As you read these lines, 1.5 billion Muslims will be celebrating the birthday of their beloved prophet, a day known as Milad un-Nabi or Mawlid. Muslim love and admiration for the Prophet Muhammad manifests itself beautifully through these various kinds of religious celebrations blended with local cultures and traditions.
I have made it a habit to celebrate Prophet's birthday by reading and reflecting upon his famous last sermon every year. This sermon, which was delivered by Prophet Muhammad at the end of his final pilgrimage to Mecca and shortly before his death to more than 100,000 early Muslims has been considered as the Prophet's will to his companions and long lasting universal message and teaching to his Ummah.
For those who can drop their 21st century cultural baggage and read this sermon in its own historical context, one can't help but admire it as one of the earliest declarations of human rights in written history. Almost everything he says in this prophetic sermon was almost unheard of and inconceivable prior to the arrival of Islam. The prophet of Islam addresses some of the core universal values in a society where those values are long forgotten and violated in a systemic basis. The prophet didn't only say but transformed his society, in a very short period of time, remarkably in all the values and lessons that he talks about.
All human beings are equal, racial supremacy is unacceptable, women have rights, socio-economic inequality is despicable and should be fought against and so on. In twenty three years he united a deeply divided and polarized Arabian peninsula, stopped the ongoing bloodshed, restored the dignity of women, minimized the gap between the poor and the rich and more. In his lifetime former slaves become governors of provinces and generals. Centuries old, deeply rooted primitive patriarchal and oppressive cultural practices were wiped out, racism and tribalism were defeated. There is hardly any other religious figure who has been as successful both in religious terms as well as in secular terms as Muhammad.
In this sermon of Muhammad, Muslims find their deep commitment to the universal human values such as sacredness of life and property, equality, justice, peace and more. Upon these high universal values, the religion of Islam was built.
We still have so much to learn from this 1,400-plus-year-old cry and we are so much in need of this message of Muhammad in our broken time where we continue to struggle with almost identical issues in our global human community. We need to go back to these core teachings and examples of Islam and similarly strive for achieving an ethical and moral society, wherever we live, where no one inflicts nor suffers inequity, unfairness and in justice.
Peace and blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad and upon all prophets came before him. Here is his sermon:
"O People, listen well to my words, for I do not know whether, after this year, I shall ever be among you again. Therefore, listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today.
O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Treat others justly so that no one would be unjust to you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds. God has forbidden you to take usury (riba), therefore all riba obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer inequity. God has judged that there shall be no riba and that all the riba due to `Abbas ibn `Abd al Muttalib shall henceforth be waived.
Every right arising out of homicide and blood-killing in pre-Islamic days is henceforth waived and the first such right that I waive is that arising from the murder of Rabi`ah ibn al Harith ibn `Abd al Muttalib.
O people, the Unbelievers indulge in tampering with the calendar in order to make permissible that which God forbade, and to forbid that which God has made permissible. With God the months are 12 in number. Four of them are sacred, three of these are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumada and Sha`ban. Beware of the devil, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.
O People, it is true that you have certain rights over your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under God's trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Treat your women well and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers. It is your right and they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste...
O People, listen to me in earnest, worship God (The One Creator of the Universe), perform your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your financial obligation (zakah) of your wealth. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.
All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.
Remember, one day you will appear before God (The Creator) and you will answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.
O People, no prophet or messenger will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words, which I convey to you. I am leaving you with the Book of God (the Quran) and my Sunnah (the life style and the behavioral mode of the Prophet). If you follow them you will never go astray.
All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness O God, that I have conveyed your message to your people."
Not everyone has to be of one religion or "way of life" and in fact will never be IMO. There are many options on how humans chose to live. Some options lead to happy and productive lives and many others result in destructive outcomes. Regardless, humans have free will and there is no compulsion in religion so the human heart is free to want what it wants.
If you really think those without Jesus are lost then be like who you claim to follow and be Christ-like by praying for them and showing love and compassion. Trust me love and compassion is the only way...towards peace.
Humans do have free will. That is one factual statement you have made. The human heart is free and God longs for you to choose Him. Through Jesus you can be reconciled and redeemed.
Trust me, I will pray for you with all hope that God will reveal himself to you. I have showed you the utmost level of love and compassion by sharing with you the one thing I believe to be worth more than any treasure, Jesus. One day Jesus, the Prince of Peace will bring peace!
You as a Muslim are part of a wonderful heritage. You are part of a great nation of people. But, you still need a savior, and works are not enough. It is only by grace through faith that you will be in heaven for eternity with God. Trust Jesus. That is the message of God.
There is only one God, one Savior Jesus, who was from the beginning and will come again. He is alive. Only he can save, there is nothing Muhammad or Allah can do. They are powerless and full of lies.
"All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves."
Also, Allah is the same God as the God of Jesus (pbuh).
Anyway, I don't think that Muhammad (pbuh) meant that other prophets and faiths wouldn't be created by man; rather, he meant that they wouldn't be created by God.
Unfortunately, what happens over time is that fundamental tenets of religion become covered over by unscrupulous persons that replace or misinterpret GOD's words for personal gain. It is this tendency that one should criticize, but not with the intent of "throwing out the baby with the bath water." Real religion is pure and one despite being temporarily covered over by unscrupulous persons.
To correct these problems, GOD says in the Song of God, aka Bhagavad-gita As It Is, "that whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice and a predominant rise of irreligion, at that time I descend Myself." Alternatively, GOD sends or empowers special persons to overthrow irreligious customs and reinstate pure religion. Mohammad was one of them. Haladhara dasa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf0EV7LbmKs
If this interests you the rest is for you to learn on your owe.
women's rights, animal rights, rules on war, environment, race relation and etc in Islam.
I wish we Muslims all 1.6 billion of us really knew, learned and followed the Prophet in true sense and not worry about others.
Religion, no matter which one, has always been used by adventurers, conquerors and those with lust of power and rule, and States to enslave human societies and subjugate them
Thus we human beings do not need beautiful sermons and mesmerizing speeches. Enough is enough, we do not need religion. Those who want it may keep it within the limits of their houses
Above all can you prove that Islam and Quran are from the creator of this universe. If you can prove this then everything become irrelevant and all must submit to this set of beliefs
The greatest massacre ever imputed by the government of one sovereign against the government of another is 26.3 million Chinese during the regime of Mao Tse Tung between the years of 1949 and May 1965. More than one third of the eight million Khmer Rouge were killed between April 17, 1975 and January 1979. One third of the entire country was put to death under the rule of Pol Pot, the founder of the Communist Party of Kampuchea.
The historical fact is that outright rejection of God and institutionalizing of atheism actually does produce evil on incredible levels.
As far as the Quran is concern, the only thing I could point to in these brief remarks, is that the Book it selves has answer that question, and that is it has place a falsification test to all of humanity i.e to produce just one chapter (of course in classical Arabic)
“"Religious organizations are very much in the pockets of the political systems of the world; and I mean all of them!"
Subscriber's comment to the above!
HA! If above is true, the Catholic Church wouldn't be threatening to deny communion to pro-choice democrats all the time.”
My Reply!
On the major issues that has confronted man from the beginning of time; man's inhumanity towards man, war, shrift, divide, racism, shared prosperity, God’s Word -- religious leaders in all the faiths have turned a blind eye with a wink, or have been at the helm directing the slaughter and recruitment with lies and half-truths to get to the underbelly of man to do their bidding at all cost. Preaching in their recruitment efforts, “a divine purpose;” when in reality the purpose (always) - to line their pockets with pillage and spoils of war. All having their hands in doing God’s enemy’s bidding!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible
In the context of protection, and security, not in a general sense.
"Another verse refers to women as "fields" to be plowed as men see fit.'
That is a response to men who asked if there were any restrictions of how they should copulate with their wives.
"...In the context of protection, and security, not in a general sense..."
Not true:
4:34 Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great.
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This statement presents Islam's main problem in a nutshell:
What in the Koran is to be taken literally and what is to be interpreted in historical context? On the nitty gritty level, is jihad meant to be permanent warfare against unbelievers until all religion is for Allah or merely the history of the establishment of the religion in the Arabian peninsula long ago?
Bluntly stated, too many Muslims in too many countries take far too much of the Koran literally--especially the parts about jihad and dawa leading to universal Islamic political domination. This is the key doctrine of the revolutionary Islamism that is the ideology of one side in the present civil war in Islam.
The obverse of that coin is that too often, the historical interpretation of the Koran is restricted to academia--there is too little downward penetration of enlightened interpretation. It is not taught much in the Middle Eastern institutions that train the vast majority of the world’s most influential Imams, for example.
And we know why this is true: The existence and enforcement of doctrines demanding harsh treatment for Muslims who engage in doctrinal innovation. It is shamefully true that in too many parts of the Muslim world the gates of ijtihad are still firmly closed, held shut against the forces of modernism by the forces of Islamism.
A great God based and morality based religion is not worth the name religion at all if it does not support JIHAD that is : taking efforts, struggling hard and if necessary a just war as the US says it is doing
Did not the Americans carry out Jihad in various countries fighting against aggression, oppression,, occupation, persecution, tyranny, discrimination, human right violations and injustice.
If Muslims do it as per strict religious rules critics like brand this as terrorism.
In Islam JIHAD signifies a physical, moral , spiritual and intellectual effort.
There are plenty of Arabic words denoting armed combat, such as HARB (War), SIRA’A( Combat), MA’ARAKU (Battle) QITAL ( Killing).
The Quran could have easily used these words if was had been the Muslims’ principal way of engaging in this effort. Instead the Quran chooses a vaguer, richer word with a wide range of connotations
The Jihad is not one of the five pillars of Islam. It is not the central prop of
the religion despite the common view indicated by Daniel.
But it was and remains a duty for Muslims to commit themselves to a struggle on all fronts- moral, spiritual and political to create a just and decent society, where the poor and the vulnerable are not exploited, .
Fighting and warfare might be necessary, but it was/is only a minor part of the whole struggle.”
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Yes, including author Al Misri, translator Nuh Keller and the warrantors of Reliance of the Traveller:
Abd al-WaWarrantkil Durubi, Imam of the Mosque of Darwish Pasha, Damascus, Syria
N Ali Salman, Mufti of the Jordanian Armed Forces
Dr. Taha Jabir al-Alwani, President of the International Institute of Islamic Thought
Member of Islamic Fiqh Academy at Jedda
President of the Fiqh Council of North America
Muhammad Umar Muhammad Umar, General Department for Research, Writing, and Translation, Al-
Azhar University
These are the individuals and institutions that saw fit to put their names on the book, which is described as orthodox belief and practice of the Shafii school. This is their definition of jihad:
" o9.0 JIHAD
" (O: Jihad means to war against non-Muslims, and it is etymologically derived from the word mujahada, signifying warfare to establish the religion. And it is the lesser jihad. As for the greater jihad, it is spiritual warfare against the lower self (nafs), which is why the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said as he was returning from jihad..."
continued--
"o9.1 Jihad is a communal obligation (def: c3.2). When enough people perform it to successfully accomplish it, it is no longer obligatory upon others (O: the evidence for which is the Prophet's saying (Allah bless him and give him peace),
"He who provides the equipment for a soldier in jihad has himself performed jihad," and Allah Most High having said:
"Those of the believers who are unhurt but sit behind are not equal to those who fight in Allah's path with their property and lives. Allah has preferred those who fight with their property and lives a whole degree above those who sit behind. And to each, Allah has promised great good" (Koran 4:95).
http://www.shafiifiqh.com/maktabah/relianceoftraveller.pdf
The Qur'an says: "Indeed! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation." (33:56)
Of course, it sounds much better in Arabic.
and your point is ?