RAMADAN 2006 The 24th Day
Harun Yahya
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| ADVICE FROM OUR PROPHET (SAAS) REGARDING FASTING, BROTHERHOOD AND PROPER MORAL VALUES DURING RAMADAN | ||||
Believers' Love For One Another - II The Spiritual Strength That Comes From Believers's Love And Solidarity What lies behind the attachment of people who do not believe in Allah and the Hereafter is generally the importance imputed to worldly values and expectations directed towards worldly interests. By coming together, these people in one sense make a mutual agreement of interests; the parties support one another and thus seek to achieve mutual advantages. The people in that alliance know that their togetherness is not based on trust or friendship, and that, even though this is not openly stated, the alliance is dependent on a number of conditions. When the element of either party that provides the other with these advantages is eliminated, the alliance also falls apart. Whether this leaves the other person in difficulties or needing support is of no interest to other. That is because the alliance formed has stemmed solely from a joining of forces and an expectation of benefits. For that reason, when these expectations are removed, it is perfectly natural that the alliance should also fall apart. As revealed by Allah in the verse "Their hostility towards each other is intense. You consider them united but their hearts are scattered wide. That is because they are people who do not use their intellect," (Surat al-Hashr, 14) no matter how much those who do not believe may appear to enjoy unity and solidarity, fundamentally they cannot actually be united. The only force on Earth that can establish true friendship and alliance among human beings is "faith." With their friendships, believers who fear the Day of Judgement have laid the foundations of a sound alliance that begins in this world and that will continue for ever in the Hereafter. They love one another with no expectation of benefit or advantage, out of pure intentions and solely for Allah's approval, and are one another's friends for that approval. It is impossible for this bond, based on love of Allah and fear of Allah, to be loosed unless Allah so wills. Words Of Our Prophet (May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace) Recommending Love
The faithful constitute a great spiritual force with the strength their love for one another for Allah's approval gives them. As revealed in the words of one verse, "But those who were sure that they were going to meet Allah said, 'How many a small force has triumphed over a much greater one by Allah's permission! Allah is with the steadfast," (Surat al-Baqara, 249), even if they are few in number, with the faith in their hearts they acquire great enthusiasm and will with which to overcome terrible difficulties and troubles. They obtain the assistance and support of Allah because of the moral values they display. As Allah has revealed in the verse, "You shall be uppermost if you are believers," (Surah Al 'Imran, 139), they constitute such a spiritual force that nobody can turn them against one another, and that nobody can break. Since they sincerely seek Allah's approval, they never engage in any confusion, disagreement or dispute among themselves. That is because the word of Allah is one; the verses of the Qur'an are clear. Since all believers abide unconditionally by the Qur'an and always act with a view to gaining as much approval from Allah as possible, a great harmony and order ensues. All matters can be easily resolved within a harmonious order. A powerful solidarity is formed because they behave in the light of the moral values of the Qur'an and the interests of believers, even when they conflict with their own interests, and hold their brothers' desires above their own. Since believers intend to be one another's eternal friends in the Hereafter they are bound to one another with a deep love, respect and loyalty. Therefore, they know no rivalry, disagreement or dispute. Due to their fear of and sincere faith in Allah, no matter what difficulties or troubles they may encounter they never fall into defeatism, moral relativism or lack of will. If there is a flaw in one of them, the others will support him with proper moral values and encourage him towards goodness. Since they constantly command one another to perform what is good and to avoid evil, their faith and strength constantly grow. This spiritual strength possessed by believers, whose objectives, endeavours and prayers are always the same, which stems from faith and love, has been described by Bediuzzaman Said Nursi with the following example: "For just as one of man's hands cannot compete with the other, neither can one of his eyes criticize the other, nor his tongue object to his ear, nor his heart see his spirit's faults. Each of his members completes the deficiencies of the others, veils their faults, assists their needs, and helps them out in their duties. Otherwise man's life would be extinguished, his spirit flee, and his body be dispersed. Similarly, the components of machinery in a factory cannot compete with one another in rivalry, take precedence over each other, or dominate each other. They cannot spy out one another's faults and criticize each other, destroy the other's eagerness for work, and cause them to become idle. They rather assist each other's motions with all their capacity in order to achieve the common goal; they march towards the aim of their creation in true solidarity and unity. Should even the slightest aggression or desire to dominate interfere, it would throw the factory into confusion, causing it to be without product or result. Then the factory's owner would demolish the factory entirely." (Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Risale-i Nur Collection, TheTwenty-First Flash) This example given by Bediuzzaman is of great importance with regard to being able to comprehend the union and unity stemming from the love among believers. On account of the sincere love and devotion that stem from their faith, in the same way that the machinery in a factory comes together to constitute a great force, so they acquire an unshakable spiritual strength with their mutual love and devotion. Your friend is only Allah and His Messenger and those who believe: those who perform prayer and give the alms, and bow. (Surat al Ma'ida, 55) Allah loves those who fight in His way in ranks like well-built walls. (Surat as-Saff, 4) | ||||
| EXAMPLES TO LIVING FOSSILS: | ||||
GRASSHOPPER
Age: 108-92 million years old Size: 30 mm (1.1 in) overall, 75 mm (2.9 in) with antennae; matrix: 110 mm (4.3 in) by 100 mm (3.9 in) Location: Nova Olinda Member, Ceara, Brazil Formation: Crato Formation Period: Lower Cretaceous, Upper Aptian Cenomanian
The 108 - 92 million-year-old grasshopper in the picture is evidence that grasshoppers have always existed as grasshoppers. Remaining unchanged for millions of years, grasshoppers are showing us that they are created, not evolved.
OYSTER
Age: 208 million years old Size: Approximately 8 centimeters (3.25 in) Location: Bambamarca, Cajamarca, Peru Period: Jurassic
The oyster in the picture is 208-146 million years old, showing that the oysters of years ago are the same as the ones living today. This refutes the theory of evolution. | ||||
| THE NAMES OF ALLAH: | ||||
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If My servants ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the call of the caller when he calls upon Me . They should, therefore, respond to Me and believe in Me so that hopefully they will be rightly guided. ( Surat al-Baqara, 2:186)
Believers are certain that Allah hears and answers their prayers in one way or another, for they know that Allah wills everything. For this reason, they never worry that their prayers will remain unanswered. Doubting Allah's answer means that one fails to appreciate His power. Allah answers each prayer with great ease. However, "answering a prayer" does not mean that the person receives an immediate answer or even the one that he or she is expecting. In one verse, Allah states: Man prays for evil just as he prays for good. Man is prone to be impetuous. ( Surat al-Isra', 17:11) Allah knows best what is good and what is bad for us, for He is the One Who directs all affairs. As is in all of His acts, He answers prayers in the way that best meets His many divine purposes, as the Qur'an reveals below: Allah's answer to all prayers, whether hidden or open, manifests His glory. No thought or wish remains unanswered. And, only Allah hears and answers prayers, for: Those you call on besides Allah are servants, just like yourselves. Call on them and let them respond to you, if you are telling the truth. ( Surat al-A'raf, 7:194) | ||||
| THE EVOLUTION DECEIT: | ||||
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Some people claim that they believe in God, but also believe in the theory of evolution. Yet this is a highly mistaken position to adopt—because: 1. The only reference and guide for anyone who says they believe in God and His religion is the Qur'an. But the Qur'an contains no information about creation having come about by way of evolution. On the contrary, its verses reveal that life and the universe were brought into existence when God commanded them to "Be!" 2. The fundamental focus of the theory of evolution is the denial of the existence of any Creator. Ever since Darwin's day, all the proponents of the theory of evolution have made this abundantly clear. The theory has been the main foundation of atheism for the last 150 years. It is of course impossible to construct any form of alliance between the most effective foundation of atheism and belief in God. Another factor that makes the theory of evolution unacceptable is the fact that science has refuted it. The theory has been unable to prove its own most basic claims. Variations Are No Evidence of Evolution "Variation" is a term employed in genetics for the phenomenon that causes individuals or groups within one species to display different, distinct features. For example, all the humans in the world are of the same species—Homo sapiens—and have essentially the same genetic information. Yet thanks to the potential for variation permitted by that genetic information, some have almond-shaped eyes, others have red hair, some have long noses, and others are short and stocky in stature. Evolutionists, however, attempt to portray such variations within a species as evidence for the development of new species—and in turn, for the theory of evolution. But the fact is, variation represents no evidence for evolution at all. It merely represents the emergence of different combinations of already-existing genetic potential. It cannot endow future generations with new genetic information and brand-new characteristics. | ||||
| THE SIGNS LEADING TO FAITH : | ||||
Steel-Cable Technology in Muscles
Ms. Benyus is a member of the teaching faculty at America's Rutgers University. In her book Biomimicry, she states that the tendons in our muscles are constructed according to a very special method and goes on to say: The tendon in your forearm is a twisted bundle of cables, like the cables used in a suspension bridge. Each individual cable is itself a twisted bundle of thinner cables. Each of these thinner cables is itself a twisted bundle of molecules, which are, of course, twisted, helical bundles of atoms. Again and again a mathematical beauty unfolds, a self-referential, fractal kaleidoscope of engineering brilliance. (Benyus, Biomimicry, pp. 99-100.) In fact, the steel-cable technology used in present-day suspension bridges was inspired by the structure of tendons in the human body. The tendons' incomparable design is only one of the countless proofs of God's superior design and infinite knowledge. | ||||
| BOOK OF THE DAY: | ||||
Answers From The Qur'an
This book provides answers from the Qur'an to the questions of those who have recently become acquainted with the Qur'an and believers and who are still, to a degree, under the influence of the morality practiced by their unbelieving societies. It is hoped that those who ask these questions out of a sincere desire to receive answers will be satisfied with these answers and obey Allah's commands, and that their pursuit of the truth will lead them to find the true answer in the Qur'an, which is the source of guidance for humanity.
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| SITE OF THE DAY: | ||||
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Antisemitism is a fanatical hatred felt for the Jewish people. This racist ideology has caused millions of innocent Jews to be killed, persecuted, exiled and threatened over the centuries. Islam aims to bring justice to the world. Just as it denounces all kinds of racism, so it denounces antisemitism. Muslims criticize Zionism, but defend the right of Jews to live in peace and security. This site is launched to reveal that there is no place for antisemitism and any other racist ideology in Islam. All true Muslims denounce these ideologies and defend the rights of the Jews against antisemitism. |
When a man loves his brother for sake of Allah, he should tell him that he loves him. (Abu Dawud) 
Prayer is an intimate and personal bond between people and Allah. Through prayer, people express all of their troubles and wishes to Allah and seek His help. In return, He hears His servants' calls and answers their prayers. He is closer to people than their jugular veins, knows and hears everything, and is fully aware of each inner thought. This being the case, even just thinking is enough to ask for something from Him. This shows how close Allah's answer is.
A striking example of natural composites are tendons. These tissues, which connect muscles to the bones, have a very firm yet pliant structure, thanks to the collagen-based fibers that make them up. Another feature of tendons is the way their fibers are woven together.
