Trials Of Islam

(Article first published as Trials of Islam (Part Two) on Blogcritics)

In discussing the trials of Islam one has to keep in mind the conditions
of Arabia: its hot and dusty climate; its people (the Arabs, who lived a somewhat senseless life at that time); its business center, which was Mecca, and which not only invited traders to its bosom but offered 360 idols to the Arabs as well as worshippers of other denominations; the Kaabah (black-clothed building) which till today still serves as a centre for Muslim pilgrims all over the world. These, plus the fact that Muhammed (pbuh) was an Arab himself, all played a vital role in the spread of Islam.

We have mentioned previously that the Arabs were not a very sociable kind of people. We spoke of the way they believed that woman had no standing in the community and as such could be used and abused at will by their husbands. We learnt from history that these Arabs also believed that a female baby brought bad luck to the family and as such had to be buried alive to reverse the evil that had befallen them!

One can then imagine the mammoth task that awaited Muhammed (pbuh) in his quest to bring the Message of the One God to these people. One can but feel sympathy for him as he wrestled with his own inner turmoil in trying to understand what was happening to him (i.e. encountering the Archangel Gabriel in the cave on the 'Mountain of Light' and being told to read) and not to yield to the jeers and ridicule that was being heaped upon him regularly by not only the inhabitants of Mecca, but his own family!

In the beginning we find that the first converts to Islam were the Prophet's wife, Khadija; his cousin Ali, son of Abu Talib, his uncle; Zaid bin Thabit, a freed slave, who stayed with the Prophet (pbuh); and Abu Bakr, Muhammed's (pbuh) close friend.

Initially, the Qureish tribe, being the Prophet's (pbuh) fiercest criticisers, were not overly concerned about the Prophet's (pbuh) ministries. In fact, they found it rather amusing that the early converts were people of not very high standing in the community. Apart from Muhammed's (pbuh) wife Khadija and Abu Bakr, his close friend, who also happened to be quite wealthy, the other converts who followed were either slaves or beggars, not to mention Ali, his cousin, who was only ten years old at that time!

We think of Bilal, a black, Abbyssinian slave, who became Muslim and preached Islam to all that he came in contact with. We think of the beggar woman who stopped begging and devoted her life in prayer to Allah. The Qureishites, being the masters of many a slave, would find great merriment in taunting these converts to Islam. They would demand that these slaves bring proof of the god that they believed in; proof tantamount to that of the idols, whom they called the 'Sons and Daughters of Allah'.

However, Islam did not stop there. Muhammed (pbuh) began to preach the religion openly in Mecca then! No more were there the secret gatherings at his or one of his followers' houses. No more were there the hidden or veiled meanings to his ministries. Islam was out! Islam was on the move!

Qureish was not taking this for a joke anymore. They began by seriously addressing those under their command and those in their employ. They even ferreted out those from amongst their own families who had converted to Islam and laid down their law: either you stopped your foolishness of believing in the One God of Muhammed (pbuh) and come back to us or bear the brunt of our wrath!

History tells us that Bilal was placed in the hot desert sun with a huge rock on his chest for refusing to denounce Allah, the One God. A woman, one of the members of the Qureish tribes' mother, was speared to death by her own son for declining to forsake her belief in Allah! And strangely enough, through all these trials, Islam marched on!

Then there was Abu Lahab, the Prophet's (pbuh) uncle, whose favorite pastime it was to proclaim Muhammed (pbuh) a madman to everyone he met on the streets and even brought his wife along to place thorn bushes in the path of Muhammed (pbuh).

Islam now stood at a count of 40 men and women altogether. Qureish then decided that to nip this madness in the bud once and for all, they would banish Muhammed and his followers to a valley where no one would be allowed to have any contact with them, nor to trade or have any kind of dealings with them— like the modern-day sanctions, only worse, because the Muslims couldn't come into the city to buy foodstuffs or emergency supplies.

For two years this trial continued, until it was discovered that the parchment the injunction had been written on had been destroyed by white ants, even though it had been closely guarded, and the ban was lifted.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/culture/article/trials-of-islam-part-two/page-2/#ixzz0pFeMDnLq

Message of Islam[Islam The Straight Path[Islamic Teachings[Quran.

(Article first published as Trials of Islam on Blogcritics).
We have previously discussed the mysterious way in which Islam started and the Prophet Muhammed's(pbuh) role in its manifestation. We have also discussed Arabia with its diverse communities of Jews, Christians, Zoarastrians, Coptics, as well as Pagans, whose habit it was to perform the circumambulation around the Kaabah (black-clothed building in the center of Mecca) naked!

Then there was the Prophet's(pbuh) dilemma and distress at the way the Arabs were conducting their lives- abusing their women-folk, among other things, even burying their female babies alive for fear of bringing bad luck to the household! This was something he spoke out against fiercely! Something that brought him in serious disrepute with the clansmen of Mecca.

We discussed the Prophet's seclusion in the Cave of Hira on the Mountain of light- his pondering over his existence amongst all this senselessness and the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel- delivering the Divine Commands from Allah to him, and how this affected him personally.

All through our previous discourses one questioned had remained prevalent and poignant; the question of how he became so successful in bringing over the Message of Islam- the Message of the One God, not only to the Arabs, but to the whole world! How was it possible that he could manage to convince a people whose habit it was to believe in idols and base their lives upon appeasing these stone objects (even offering human sacrifices to them)! The Prophet(pbuh) was not schooled in any way. He couldn't even spell his own name!

Strange enough though, some of these Arabs, especially the affluent ones, knew that the idols could do nothing for them, but because Mecca was an important trading center, and people came from far and wide- not only to do business, but to worship their idols as well, it played an important part in the Meccans' aversion to Muhammed's(pbuh) preachings. There were 360 idols in and around the holy Kaabah!

History tells us (as we have mentioned before) that there were many individuals and intellectuals through the ages, who tried to get people to believe in them and their ideals by bribing the ordinary masses with promises of money, comforts, or whatever it was they had at their disposal. Some were so powerful that they even managed to get their followers to believe that they were God themselves! (Think of Pharoah and his arrogance for one). And when these things failed, they resorted to wars and persecutions that caused indescribable pain and suffering that to this day still lives on in the minds of those whose forefathers were subjected to this terrible inhumanity!

Muhammed(pbuh) was not learned in any way, as history tells us. There is no record whatsoever that he attended any formal institution where education was offered. In fact, Allah Almighty, Himself, alludes to this fact in the Holy Quran: Muhammed(pbuh) being the "Unlettered Prophet." So how did he manage to speak to his people and get them to listen to him, and (most importantly) get them to accept what he told them?

But let us look at how he started his mission; let us look at that particular day when he summoned his cousin, Ali, son of Abu Talib, (the Prophet's(pbuh) uncle) to deliver a message to the tribe of Qureish (one of the most influential tribes in Arabia). They were to meet the Prophet(pbuh) at the foot of a hill that was just outside Mecca.

On that day, not only the tribesman of Qureish came but many of the other tribes, such as the tribe of Banu Hashim, of which the Prophet(pbuh) himself was a member, and people from the Banu Qurayzah. Everybody was curious to know what Muhammed(pbuh) wanted to say.

The Prophet(pbuh) was already on top of the hill when the crowd came. It was hot and some were shuffling around, wiping sweat from their brows as a murmur arose from them. Some were wondering aloud what this was all about. Muhammed(pbuh) surveyed them silently.

"O People..." The Prophet began at length and let his eyes roam over the crowd. He saw Abu Lahab, his uncle, standing in the front and he said out loud. "If I were to tell you that an army is marching towards you behind this hill, would you believe me?"

They all stared at him confused and he repeated the question- louder! "If I were to tell you that an army is coming behind this hill to attack you, would you believe me?"

This time they didn't hesitate. "Yes!" They answered in unison, smiling at one another, even though they couldn't understand where this was all leading to.

Muhammed(pbuh) looked at them. "Why?" And there was a strange look on his face.

"Because you are Al-Ameen!" Someone shouted loudly.(Al-Ameen means 'The Trustworthy').

"You wouldn't dare lie to us!" Another one joked. They all laughed.

The Prophet(pbuh) held up his hands. "Then I tell you now that there is only One God, Allah. And I am the Messenger of God!

For a second time they stared at him confused, but this time there was no mistaking what he had said. An uneasy silence followed.

Abu Lahab, the Prophet's(pbuh) uncle, stepped forward. "Are we to believe this mad man?" He turned towards the others. "Are we to accept that this...this..." He lifted his hands in the air. "That this is the Messenger of Allah?" He gave a loud burst of laughter. The others all joined in, feeling somewhat relieved.

"Hey, Muhammed..." Someone called out from the crowd. "Who told you that you are the Messenger of Allah? Surely, Allah wouldn't choose someone like you? You cannot even read nor write!" There was great merriment now.

"And besides," another one guffawed, "If you are truly the Messenger of Allah, then a lowly person like myself would only bring great peril to myself and my household by speaking to a Messenger of God! But if you are not, then why should I speak to you?"

This seemed to make a lot of sense to the others and one by one they turned away.

Abu Lahab, on the other hand was not finished with his nephew yet. "Be off with you!" He shouted and pelted the Prophet(pbuh) with stones. "I've always thought that there was something seriously wrong with. Now I know I'm right!"

And so the trials of Islam began.

After the harrowing experience with the Archangel Gabriel, in the Cave of Hira, and Waraqah bin Nawfal's shocking revelations, Muhammed(pbuh)found himself at the mercy of his own inner turmoil. He wasn't sure if what he had seen had been an illusion or whether it was just because he had been spending so much time alone in the Cave. Why was everything such a mystery? And why was this happening to him? Was he busy losing his mind?

Khadija, his wife, kept on reassuring him that he was not going insane and on occasions consulted with her cousin, Waraqah bin Nawfal, who told her that Muhammed(pbuh) just had to be patient, that the same God who had spoken to Moses, would also speak to him and that he was the true Prophet of Islam. God's way was a mystery, he had said, not always easy to understand.

But Muhammed(pbuh)took little solace in these assurances. He continued visiting the Cave of Hira on Jabal Nur(Mountain of Light), hoping to see Gabriel again- hoping to find an answer to this terrible nightmare that was refusing to let go of him. Night after night, week after week, he persevered, till the weeks turned into months and the months into years, and, when nearly three years had passed we find him, one day, climbing past the Cave of Hira.

"By Allah!" he mutters to himself as he pulls himself onto a ledge. "I shall not abhor anyone more than a madman and a poet! I shall end my life and be free from the accusing eyes of those who respected and loved me. I shall finally be free from my torment!" He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. He prepares to jump.

"O Muhammed!" A loud booming voice suddenly calls out and stops him in his tracks. "You are the Messenger of God and I am Gabriel!"

Muhammed(pbuh) looks up and sees the same 'Figure' he had seen in the Cave of Hira,staring down at him from the heavens- only this time he was unbelievably big!

Muhammed(pbuh) blinks and looks the other way. Again he hears that unimaginable voice. "O Muhammed! You are the Messenger of Allah and I am Gabriel!"

The Prophet(pbuh) shifts his gaze from one side to the other, but wherever he looks the Archangel is there!

He breaks down and cries bitterly- his body heaving as despairing thoughts of insanity wracks through his mind. Why oh why was this happening to him? Couldn't he just end it there and then?

To understand Muhammed(pbuh)diffidence and dilemma though, one has to backtrack and look at the set up of the different Arab tribes frequenting the Kaabah(Black-clothed building in the centre of the Harram- prayer area in Mecca). There were the idol worshippers, the Pagan Arabs, who performed the circumambulation around the Kaabah-naked! and the Hunafa who were known to be believers in the natural world as opposed to those believing in the 'Supernatural'.

These Hunafa(meaning those who turn away from idolatry), and, of which Muhammed{pbuh)became a member of, did not form a community. They, however, believed in the One God that Abraham and Ishmael believed in and they were looking at ways and means of reviving the monotheism of the 'True Belief'. They still called the Kaabah, 'The House of Allah' and Soothsayers, mad men, sorcerers and even poets(at that time)did not form part of their fraternity- mainly because these believed in dabbling in the 'Unnatural' and 'Spirits'- mostly evil!

So it stands to reason that Muhammed(pbuh), being taxed with the almost 'inhuman' task of telling, not only the Arabs, but the whole world! that there was only One God Allah, and that he, Muhammed(pbuh)was the Messenger of Allah, was way beyond his imagination!

Strange enough, it was after this appearance of the Archangel Gabriel in the sky that things started happening very fast. It was then that Muhammed(pbuh) was commanded to 'Arise' and Call to the People and bring them unto the True Belief. After three traumatic years!

Mystery of Islam(Part Two)|Islam-The Straight Path|Islamic Teachings|Quran Guidance

We have previously discussed the mysterious way in which Islam started and the Prophet Muhammed's (pbuh) role in its manifestation. We have also very briefly touched on the Prophet's (pbuh) personal life,i.e. his marriage to Khadija and the type of person he was. But to continue the story one needs to understand the conditions of Arabia, particularly Mecca, at that time. We need to delve into the living conditions as well as the mindset of the Arabs, those living in and around the precincts of the Kaabah and look at the way they conducted their lives. (The Kaabah is the famous black-clothed building, standing in the middle of the Harram - Prayer area in Mecca - purported to have been built by Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael).

These Arabs, we find, have very strange beliefs indeed! Beliefs that could only have been perpetrated in a land where there was no law! They thought nothing of chasing their wives away if these ones disobeyed them, or refused to share her favours with a friend who came to visit and stayed over at the husband's request. A son whose father-in-law passed away would inherit his mother-in-law to use as he deemed fit. Female babies were buried alive for fear of bringing bad luck to the household!
There were 360 idols in and around the Kaabah — one for each day. The Arabs believed these were the sons and daughters of Allah and had to be deified as such, especially Al-Lat and Al-Uzza, whom they paid special reverence to.

So one can imagine the dilemma Muhammed (pbuh) must have found himself in as his purpose on earth intensified. One can but only marvel at Allah's Mysterious Plan in introducing Islam to the world, through the medium of the Prophet (pbuh) who, we learn through history, had no schooling at all! No education whatsoever! Allah Almighty, Himself, alludes to this fact in the Holy Quran.
Muhammed (pbuh) had no knowledge of politics, or law, or governance for that matter. He couldn't even spell his own name. So why was he so successful then? What made him succeed where others miserably failed? Was this also part of the mystery?

But let us take up the story where we have left off in the previous chapter. Let us follow Muhammed (pbuh) as he makes his way down the mountain of 'Light', sobbing involuntarily as the full impact of what he had just experienced overpowers him.He stumbles over a loose rock and nearly loses his balance. He grips his chest as the sobs issue forth uncontrollably and he sits down in the pathway staring through his tears at the ground. How he wished Khadija could have been here with him now. She would have known what to do.
The moon had by now nearly completed its sojourn through the heavens and Muhammed (pbuh) knew it was nearing daybreak. He struggles up from the ground and staggers on, his chest burning.
He reached his house just as the first rays of dawn painted the eastern sky. There was a donkey cart moving down the street and he starts to hammer on the door. He hears Khadija calling out from inside and he breathes a sigh of relief.
"Who is it?"
Muhammed (pbuh) didn't answer immediately and he hears her calling out again. "Who is there?"
"It's me, Muhammed."
"Muhammed?" (pbuh) She seemed puzzled but opened the door. "Muhammed!" (pbuh) Her mouth opened wide, and all sleep disappeared from her eyes. "Muhammed! (pbuh) Muhammed! (pbuh)"
Muhammed (pbuh) nearly fell into her arms.
"Oh my word! Muhammed! (pbuh) What happened to you?"
Muhammed (pbuh) didn't answer. He started to shiver intensely. Khadija took him to their bedroom. "Come! Come lie down! You must rest!" And she helped him onto the bed.
"Dear! Dear! Dear! Who did this to you?"
Muhammed (pbuh) kept on shivering as Khadija placed a blanket over him. He still couldn't speak. Khadija wondered if he wasn't coming down with a fever perhaps. His face looked so red and he was sweating profusely!
"Let me get you another blanket." She stared at him anxiously. "You are burning up, Muhammed! (pbuh) Dear, oh Dear! Did someone rob you?" She placed the blanket on top of the other one. "I've told you so many to be careful at night, but you don't listen! Did you see his face?"
"No!" said Muhammed in a croaking voice and placed his hand on her arm. "I'm not sick, Khadija. It's just that I've seen something very mysterious and very frightening, indeed!"
"What?" She sat down on the bed next to him. "What did you see?"
He told her and he cried as he relived once again the unbelievable events of the night, especially the immensely powerful grip of the Archangel Gabriel when he had commanded him to read. He was sure the 'figure' had said his name was Gabriel!

"And he knew your name?" Khadija listened open-mouthed, stroking his hand. "Did you see his face?"
"No!" Muhammed (pbuh) said almost abruptly. "I couldn't see his face. But he called me by my name as if he knew me a long time!"
Khadija didn't comment. She was thinking of her cousin Waraqah bin Nawfal and she knew what she was going to do. Waraqah was well-versed in the scriptures and he had always told her, on numerous occasions, that there was something strange about Muhammed (pbuh). Muhammed (pbuh), to him, seemed to be of another world.
The sun was coming out by now and Khadija left the house, leaving their daughter, Fatima, by the Prophet's (pbuh) side. She hastened towards the other side of town where she knew Waraqah never left his house before noon. Waraqah spent most of his life studying the Scriptures.
Muhammed (pbuh) loved Fatima a lot. She was the only surviving child he had with Khadija (the other two had died in infancy) and she resembled him in many ways. Fatima was very fair with raven-black hair. And now as he smiled at her, he was glad that he had her as his daughter.
The Prophet (pbuh) tried to sleep, but he kept on hearing the booming voice of the Archangel Gabriel and he began to read to himself the verses that the Angel had forced him to read. He repeated these verses over and over till he eventually fell asleep. There was a troubled look on his face.
Khadija returned later that day with the news that Muhammed (pbuh) was the Prophet of Islam. Waraqah had been adamant that according to the Scriptures there would come a Prophet, after the Prophet Jesus and his name shall be Achmat- Achmat, Muhammed, Mustapha (pbuh)!


Read more: http://blogcritics.org/culture/article/mystery-of-islam-part-two/page-3/#ixzz0nKXNER6L

The Mystery of Islam

What do we know about Islam and its origins? What does Al-Quran teach us about Islam's beginnings, and what it came to offer the world at large? What do we understand about the Prophet Muhammed(pbuh)and what sort of person he was? We know that the Prophet(pbuh) was the medium through which Islam was propagated to the world. But how? How did he receive the revelation and how did he go about in spreading the Universal Message of Islam? And why also, did he say that Islam started in a mystery and shall end in a mystery?

Through the ages there were many who tried to start new religions and stamp their authority down on history. Many tried to coerce people into believing in them,and, their doctrines by bribing the masses with whatever they had at their disposal, and also, by means of wars that caused the destruction of countless societies. Some even brutally usurped the lands from indigenous peoples, calling them savages, and went on to convert these 'savages' with horrifying consequences. History has enough, perhaps more than enough data on the modus operandi of these 'Giants Among Men' and how they came to their respective ends.

But why was Muhammed(pbuh) so successful? What made him succeed where others miserably failed? Why did he manage to influence, not only Arabia and the Arabs, but Egypt, Persia(which is today known as Iran) as well as Syria, The Byzantyne Empire(Rome) and even as far afield as Spain and Russia?

Let us look into that cave on Jabal Nur(Mountain of Light), in Mecca, where Muhammed(pbuh)spent countless nights meditating about his existence. It was on one such night, the 17 Ramadan (the Islamic Lunar Month) that it all began.

We see that this cave (called the Cave of Hira)is not very big. In fact, those who has visited Mecca and has seen this recess will testify that it can scarcely accommodate more than two people. So what was Muhammed(pbuh) doing alone in that cave at night? What was he doing away from his comfortable home and his lovely wife, Khadija who had made him in charge of all her affairs and businesses? Didn't he realize that Mecca, at that particular period was not a very safe place to move around alone at night? History tells us that, Arabia with all its many tribes and diverse population of Jews, Christians, Coptics, as well as Zorastrians and Pagans, not to mention the Bedouins, who prided themselves on their prowess of hijacking any sort of caravan travelling unsuspectingly through the desert, made Arabia a very hostile place indeed.

But be that as it may, we find Muhammed(pbuh) sitting alone, in the cave, on a blanket of ox skin that Khadija had aquired for him on one of her shopping outings and we try to piece together the events of what took place on that auspices night.

He was sitting with his eyes closed, facing the entrance, as he gently breathed in the night air that was somewhat cold compared to the usually warm breeze of Mecca. It was well after dark and the mountain was bathed in a mysterious glow from a full moon that was traversing the heavens in a slow, majestic motion.

The little makeshift lamp next to him was throwing eerie shadows on the uneven walls and his back felt a little sore from the position he was sitting in. He wondered what Khadija was doing, and what she had meant when she had asked him, earlier that day, whether he was going to the cave again, and, if he was coming home that night.

Muhammed(pbuh) sighed and nodded to himself. Shame! Khadija was truly a remarkable person, he acknowledged. She was unlike any other woman he had ever encountered!

He shifted his position on the floor and sighed once again. Yes! She was not the usual, hen-pecking, nagging and ever-complaining female he had come to know in Mecca. Not that he had had relationships with other women, but from his business dealings with them he was glad Khadija was not like them.

He thought of the time she had proposed to him and he smiled. Who would have suspected that Khadija, being fifteen years his senior, and a very wealthy woman at that, could go over to such action.(He had been 25 and she 40). Nevertheless, he had not looked back once during his fifteen years of marriage to her. People had always admired his exceptionally good looks and some women had even made suggestions to him. But he was not interested. In fact, he couldn't bring himself to strike up a relationship with any strange women for that matter, be it serious or platonic. He didn't know why! Even as a youngster, when he had been invited to come and party with his peers, he had never participated. And when asked why he never attended, he would simply say that he had fallen asleep.

Khadija trusted him. She knew that if he said that he had to do something, she could be rest assured that he he would not do the opposite. She had also long since learnt that Muhammed(pbuh) was no ordinary man. If he gave his word he never broke it. If he accepted anything in trust he would not abuse that trust. People came to know him as reliable and he was given the name of Al-Ameen(The Trustworthy). No one she knew in Mecca spoke out against the evils of women abuse and the burying alive of the female offspring(For fear of bringing bad luck to the household!), as he did. No one questioned the power of the idols and what they could do for the community. Especially al-Lat and Al-Uzza, whom he fiercely criticized. Sometimes she feared for his safety.

He stood up and stretched his arms above his head. He felt stiff and he thought to himself that he would spend a few more minutes meditating and then turn in for the night. The Arabs and their senseless lives played a lot on his mind tonight.

Suddenly there was a mighty blue flash. Muhammed(pbuh) froze.

A figure appeared out of nowhere, and Muhammed(pbuh) was so shocked that he could only stare dumbfound at the 'Figure'. To this day everyone knows who the 'Figure' was, but not what he looked like.

It was the Archangel Gabriel!

Muhammed's(pbuh)mouth opened but no words came out. He could only stare.

"O, Muhammed! Read!

Muhammed(pbuh) kept on staring dumbfounded.

"O,Muhammed!" The figure said in a loud booming voice a second time,"Read! And still Muhammed(pbuh) couldn't say or do anything.

It was then that Gabriel folded his arms around Muhammed(pbuh)in such an overwhelming embrace that a sudden burst of words escaped Muhammed's(pbuh) lips: "Read! In the Name of Your Lord Who Creates! Read!And Your Lord is He who has taught man the use of the pen!

And so unfolded the greatest mystery of the world; the greatest mystery of all time;the mystery of Islam!

Satanism and Islam|Islam-the Straight Path|Quran Guidance

What does Islam say about Satanism and its operations? What does Al-Quran teach us about Satan himself? Allah Almighty tells in the Quran that Satan is the 'Rejected One', because he refused to prostrate before Adam when ordered to do so by Allah. However, it is also reported that before Satan was banished from Heaven, he asked Allah to allow him to mislead the Children of Adam(Mankind),and, he was granted his request. But, he was told that he would only mislead those who disobeyed the Almighty. Beyond that he would never be able to seduce those who steadfastly believed in Allah and feared Him and only Him!

But let me tell you about the night of 20 September and the horrifying events I experienced that Sunday evening last year, when I saw, first hand, what happened to a purported Satan worshipper!

It started from the moment I had parked my car in the driveway of my house and even now as I think about it I can still feel that dreadful icy hand clamping my throat reminiscing about those awful happenings.

The time was 8.30.

I had switched off the lights of the vehicle and was about to get out when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone rushing towards me from the shadows.

I froze. My heart thudding against my ribs as an alarming pain spread across my chest. "I'm going to be Hijacked!" It flashed across my mind and I was paralyzed.

"Muallim!" A voice suddenly called out and I saw it was Farzana, one of my students at the Madressa(Islamic religious institution) where I taught. She was dressed in jeans and a black top and she had a scarf on her head. Her face looked white.

"Muallim!"(meaning teacher in Arabic).

"Allahu Akbar!" (God is Great!),I exclaimed and I had trouble swallowing the saliva in my mouth.

"What the hell..!" More in shock than anything else.

"What are you doing here?"

She looked at me and I saw her mouth twitching.

"I'm sorry if I've startled you, Muallim, but you must come quickly. It is Nadia. I think she is dying!"

"What?" For a moment I could only stare at her, as I tried to gather my scattered wits. "What are you talking about?"

"Nadia, Muallim. She is very sick! You must come quickly. Please!"

I frowned. "Nadia? Who is she? I don't know a Nadia..."

"Yes! You Do, Muallim! She was Shehaam's friend!

"Shehaam?" Shehaam was my sixteen year old daughter.

"Yes! Her mother told me to come and fetch you!"

"Her Mother!" This was getting more weird by the minute. "But why me? Why doesn't her mother get a doctor for her?"

Farzana didn't answer, but I could see she was under a lot of stress.

"Okay. Get in there." I said, opening the passenger-side door for her. Fatima, my wife, had gone to spend the day at her mother's place, with the children, while I had attended a Madressa meeting. I therefore promised myself I would just go and see what was going on and be back before Fatima and the kids returned. I was tired and I wanted to get into bed. "I can't stay for long. Okay? I have other things to do as well."

"Thank you, Muallim!" She uttered and the relief on her face was almost painful to see. "She is very sick!"

I didn't comment as I reversed the car out of the driveway. But I couldn't help feeling a shiver run down my spine as I thought about Nadia and that one time I had gone to fetch Shehaam from that house where Nadia had taken her to and the altercation I had had with a thin, snake-like woman who had told me that a child had the right to choose her own religion. I shall not say what I told her- it is unprintable! But what I had seen there that night had had my neck hairs raising and had me swear to myself that I would not allow any child that I knew to fall into the clutches of those who practice Satanism!

Sadly though, Nadia, being a very self-willed person paid scant interest to my admonitions. Even when I approached her mother, I was told, in no uncertain terms, that Nadia was still young and she would realize the folly of her ways once she was more matured. That was more than a year ago.

And now, as I stopped in front of their house, I could still see the dead goat, covered in blood and the head with eyes wide open, as if accusing those who had killed it, lying in the middle of the floor of that snake woman's place. One could only guess what they were doing with the blood of that dead goat.

Farzana got out and didn't wait for me as she made her way to the front door. All the lights were on and there were two cars parked in front of the lawn. I could see movement behind the curtains.

"Muallim is here," Farzana called out as she opened the door. Nadia's mother stood there crying.

I greeted.

"What happened?" I enquired, thinking how very different our last encounter had been when she had practically thrown me out of her house. "Where's Nadia?"

She didn't say anything, just led me into the house where I saw two women sitting in the kitchen. Nadia was in a room at the back. There were people with her.

I entered and the first thing that hit me like a brick in the face was the terrible smell that pervaded the room. It was a smell of rotting flesh mixed with the pungent odour of incense. It was the same smell I had experienced at that snake woman's place!

I went further into the room and saw a man sitting by Nadia's side on a stool. He had a stethoscope around his neck. Nadia was staring angrily at him.

I frowned. There was no one else. I couldn't understand it. I had heard many voices."

"Get out! You Bastard!" And I jumped back. Nadia was speaking to the doctor in a voice that you sometimes heard in horror films, but not in real life. Her eyes were completely white and spittle drooled from the corners of her mouth. "Leave me alone! You..!"

I shall not elaborate on her vocabulary, but it was of the very foulest nature. She cursed in different tones, sometimes like that of a male with an extremely deep voice and sometimes in a screeching tone that had my nerves jangling involuntarily. The doctor seemed to be at his wits end as he tried to calm her down.

I went to her. She didn't recognize me.

"Who are you? Did you also come to f... me?" There was a huge bulge on her stomach.

I didn't pay her any mind. The doctor stared at me. "Nadia..." I said, laying my hand on her arm. "listen to me!"

"F...You!" She screamed. "F...You!" And she tried to claw my face. I moved my head to one side and pressed her down with both hands.
"Say: He is Allah The One.
Allah The Irresistible. The Absolute Power!
He was not born...And neither does He give birth.
And none can be compared unto him!

I read these verses from the Quran, three times and blew over her. Her body convulsed and the doctor had to help me keep her down.

She was immensely strong and I was suddenly afraid that if we couldn't control her there would be no telling what she could do, not only to herself but to all those who came into contact with her. I read again:
"Allah...There is no other God but Him
The Mighty. The All Powerful!
No slumber, nor sleep can overpower Him
To Him Belongs whatever is in the Heavens and the Earth..."

I read these verses in Arabic and blew over her every time I had finished. I had never read so loud- these verses- at any occasion that I could ever remember!

She suddenly went limp.

"Nadia!" The doctor whispered and bent down to her.

She suddenly jumped up and grabbed his hair. I hit her across the face so hard that her head snapped back. She released the man's hair.

"O,Allah!" I said softly, urgently, as I watched her bending double onto the bed. "Forgive this child. Please forgive her! O Most Merciful of all those who show Mercy. Please forgive her! Please forgive her! Please!"

I took a glass of water that stood on a bedside table and sprinkled it over her as I spoke to Allah. "Help her. O, Lord! Please help her! Only You can help her. O, Allah. Please have Mercy on her. Please! I beg of You! Please! "And Nadia suddenly started to vomited till there was nothing left in her stomach. She vomited and vomited, her thin body swaying from side to side, her eyes closed as she started to whimper pathetically.

I rubbed her head and saw that she was starting to bleed between her legs. The doctor saw it too and examined her.

He frowned at me. "If I'm not mistaken, I'd say she's miscarrying!"

"What?" I frowned back at him astonished. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! It's definitely not her period!"

I found out afterwards that Nadia had been impregnated by someone of her cult, posing as Satan himself. She was to bear him a child and together, as per the 'Scriptures' they were to rule the Earth.

What nonsense! One might be tempted to say. What rubbish! But what I saw there that night was not nonsense, nor rubbish. That child was genuinely 'possessed' and, if I hadn't managed to get her under control, who knows what could have happened?

Committing Suicide In Islam|Islam-The Straight Path|Islamic Teachings|Quranic Guidance

What does Islam say about committing suicide? Is it permissible to take one's own life and to ascribe it to any course or reason whatsoever?

Before the advent of Islam in Arabia,the Arabs used to indulge in all sorts of evil practices imaginable. Apart from the wholesale abuse of women and the burying of their female babies...Alive! They killed and murdered each other over any nonsensical issue they could find. Mass suicide was not an unheard of thing amongst those Arabs who had lost a son or wealth or anything that made them feel life was not worth living anymore. Therefore Allah revealed the following verses in Al Quran: "Suicide is forbidden. "O ye who believe!... [do not] kill yourselves, for truly Allah has been to you Most Merciful. If any do that in rancour and injustice, soon shall We cast him into the Fire..." (Qur'an 4:29-30).

But can there be anything more traumatic, crushing, or heart-wrenching than to see someone you love dearly hanging from a rope in your garage? Can there be a more pitiable sight than to see a father on his knees, sobbing like a baby, his fists banging the concrete till blood spurts all over the floor?

Let me then tell you the story about Tariq (not his real name) and the events that led to his demise in this very sad manner. And, let me also convey to you- as a Muslim- the importance of keeping a close watch on your children and to teach them about the Straight Path of Islam- about the Quran and its instructions,and, that there is no problem so big that you have to take your own life while searching for answers.

Tariq was a good-looking young man who lived with his parents and sister Mariam in Plumstead, one of the more affluent areas of Cape Town, where everyone kept to themselves.

His father, Ebrahim, a builder, prided himself on giving his family everything they needed, as well as the finer things in life, and, as was customary in every Muslim family, he sent his children for Islamic teachings and Quran studies, but this was only up to a point, because he believed in earning a living by doing an honest day's work and it was merely through hard work and sacrifice that he had managed to come out on top and provide for his family the way he did. Tariq was a briliant student, Ebrahim knew. And,he was not going to let anything come between his son and his academic aspirations, if he could help it. Of course, Islamic teachings and Quran guidance was also important, he admitted. But Tariq was still young and Ebrahim felt sure that with the strict up-bringing he had given to both his children, Tariq would not just simply stray from the Straight Path of Islam! Besides, Islamic teachings and Quranic activities could still be obtained once his children had completed their academic studies.

Tariq's mother, Fatima, on the other hand, was a good-natured woman, always smiling, and always ready to lend a hand at functions, although her husband never approved of her mixing with the ordinary folk.

Tariq attended a well-known college in the upper echelons of Newlands, where emphasis was placed on A-Grade passes. Students were encouraged to participate in all kinds of extramural activities, as well as all the major sporting codes. Parents had to attend Parent/Teacher Associations meetings, and no one was allowed to abstain without a valid reason.
Students who did not excel were kept behind in detention classes where a specialist in education methodology worked with them intensely. No one left these remedial sessions without emerging a better person. Students who showed a propensity to complacency and laziness were not tolerated for very long. Either you toed the line or you were dealt with in a no-nonsense fashion. The parents would be called in and the student disciplined there and then; if the behaviour or attitude did not change in a given time, the child would be expelled. No one questioned the school's motives – it aimed to turn out leadership material. The parents paid too exorbitant a fee to complain

So it stands to reason that Tariq, being A-Grade material was not afforded a lot of time for Islam and Quranic activities. His ambition was to become a nuclear physicist and his parents spared no expense in getting him all the extracurricular tuition he needed. Tariq did not disappoint them.

When he turned nineteen, he was already doing his Honours Degree in physics, and the speculation was rife that he was going to complete his training at NASA in America, because his understanding of atomic structures and quantum physics was at a very high level.

He kept mostly to himself. And, as has been said before, he never attended Madressa(Islam religious and cultural school) or any institution where Islamic learning and Quranic Guidance was offered. He wasn't a very spiritual person as such. His parents allowed him the freedom to busy himself with his own devices, to them he was a good child.

His sister, Mariam, was his confidante. He loved her and she loved him. If he shared anything with anybody it would be her. She was two years younger, but acted as if she were older. No one could say anything bad about Tariq, or she would would have it out with them. She protected him fiercely.

Then, about four months before Tariq committed suicide, Mariam noticed that her brother wasn't as close to her as usual. He never came to her room to chat to her, or even ask her to wash and blow-dry his hair as he always had. She noticed, however, that he always seemed neat and tidy, and took special care in the way his clothes were ironed.

She cornered him and questioned him about his new habits. She asked him directly if there was a woman in his life, and who was she? Was she pretty? Was it someone she knew?

He had answered her vaguely, she recalled afterwards. He had said that she was imagining things, and that there was no one he was seeing. But she had found out soon enough, and so had their parents, that there was a girl in his life and she was much older than he. In fact she had been married before and had two children: a girl aged 7 and a boy aged 5.

Her name was Nadia, and she was very pretty. Tariq was head over heels in love with her.

Their parents were devastated and barred Tariq from ever seeing Nadia again. They even went so far as to confiscate his motorcycle, and everywhere he went he was under their supervision.

They discovered to their shock and horror that the girl was pregnant, and Ebrahim wasted no time in making his intentions clear. There would be no further relations between his son and "this woman," as he called her; he, Ebrahim, would see that the child had everything, and he would also pay for the woman's confinement. That, of course, was if it could be proven that his son was the father of the child.

Ebrahim relayed this to the woman and she refused, saying that she was not a prostitute. She genuinely loved Tariq with all her heart, and that was why she was pregnant with his baby. She would raise the child as a good Muslim, she had said tearfully, and she would make sure that he followed the true Path of Islam and its Teachings- not someone who made money his God!

Needless to say Ebrahim wasn't very pleased with her and it had taken all his willpower and self-control not to assault her there and then. But in some ways he had felt relieved. He hadn't told anyone about this conversation, and had simply said, when questioned about the girl's response, that she was rude and didn't know how to speak to older people. At least, he told his wife, Tariq could now concentrate on his studies once again, and that was all that mattered. The sooner they could get him into NASA the better. He, Ebrahim, would go to the ends of the earth to achieve that. He felt that perhaps the events of the past few months were a sign for him to work harder on his son's future. But that was all going to change, he promised his wife. Tariq was going to make a great name for himself and his family. Ebrahim was going to make sure of it.

Tariq then began to disappear from his room regularly at night. He would wait till everyone was asleep and then slip out his bedroom window. He was like someone possessed.

Mariam caught him sneaking in at about two o'clock one morning, his face all flushed. She did not dwell on the thought, but she knew he was heavily involved with Nadia. His eyes portrayed his inner feelings more than any words could express.

She asked him what he was going to do for the future, because she knew that their father was planning to get him off to America as soon as he possibly could. What if he became aware of Tariq's nightly escapades?

Tariq smiled secretively and had said that nothing was going to stop him seeing Nadia. He planned on marrying her, and nobody was going to come between them. Nobody! He said it so ominously that she had felt a cold hand gripping her throat. And when she had asked him about his studies, he shrugged, and lifted his hands dismissively. She wanted to tell him that their father had threatened to disown him if he persisted in seeing this woman. What would he do for money then? But seeing the look in his eyes, she kept quiet, and slowly turned away from him.

She wished her uncle Salie, A Muslim Priest- and someone well versed in the scriptures of the Quran, as well as Islamic Teachings, could have been here now and not in Egypt. She wished he could have been here to speak to Tariq; Tariq respected him a lot.

Tariq suddenly grabbed her arm and she became frightened at the forcefulness of his grip.

"Tariq!" she said, pushing him back. "Are you mad?"

She couldn't really speak out as she wanted to, for fear of waking their parents, but it seemed as if her brother was past caring. He gave her that sinister smile again and released her arm. He said out loud as if he intended for their mother and father to hear, "Nobody is going to stop me marrying Nadia. Nobody!" Mariam looked round, almost expecting to see their father in the hallway. But there was no one. "Nobody, Mariam!" Tariq added, "Only Death!" And there was so much determination in his voice that she felt very alarmed and told her mother everything the next day.

Fatima first replied that Tariq was a good Muslim boy and wouldn't do something so foolish as to commit suicide. After all, she assuaged, Tariq knew Islam forbade the act of suicide(if, of course, that was what he had meant by "Only Death!")but after Mariam had insisted that they tell Ebrahim, and together get professional help for her beloved brother, the mother conceded, and spoke to Ebrahim.

The father's response was everything the two females had not expected. He immediately summoned Tariq and bundled the youngster into his car despite the desperate pleas of both Fatima and Mariam. He was going to sort this thing out once and for all, he shouted as he drove off, and he would show everyone who was boss around his house.

He returned some time later, with Tariq, and told the two worried females that he had been to see Nadia and promised her that if she did not leave his son alone, he would not only disown the boy, but would make sure that Nadia regretted her actions for as long as she lived. He, Ebrahim, would not tolerate her nonsense any longer! He had been so smug and self-assured that Mariam burst out crying and ran to her room. Fatima said nothing, but anyone could have seen the pain on her face as she silently stared at her husband.

Ebrahim was too confident that he had done the right thing to listen to anybody else's opinion. He himself had been involved in many puppy-love affairs when he was young, he recalled, and if his father had allowed him to marry any of the girls that he had fallen in love with, at first sight... Heaven knows! He hated to think what would have happened to him.

Later, as he looked at the lifeless body of his beloved son, one could only imagine what was going through his mind. Was he thinking of all the injustices he had done to everyone he had dealings with, or was he thinking of how wrong his son was to do this to him? Was he perhaps thinking of who was to blame for this, or was he blaming himself?

It proves, that as a Muslim one cannot live your life away from Allah and His Divine Commands. You have to follow the Teachings of Islam and the Quran.