexuality. In addition to several essays and monographs, he has authored Trinity: The Metamorphosis of Myth; The Hands of Iblis: Summary Observations on the Hidden Hand of the New World Order. His next book, Cain’s Creed: The Cult of Rome, a Deconstruction and Revision of Church history, is scheduled for release this year.















"I am a former Catholic, Occultist, Freemason, Christian Evangelical Minister and Casualty Physician now become Muslim, author, critic and relatively qualified coroner for a deeply
wounded ummah. The singular perspective I offer on this traumatized body is a kind of kalb ina kalb (heart to heart) reportage and examination that may help buffer some of the palavers I‘ve witnessed since becoming an Academic Fellow a few years ago. With this in mind, I beg leniency for any error presented and remain amenable to admonition and correction. All praise belongs to Allah." - The Rights of God: Islamization & Islamic Science in light of the New World Order: A Singular Perspective.

More interesting publications by Dr. Omar Zaid can be download HERE.

May Allah S.W.T. open up our hearts and minds to guide us to the true path and may Allah S.W.T. reward Dr. Omar for his effort in conveying the truth.

Reference:
[1] - Ibn Al- Jawzee's The Devil's Deception: edited translation by Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips

FREE software program to help memorize Quraan

Assalamualaikum,

I would like to share a fantastic software I accidentally found while browsing the net named Juz30. This app. will inshaAllah help us to memorize Quraan at your own time and your own pace. I think it's great for reverts and for short-term memory Muslima like me :)


Here are just some of the features:-

• User Profiles - anyone in your household can have their own profile for memorization
• Drag and Drop ayas into you "heart" - a graphical way to view your memorization progress
• Drag and Drop whole suras you know already to get started.
• High Quality Uthmani Arabic Script
• English translation by Muhsin Khan (can be turned off)
• Transliteration to help pronounce
• High quality aya-by-aya recitation by Abdullah Basfar (who recites slowly with proper tajweed)
• Ability to choose different recitors (when recitor packs are released)
• (German, French, Malay, Indonesian, Spanish) translations (when using language packs)
• Loop Ayas - loop as many times as you want for memorization
• Loop Suras - loop whole sura
• Stack Mode - memorize ayas in the following manner: 1 | 1,2 | 1,2,3 | 1,2,3,4 | ...
• Single Aya Mode - if an Aya is too long, then select points in the audio to repeatedly loop
• Select a Aya range in the Sura
• Displays your Juz30 memorization progress
• Displays sura playback progress
• Pause Mode - add your own pauses (in seconds) in between ayas so you can repeat the aya yourself after hearing it
• and much more ...

Just click HERE to download the software, and please make sure you've downloaded the surahs (and translations) before opening the file. There's plenty of reciters to choose, I personally prefer recitation by Abdullah Basfar. :D

Please share this with your friends, and families too! ^_^

I hope we will all have a blessed Ramadan mubarak this year. Wassalam.


*P/s- Some files might be corrupt; just replace it with other reciters.

Curse of the consumer society by A.R. Green

It's a global disease!


These videos are pretty short and wouldn't take much time to load each one, so do sit back & enjoy. Let us take a good look at ourselves & our surroundings..lets appreciate the littlest things in life ;)

Hypocrisy that I can't stand!

Although there are some minor spelling mistake (note: Anti-Semitism not anti-semetism), I believe the important message within this poster should be spread around ;)

Credit to the blogowner for creating this amazing poster.

The atheist Professor. I like it everytime I read it :)

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

First before you start reading this make sure you will read it all to the end!

This article somewhat reminds me of witty debates by Dr. Zakir Naik & late Sheikh Ahmad Deedat, may Allah reward them for their tremendous effort, amin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The atheist professor said "LET ME EXPLAIN THE problem science has with God."
The atheist professor of Philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

- "You're a Muslim, aren't you, son?"

- "Yes, sir."

-"So you believe in God?"

- "Absolutely."

-"Is God good?"

-"Sure! God's good."

-"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"

-"Yes."

The professor grins knowingly and considers for a moment.
-"Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?"

-"Yes sir, I would."

-"So you're good...!"

-"I always do my best to be a good human , Sir."

-" You would help a sick and maimed person if you could ...in fact most of us would if we could... God doesn't."

[No answer.]

"He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Muslim who died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. How is this God good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"

[No answer]

-The elderly man is sympathetic. "No, you can't, can you?"

He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student
time to relax. In philosophy, you have to go easy with the new ones.

-"Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"

-"Er... Yes."

-"Is Satan good?"

-"No."

-"Where does Satan come from?"

-The student falters. "From... God..."

-"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he?"

-The elderly man runs his bony fingers through his thinning hair and turns to the smirking, student audience.

-"I think we're going to have a lot of fun this semester, ladies and gentlemen."

-He turns back to the Muslim. "Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"

-"Yes, sir."

-"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? Did God make everything?"

-"Yes."

-"Who created evil?"

[No answer]

-"Is there sickness in this world? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All the terrible things - do they exist in this world?"

-The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."

-"Who created them?"

[No answer]

-The professor suddenly shouts at his student.

-"WHO CREATED THEM? TELL ME, PLEASE!"

The professor closes in for the kill and climbs into the Muslim's face.

In a still small voice: "God created all evil, didn't He, son?"

[No answer]

The student tries to hold the steady, experienced gaze and fails. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom like an aging panther. The class is mesmerised.

"Tell me," he continues, "How is it that this God is good if He created all evil throughout all time?"

The professor swishes his arms around to encompass the wickedness of the world.

"All the hatred, the brutality, all the pain, all the torture, all the death and ugliness and all the suffering created by this good God is all over the world, isn't it, young man?"

[No answer]

-"Don't you see it all over the place? Huh?" [Pause].

-"Don't you?" The professor leans into the student's face again and whispers,

-"Is God good?"

[No answer]

-"Do you believe in God, son?"

-The student's voice betrays him and cracks.

-"Yes, professor. I do."

The old man shakes his head sadly. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. You have never seen God, Have you? "

-"No, sir. I've never seen Him."

-"Then tell us if you've ever heard you God?"


-"No, sir. I have not."

-"Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God or smelt your God...in fact, do you have any sensory perception of your God whatsoever?"

[No answer]

-"Answer me, please."

-"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

-"You're AFRAID... you haven't?"

-"No, sir."

-"Yet you still believe in him?"

-"...yes..."

-"That takes FAITH!" The professor smiles sagely at the underling.

-"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son? Where is your God now?"

[The student doesn't answer]

-"Sit down, please."

The Muslim sits...Defeated.


-Another Muslim raises his hand. "Professor, may I address the class?"

The professor turns and smiles. "Ah, another Muslim in the vanguard!

Come, come, young man. Speak some proper wisdom to the gathering."

The Muslim looks around the room. "Some interesting points you are making, sir. Now I've got a question for you. Is there such thing as heat?"

-"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."

-"Is there such a thing as cold?"

-"Yes, son, there's cold too."

-"No, sir, there isn't."

The professor's grin freezes. The room suddenly goes very cold.

The second Muslim continues.

-"You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold, otherwise we would be able to go colder than 458 - - You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."

Silence. A pin drops somewhere in the classroom.

-"Is there such a thing as darkness, professor?"

-"That's a dumb question, son. What is night if it isn't darkness? What are you getting at...?"

-"So you say there is such a thing as darkness?"

-"Yes..."

-"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something, it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker and give me a jar of it. Can you...give me a jar of darker darkness, professor?"

Despite himself, the professor smiles at the young effrontery before him. This will indeed be a good semester...

-"Would you mind telling us what your point is, young man?"

-"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with and so your conclusion must be in error...."

-The professor goes toxic. "Flawed...? How dare you...!""

-"Sir, may I explain what I mean?"

The class is all ears.

-"Explain... oh, explain..." The professor makes an admirable effort to regain control. Suddenly he is affability itself. He waves his hand to silence the class, for the student to continue.

-"You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains.

-"That for example there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science cannot even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism but has never seen, much less fully understand them. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, merely the absence of it."

The young man holds up a newspaper he takes from the desk of a neighbour who has been reading it.

-"Here is one of the most disgusting tabloids this country hosts, professor. Is there such a thing as immorality?"

-"Of course there is, now look..."

-"Wrong again, sir. You see, immorality is merely the absence of morality. Is there such thing as injustice? No. Injustice is the absence of justice. Is there such a thing as evil?"

The Muslim student pauses.

-"Isn't evil the absence of good?"

The professor's face has turned an alarming color. He is so angry he is temporarily speechless.

The student continues. "If there is evil in the world, professor, and we all agree there is, then God, if he exists, must be accomplishing a work through the agency of evil. What is that work God is accomplishing? Islam which means Submission to the will of God , tells us it is to see if each one of us will, choose good over evil."

The professor bridles. "As a philosophical scientist, I don't view this matter as having anything to do with any choice; as a realist, I absolutely do not recognize the concept of God or any other theological factor as being part of the world equation because God is not observable."

"I would have thought that the absence of God's moral code in this world is probably one of the most observable phenomena going," the student replies.

-"Newspapers make billions of dollars reporting it every week! Tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"

-"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."

-"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

The professor makes a sucking sound with his teeth and gives his student a silent, stony stare.

-"Professor. Since no-one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavour, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a priest?"

-"I will overlook your impudence in the light of our philosophical debate."

-"So you don't accept God's moral code to do ... what is righteous?"

-"I believe in what is - that's science!"

-"Ahh! SCIENCE!" the student's face splits into a grin.

-"Sir, you rightly state that science is the study of observed phenomena. Science too is a premise which is flawed..."

-"SCIENCE IS FLAWED..?" the professor splutters. The class is in uproar.

The student remains standing until the commotion has subsided.

-"To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, may I give you an example of what I mean?"

The professor wisely keeps silent. The student looks around the room.

-"Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen air, Oxygen, molecules, atoms, the professor's brain?"

The class breaks out in laughter. The Muslim points towards his elderly, crumbling tutor.

-"Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain... felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain?"

No one appears to have done so. The Muslim student shakes his head sadly.

-"It appears no-one here has had any sensory perception of the professor's brain whatsoever. Well, according to the rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science, I DECLARE that the professor has no brain."

peace :)