I LOVE ISLAM | CINTA ISLAM

Pintu - Pintu Masuk Setan

2009-01-23T09:57:00.002+08:00

Tidak diragukan lagi, bahwa pintu-pintu masuk setan banyak dan beraneka ragam. Setan menyusupkan bisikan jahatnya kepada setiap manusia, sesuai dengan keadaan dan tabiatnya. Terkadang dia memerintahkan kejelekan dan perbuatan keji, sebagaimana Firman Allah SWT

"Sesungguhnya syaithan itu hanya menyuruh kamu berbuat jahat dan keji, dan mengatakan tentang Allah apa yang tidak kamu ketahui." (QS.al-Baqarah:169)

Dan terkadang menakut-nakuti dengan kefakiran dan (penguasaan) musuh, Allah I berfirman,
"Syaitan menjanjikan (menakut-nakuti) kamu dengan kemiskinan dan menyuruh kamu berbuat kejahatan (kikir)." (óQS. Al-Baqarah:268)

"Sesungguhnya mereka itu tidak lain hanyalah syaitan yang menakut-nakuti (kamu) dengan kawan-kawannya (orang-orang musyrik Quraisy), karena itu janganlah kamu takut kepada mereka, tetapi takutlah kepada-Ku, jika kamu benar-benar orang yang beriman." (QS. Ali Imran:175)

Terkadang pula menyibukkan jiwa dengan angan–angan batil dan janji-janji palsu,
"Syaitan itu memberikan janji-janji kepada mereka dan membangkitkan angan-angan kosong pada mereka, padahal syaitan itu tidak menjanjikan kepada mereka selain dari tipuan belaka." (QS. An-Nisa':120)

Maka seseorang yang tekad hatinya kuat, hendaklah memahami dengan baik pintu-pintu masuk tersebut, sehingga setan tidak menyeretnya perlahan-lahan kepada kesesatan sementara dia tidak merasa.

Abu Darda` t berkata, "Sesungguhnya termasuk tanda baiknya pemahaman seorang hamba adalah mengetahui bujukan setan, kapan dan darimana datangnya[1]."

Dan al-Hasan al-Bashri berkata, "Seorang hamba senantiasa berada dalam kebaikan, selama mengetahui perkara yang mendasari kerusakan amalannya[2]."

1. Al-Jahl (Kebodohan)
Pintu masuk setan yang terbesar adalah al-Jahl (kebodohan). Dari pintu inilah setan menguasai sebagian besar manusia, hingga mengharamkan apa yang dihalalkan Allah SWT dan sebaliknya menghalalkan apa yang diharamkanNya, serta beribadah kepada Allah SWT dengan kebid`ahan-kebid`ahan.

Abul Faraj Ibnul Jauzy berkata, "Ketahuilah bahwa pintu terbesar bagi iblis untuk masuk menggoda manusia adalah al-Jahl (kebodohan). Dengan penuh rasa aman dia masuk dari pintu tersebut untuk menggoda orang-orang bodoh. Sedangkan terhadap orang yang berilmu, iblis tidaklah masuk menggodanya kecuali dengan mencuri-curi kesempatan saat lengah. Sesungguhnya iblis telah menipu sebagian besar ahli ibadah karena sedikitnya ilmu mereka. Karena mayoritas mereka sibuk beribadah, namun tidaklah didasari dengan ilmu[3]."

Sesungguhnya berbekal ilmu yang bermanfaat merupakan sebab utama untuk menolak tipu daya setan. Dan setiap kali seorang hamba bertambah ilmunya yang bermanfaat (menghasilkan rasa takut kepada Allah SWT dan taqwa kepadaNya) akan bertambah pula keselamatannya dari godaan dan perangkap setan.

Bentuk perangkap setan yang paling sederhana adalah menyibukkan seorang hamba dengan amalan-amalan yang kurang utama, sehingga ia berpaling dari amalan-amalan yang lebih utama.

Ketahuilah bahwa obat itu semua adalah memahami dengan baik tentang tingkatan-tingkatan amalan ketaatan di sisi Allah SWT, serta mampu membedakan antara amalan yang kurang utama dengan amalan yang lebih utama. Karena sesungguhnya di dalam ketaatan, ada amalan yang posisinya ibarat `bangsawan' dan ada yang hanya sekedar sebagai `rakyat jelata', sebagaimana ada yang tingkatannya sebagai `pemimpin' dan ada pula amalan yang hanya sekedar sebagai `yang dipimpin'[4].

2. Talbis (Tipu Daya)
Setan memiliki jebakan-jebakan yang tersembunyi, dia men-talbis dalam segala hal, yaitu menampakkan kebatilan dalam bentuk kebenaran. Ibnul Qayyim berkata, "Termasuk tipu daya setan adalah senantiasa menyihir akal hingga menjadi tertipu. Dan tidak selamat dari sihirnya, kecuali orang yang Allah SWT kehendaki. Adapun bentuknya yaitu setan menghiasi perbuatan yang membahayakan atau merugikan seseorang dengan menggambarkan kepadanya bahwa perbuatan itu adalah perkara yang paling bermanfaat bagi dirinya.
Namun sebaliknya setan berusaha membuatnya lari dari perbuatan yang paling bermanfaat bagi dirinya dengan menggambarkan sebagai perbuatan yang membahayakan atau yang merugikan. Berapa banyak sudah manusia yang tertipu dengan sihir jenis ini, dan berapa banyak perkara-perkara yang menjadi penghalang antara hati dengan Islam, serta antara iman dengan ihsan. Dan berapa banyak lagi hal-hal yang mengecoh orang-orang yang arif. Dialah setan, yang menyihir akal-akal manusia hingga jatuh ke dalam berbagai bentuk kubangan hawa nafsu dan berbagai fikiran yang batil, serta menyeretnya menyusuri setiap jalan kesesatan. Hingga menampakkan syirik dalam bentuk pengagungan, kekufuran terhadap sifat Rabb dinyatakan pensucian-Nya, meninggalkan amar ma`ruf nahi mungkar dibungkus dengan baju kasih sayang terhadap manusia, berpaling dari sunnah Rasul SAW bertopeng taat pada ulama, serta kemunafikan dan berbasa-basi dalam mempermainkan agama Allah dalam bentuk akal
bijaksana tahap berhubungan dengan manusia[5]."

Di antara bentuk talbis yang sering menjangkiti manusia adalah Al- Ghibah [menggunjing], yang merupakan perkara yang sudah dimaklumi yaitu termasuk sesuatu yang keharamannya sangat jelas, Allah SWT berfirman,
"Hai orang-orang yang beriman, jauhilah kebanyakan dari prasangka, sesungguhnya sebagian prasangka itu adalah dosa dan janganlah kamu mencari-cari kesalahan orang lain dan janganlah sebahagian kamu menggunjing sebahagian yaang lain." (QS. al-Hujurat : 12)

Definisi ghibah adalah membicarakan saudaramu dengan sesuatu yang dibencinya. Namun, walau didukung dengan dalil-dalil yang terang, setan tetap berhasil menjerumuskan banyak manusia kedalamnya. Tentunya setelah `disulap' dalam bentuk-bentuk yang indah dan menarik untuk dikerjakan. Sebenarnya ulama telah memperingatkan jurus-jurus setan yang menggelincirkan tersebut, mengingat betapa banyaknya terjadi kasus-kasus ghibah yang samar, terbungkus baju yang indah dan menarik bagi penggunjingnya.

Al-Muhasiby berkata, "Sungguhnya iblis telah mengetahui bahwa engkau senantiasa berhati-hati dan takut dalam berbagai keadaanmu. Karena itu iblis tidaklah memulai tipu dayanya dengan memancing temanmu untuk mengghibah dan berdusta, jika dia mengetahui engkau sendiri lari dari perbuatan tersebut sedangkan temanmu juga menjauhinya. Akan tetapi yang iblis lakukan adalah membiarkan kalian berdua menyebut- sebut dan mengingat Allah SWT, sehingga tatkala hati kalian berdua sudah asyik dalam keramah-tamahan, pada saat itulah iblis menghiasi indahnya pembicaraan yang berlebihan, dan mulailah muncul rasa senang terhadap dunia, hingga jika kalian tenggelam dalam hal tersebut, maka akhirnya iblis menampakkan indahnya ghibah pada pandangan kalian berdua.
Jika kalian termasuk orang-orang yang takut kepada Allah SWT dan berhati-hati dalam sebagian besar urusan kalian, maka iblis menghiasi ghibah dari sisi bahwa hal itu merupakan bentuk kemarahan karena Allah; atau sebagai wujud dari rasa heran mengapa sampai perbuatan
jelek itu dilakukannya; atau dalam suasana seolah-olah sedang menunjukkan pengingkaran suatu perbuatan yang jelek; atau dengan alasan menunjukkan rasa kasihan terhadap orang yang sedang kalian pergunjingkan.

Dan jika kalian tidak terikat rasa takut kepada Allah SWT pada keadaan tersebut, maka iblis akan menghiasi ghibah dengan alasan sebagai bentuk amarah dan balas dendam kepada orang yang sedang kalian berdua gunjingkan. Atau yang sedang digunjing oleh salah satu di antara kalian saja, namun yang lain ridho terhadap hal tersebut[6].

"Ibnul Jauzy berkata,"Termasuk bentuk talbis [tipudaya] iblis terhadap para ahli hadits adalah menyebutkan cela sebagian perowi dalam rangka melampiaskan balas dendam, namun menampilkannya dalam bentuk jarh wa ta`diil [menilai perowi dengan menimbang aib dan kebaikannya sesuai disiplin ilmu hadits] yaitu cara yang dipakai oleh para ulama terdahulu guna menjaga dan membela syariat. Adapun ghibahnya ulama, bersumber pada penipuan dirinya dengan alasan menasehati dan menafsirkan kabar dengan tafsiran yang tidak benar. Sebab kalau benar, maka tidak akan menjadi perkara yang membantu terwujudnya ghibah.
Adapun sumber ghibah yang datang dari para pemimpin dan para ustadz, yaitu dengan jalan memunculkan rasa kasih sayang, sehingga mengatakan `Kasihan fulan sedang terjatuh pada perbuatan itu` atau `Sedang diuji begini' atau `Kita berlindung kepada Allah dari ditelantarkan' sehingga seseorang pura-pura menampilkan rasa kasih sayang terhadap saudaranya, kemudian pura-pura mendo`akannya di hadapan teman-temannya [7].

Ibnul Jauzi juga berkata pada bagian yang lain dalam kitabnya, "Dan berapa banyak orang yang diam lisannya tidak menghibah, namun jika ada orang-orang dighibah di sisinya serta merta senanglah hatinya. Orang seperti ini berdosa dikarenakan tiga alasan:

Pertama, rasa senangnya. Karena rasa itu muncul dengan sebab adanya ma`syiat ghibah.
Kedua, gembira terhadap muslimin yang terjerumus dalam ma`syiat.
Ketiga, dia tidak mengingkari ghibah tersebut [8]."

Ibnu taimiyah berkata, "Dan mereka melakukan ghibah dalam berbagai bentuk. Sekali waktu dalam bentuk agama dan kebaikan; dengan mengatakan, `Saya tidak biasa menyebut-nyebut seseorang melainkan kebaikannya, saya tidak suka ghibah dan dusta. Saya hanya kabarkan
kepada kalian tentang keadaannya.' Kemudian mengatakan, `Kasihan dia, dia itu sebenarnya orang baik, akan tetapi begini dan begitu. Kita dekat dengan dia, semoga Allah mengampuni kita dan dia.'

Padahal maksudnya adalah mendeskriditkannya dan menlecehkan kehormatannya. Mengghibah dalam bentuk agama dan kebaikan, sebenarnya adalah menipu Allah sebagaimana dia menipu makhluk yang lain. Kita telah mengetahui mereka dengan berbagai macamnya, seperti ini dan yang semisalnya.

Adajuga yang ghibahnya disertai hasad (dengki). Sehingga tergabunglah dua keburukan, ghibah dan hasad. Jika seseorang dipuji dihadapannya, dia malah menyebutkan kekurangan-kekurangan agama dan kebaikan orang itu atau dalam bentuk hasad, keji dan mencela untuk menjatuhkannya.

Sebagian lagi mengghibah dalam bentuk senda gurau agar orang lain tertawa dengan olokan dan kelakarnya serta melecehkan orang yang dioloknya.
Ada juga yang menggibah dengan ungkapan keheranan/takjub. Mengatakan, saya heran/takjub degan fulan, mengapa dia tidak begini dan begitu! Mengapa fulan bisa berbuat seperti itu, mengapa berbuat begini dan begitu sambil menyebutkan namanya ditengah sindiran keheranannya.

Yang lain mengghibah dengan berpura-pura sedih. Dengan mengatakan, kasihan si fulan, saya ikut prihatin atas apa yang menimpanya. Orang yang mendengar menyangka dia bersimpati dan kasihan, padahal hatinya ingin membalas dendam. Seandainya dia mampu tentu dia akan menambanhkan penderitaannya. Atau mungkin malah menggibah orang itu dihadapan musuhnya untuk membalas dendam. Yang demikian ini adalah penyakit hati yang paling besar dan merupakan tipudaya terhadap Allah dan makhluknya."[9]

Pembaca, renungkanlah apa yang telah disampaikan oleh para ulama diatas, bahwa apa yang mereka katakan terjadi dan kita saksikan serta banyak sekali terlaku pada masa kita sekarang ini.

Para Salafussalih sangat berusaha untuk menjauhi ghibah. Abdullah ibnu Wahhab (wafat 197 H) berkata, "Saya bernadzar bila mengghibahi seseorang akan berpuasa satu hari, sehingga hal itu memberatkanku.
Akupun menggibah dan juga berpuasa. Akhirnya aku berniat, jika aku mengghibahi seseorang akan bersedekah dengan dirham (uang emas). Siapa yang cinta dengan dirham, maka dia akan meninggalkan ghibah.[10]

Adz-Dzahabi berkata (secara mu'alak), "Demikianlah ulama, dan demikianlah buah dari ilmu yang bermanfaat."[11] Seorang alim, Maimun bin Siyah tidak mau mengghibah. Tidak seorangpun yang sedang mengghibah diahadapanya melainkan dilarangnya, jika tidak mau dilarang, maka dia akan pergi meninggalkannya. [12]

Wallahu a'alam

-------------------
[1] Ar-Ri`ayah al-Hamasyi hal. 160
[2] Az-Zuhd oleh Ibnul Mubarok hal. 528 dan Lihat Az-Zuhd oleh Imam
Ahmad hal 278
[3] Talbis Iblis hal. 149 dan lihat hal. 90,360,427.
[4] Lihat Madarijus Salikin 1/225
[5] Diringkas dari Ighotsatul Lahfan 1/176-177
[6] Ar-Ri`ayah hal. 315
[7] Diringkas dari Talbis Iblis hal. 128-129
[8] Ibid hal. 142
[9] majmu fatawa XXVIII/237,238 dengan peringkasan.
[10] Siar a'lam an nubala IX/228
[11] ibid
[12] hilyatul auliya' III/107

MuallaF Wanita Amerika

2009-01-23T09:46:00.001+08:00

Pagi hari Kamis lalu, 13 Juli 2006, seorang wanita mudah berusia 24 tahun datang ke Islamic Cultural Center of New York. Dengan pakaian Muslimah yang rapi, nampak seperti santri bule duduk menunggu kedatangan saya di Islamic Center New York. Dengan sedikit malu dan menundukkan muka, dia memulai percakapan dengan bertanya, “Apa hukumnya seorang Muslimah bersuamikan non Muslim? Dan apakah seorang wanita yang bersuamikan non Muslim bisa diterima menjadi Muslimah?

Tentu saja saya terkejut dengan pertanyaan itu. Mulanya saya mengira bahwa sang wanita yang duduk di hadapan saya ini adalah seorang Muslimah, barangkali dari negara Balkan, Bosnia atau Kosovo. Tapi setelah saya tanya, ternyata dia hanyalah seseorang yang baru menemukan Islam lewat internet (beberapa website Islam), dan kini secara bulat berniat untuk memeluk agama, yang menurutnya, the right way for her.

Wanita muda itu bernama Jessica Mendosa. Kelahiran Albany, ibukota negara bagian New York dan kini tinggal di kota New York (New York City) sebagai mahasiswi di salah satu universitas di kota ini. Diapun baru menikah dengan suaminya sekitar 4 bulan yang lalu.

Setelah berta’aruf lebih dekat barulah saya bertanya kepadanya: “Kenapa anda menanyakan tentang boleh tidaknya seorang Muslimah bersuamikan non Muslim? Dan kenapa pula Anda tanyakan apa diterima seorang wanita masuk ke dalam agama Islam jika bersuamikan non Muslim?”

Dengan sedikit grogi atau malu, Jessica menjawab: “I am very much interested in Islam. I have learned it many months”.

Saya kemudian memotong: "Where did you learn Islam?” Dia menjawab: “throughn the internet (Islamic websites)”.

Saya kemudian menanyakan apa hubungan antara keingin tahuan dia tantang Islam dan seorang wanita bersuamikan non Muslim. Maka dengan berat tapi cukup berani dia katakana: “I’ve learned Islam and I am sure this is the right way for me. I am willing to embrace Islam now. But I’ve a problem. I am a wife of a non Muslim”.

Ketika saya tanyakan apakah suaminya tahu keinginannya tersebut? Dia menjawab: “yes, and he is very much hostile to my intention”.

Saya tidak langsung menjawab pertanyaannya karena saya yakin dia masih mencintai suami yang baru menikahinya sekitar 4 bulan silam. Saya justru menjelaskan kepadanya pokok-pokok keimanan dan Islam, khususnya makna berislam itu sendiri. Bahwa menerima Islam berarti bersedia menerima segala konsekwensi dari setiap hal yang terkait dengan ajarannya.

“Islam is not only a bunch of ritual teachings, it’s a code of life,” jelasku. Dalam hal ini seseorang yang mengimani ajaran Islam dan dengan kesadarannya memeluk Islam berarti bersedia mengikuti ajaran-ajaran atau aturan-aturan yang mengikat. Dan penerimaan inilah yang merupakan inti dari keislaman itu sendiri.

Nampaknya Jessica mendengarkan penjelasan itu dengan seksama. Hampir tak pernah bergerak mendengarkan penjelasan-penjelas an mengenai berbagai hal, dari masalah-masalah akidah, ibadah, hingga kepada masalah-masalah mu’amalah, termasuk urgensi membangun rumah tangga yang Islami dalam rangka menjaga generasi Muslim masa depan.

Ketika saya sampai kepada permasalahan pasangan suami isteri itulah, Jessica memberanikan diri menyelah: “But I am still in love with my husband whom I married to just 4 months ago”

Saya juga terkejut dan kasihan dengan Jessica. Hatinya telah mantap untuk menjadi Muslimah. Bahkan menurutnya: “Nothing should prevent me to convert to Islam”. Tanpa terasa airmatanya nampak menetes. Saya ikut merasakan dilema yang dihadapinya.

Saya kemudian menjelaskan perihal hukum nikah dalam Islam dan berbagai hal yang terkait, termasuk persyaratan bagi wanita Muslim untuk menikah hanya dengan pria Muslim. Penjelasan saya tentunya tidak bertumpu kepada nash atau berbagai opini ulama, tapi diserta dengan berbagai argumentasi “aqliyah” (rasional) sehingga dapat meyakinkan Jessica dalam hal ini.

Pada akhirnya, mau tidak mau, harus terjadi kompromi. Saya katakan, ketika anda sudah yakin bahwa inilah jalan hidup yang benar untuk anda ikuti, maka jangan sampai hal ini tersia-siakan. Namun di satu sisi saya perlu tegaskan bahwa sebagai Muslimah jika tetap bersuamikan non Muslim maka itu adalah sebuah pelanggaran terhadap hukum Islam.

Untuk itu, setelah mempertimbangkan berbagai pertimbangan yang terkait, baik berdasarkan “masalih al mursalah” (manfaat-manfaat yang terkait) maupun realita-realita kehidupan di Amerika, serta yang paling penting adalah pengalaman-pengalam an mengislamkan selama ini, saya sampaikan kepada Jessica: “You may embrace Islam. But you have to find any possible way to convince your husband that you are not allowed to maintain this marriage if he insists to oppose Islam”.

Dengan penjelasan terakhir ini Jessica nampak cerah, dan dengan tegas mengatakan: “I’ll give him a chance in 3 months. If he doesn’t want to follow my way, I will ask for a divorce”, katanya tanpa ragu.

Saya katakan: “Hopefully people will not perceive that Islam separates between husbands and wives. But this is the rule and I have to tell you about it”.

Oleh karena Islamic Center memang masih sepi, dengan hanya disaksikan dua orang Brothers, dengan diiriingi airmata, Jessica Mendosa mendeklarasikan: “Tiada Tuhan selain Allah dan Muhammad adalah Rasul Allah”. Allahu Akbar wa lillah alhamd!

Sabtu kemarin, Jessica telah resmi bergabung dengan kelas khusus yang dirancang untuk para muallaf “The Islamic Forum for new Muslims” di Islamic Cultural Center. Saya terkejut, Jessica hadir di kelas itu seperti seorang Muslim yang telah lama mempelajari agama ini. Bersemangat menjawab setiap ada hal yang dipertanyakan oleh muallaf lainnya. Sayang saya belum sempat menanyakan perihal suaminya!, New York, 17 Juli 2006

Jessica, Allah bless and further guide you!

*) Penulis adalah imam Masjid Islamic Cultural Center of New York. Tulisan ini dimuat di www.hidayatullah. com

dari : email teman

Remind each others

2008-12-05T22:17:00.003+08:00

Each grave Some people call Day Five (5) times ...

1. I isolated the house, then you will be pleased with always read Al-Quran.
2. I am a dark house, We always with my prayers night.
3. I land with a house full of dust, then take a charitable Pascal spread.
4. I rattlesnake home, then take the practice Bismillah as a bidder.
5. I question Munkar home and Nakir, people reading "love ilahaillallah, Muhammadar Rasulullah", so that you can answer him.

Five Types of Poison and Five the medicine

1. The world is poison, it PIETY medicine.
2. Property is poison, the charity medicine.
3. The word is meaningless However, it REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH medicine.
4. All the age of the poison, and observance of the medicine.
5. It poisons the whole year, Ramadan is the medicine.

The Prophet Mohammed said "There are 4 in perspective as a mother", namely:

1. MEDICINE mother of all questions are few.
2. Mother of all ADAB is a bit Speaks.
3. Mother of all IBADAT is TAKUT sin.
4. Mother of all CITA CITA is PATIENCE. Remember to truth and patience.

Some words from the Koran speculation "People Who Do Prayers":

1. Dawn be the shining faces
2. Dzuhur: Not given blessings in the sustenance
3. Ashar be from the health / strength
4. Granted: No MORE given by the children.
5. ISYA be peace in sleep

The seconds of messenger of God

2008-12-05T21:56:00.002+08:00

There is a love story about the totality of the example of God through the life of His Messenger.

Morning, although the sky has started to turn yellow, the birds desert reluctant wings flutter. Messenger with Voice provides the most tip, "O my Ummah, we are all in the power of God and love Him. But fear and obey Him. I'll inherit two things at the time; Qur'an and Sunnah. Whoever love my sunnah, it means I love, and those who love me, will jointly enter the Garden with. "

Sermon short, it ended with the eyes of a quiet Brandy Messenger of a friend. Abu Bakr stare with eyes that glisten, Umar chest up and down and holding the breath tears. Ustman breath long haul and defeat Ali in the head. Signal has come, the time has arrived. "He will leave all of us," swishing the hearts of the friends at that time. Texts that mankind, after almost fulfilled its duties in the world. Signs that a stronger, and when Ali Fadhal with a sprightly catch the Messenger of bewildered down from the podium while. At that time, all the friends who attended there would (if it can) will hold seconds passed ...

The higher the sun, but still arguably the door closed. Are in it, is arguably the weak lie with the sweaty soon pelepah dates and dampen the mat one. Suddenly from outside the door heard someone say that cried one.

"Can I enter?" here. But Fatimah does not allows the entry,

"I'm sorry, my father is a fever," said Fatimah, which reverses the body and closing the door.

Then again, he accompanied his father that has opened the eyes and asked Fatimah, "Who is he?"

"I do not know my father, likely the first time I saw it," said Fatimah soft. Then the Messenger daughter stared with the views of the jar. One by one seems to want the kind of reminded. "Know, then, eliminate the temporary pleasures, he is separate meetings in the world. He is the angel of death," said Messenger.

Fatimah also can not hold her tears. Angel of death came about, but Gabriel is not involved. Then called Gabriel, who previously had prepared the sky above the world welcome lovers of God and spirits courts of this world.

"O Gabriel, explain to me what my rights later before God?" Ask Rasululllah with a very weak voice.
"All the door of sky has been open, the angels have been waiting your spirit. All heaven is wide open waiting your arrival, Messenger of Allah" said Gabriel. But that does not make relieved Messenger, Messenger eyes still full of emergency.
"You do not pleased to hear this news out?" Ask Gabriel.
"Tell me how the fate of my Ummah soon O Gabriel?"
"Do not worry, O Messenger of Allah, I heard God say to me:
"I never allow paradise for anyone, except your are inside '." Gabriel said.

Seconds increasingly close, the time Izrail perform the task. Messenger spirits slowly withdrawn. Visible throughout the body Allah's Messenger he comes perspiration, muscle-neck muscle strain.
"Gabriel, how pain this sakaratul death." Soft Messenger. Fatimah removing, Ali is beside the flag in the face and discard Gabriel.
"Do you feel disgusted to see, until you avert your face from me, Gabriel?" Ask the Messenger Angel in the introduction to the revelation.
"Who will be resistant, to see God inamorata will be death," replied Gabriel.
Briefly and then heard the Messenger scream, because the pain is unbearable again.
"Oh God, this terrible death once, only seize all this death punishment to me, not in my Ummah."

Messenger start cold body, legs and chest is not moving again. Lips vibrate as if trying to whisper something, Ali immediately juxtapose ears.
"Uushiikum bus shalati, of MAA malakat aimanuku, (guard santuni prayers and those weak in the midst)."

Outside the doors began to wail sounds bersahutan, friends embrace each other. Fatimah cover diwajahnya hands, and Ali ears back, listens to the mouth of the Messenger start ever.
"Ummatii, ummatii, ummatiii ...? Umatku, my Ummah, my Ummah" ... And, pupuslah man is noble. Now, we seem id?

Cor sholli 'ala Muhammad of baarik wasalim' sick but I'm still

I take this email from an email friend, the one I read every story is how God ... Yes ... mulianya RasulMu
Make that has been sending this email, I thank the most .. Hopefully, God always gives blessing to us all Islam .. Amen

Beauty Tips for Muslimah

2008-10-11T10:19:00.003+08:00

Beauty Tips for Muslimah...I like this video (I took it from YouTube....)
All are very great tips...Just check it out...!!

ISLAM AND MUSLIMS

2008-08-13T12:54:00.001+08:00

The Arabic word "Islam" means peace, submission, and obedience. The religion of Islam consists of the complete acceptance of the teachings and guidance of God as revealed to His Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

A Muslim is one who believes in God and strives for the total reorganization of one's life according to the guidance revealed by God-the Qur'an-and sayings of the Prophet. A Muslim also works to create a human society on the same basis. "Muhammadanism" is a misnomer for Islam and offends its very spirit, for it implies that Muslims have deified and worship Muhammad, as the Christians did with Jesus Christ. This practice is condemned in the Qur'an and is totally foreign to the Islamic belief structure.

The word "Allah" is the proper name of God in Arabic. It is a unique term and has no plural or feminine forms.

CONTINUITY OF MESSAGE

Islam is not a new religion, but a re-presentation of the same message and guidance that Allah revealed to all of His prophets. In Qur'an (3:3), we read:

Say, we believe in Allah and that which has been revealed to us, and that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes and that which was given to Moses and Jesus and to other Prophets, from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit.

The message revealed to Prophet Muhammad is Islam in its comprehensive, complete, and final form.

MAN: THE FREE AGENT

Man is the highest creation of God. He has the most potential of any part of Gods creation and is left relatively free in his will, actions, and choice. God has revealed the right path, and the life of Prophet Muhammad provides a perfect example. Man's success and salvation lie in following both. Islam teaches the sanctity of the person and confers equal rights upon all regardless of race, gender, color, or other external differences. The law of God, as enunciated in the Qur'an and exemplified in the life of the Prophet is supreme in all cases. It applies equally to the highest and the lowest, the prince and the peasant, the ruler and the ruled .

THE QUR'AN AND HADITH

The Qur'an is the last revealed word of God and the basic source of Islamic teachings and laws. It deals with the foundations of creeds, morality, the history of humanity, worship, knowledge, wisdom, the relationship of God to man and man to God, and all aspects of interpersonal relationships. Its comprehensive teachings are meant to be used to construct sound systems of social justice, economics, politics, legislation, junsprudence, law, and international relations, and represent important sections of the Qur'an.

Muhammad (PBUH) could not read or write. This did not represent an obstacle, for the Qur'an was committed to memory and writing by his followers during his lifetime and under his supervision. The original and complete text of the Qur'an is available to everybody in

Arabic, the language in which it was revealed. Translations of the meaning into many languages are widely used. The hadith, a term which covers the literature dealing with the Prophet's teachings, sayings, and actions, was reported and collected with great care by his devoted companions. Its main function is to explain and elaborate the Qur'anic verses.

CONCEPT OF WORSHIP

Islam does not teach or accept mere ritualism, but rather emphasizes intention and action. To worship God is to know and to love Him, to obey His law in every aspect of life, to enjoin goodness and forbid wrong-doing and oppression, to practice charity and justice, and to serve Him by serving mankind. The Qur'an presents this concept in the following sublime manner:

It is not righteousness that you turn your faces to the East or the West, but righteous is he who believes in God and the Last Day and the Angels and the Books and the Prophets; and gives his wealth for love of Him to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask; and to set slaves free; and observes proper worship and pays the Zakat. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress, such are those who are sincere. Such are the God fearing. (Qur'an 2: 177).

The ISLAMIC WAY OF LIFE

Islam provides specific guidelines for all people to follow in their daily lives. Its guidance is comprehensive and includes the social, economic, political, moral, and spiritual aspects of life. The Qur'an reminds man of the purpose of his life, of his duties and obligations toward himself, his family and relatives, his community, his fellow human beings, and his Creator. Man is given fundamental guidelines about a purposeful life and then confronted with the challenges of human existence so that he may put these high ideals into practice. In Islam, a person's life is regarded as a holistic and integrated unity and not a collection of fragmented and competitive parts. There are no separate "sacred" and "secular" realms, for all are united within the nature of the individual.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Muhammad (blessing and peace be upon him) was born to a noble family in the year 570 AC in Makkah, a trading center located in the Arabian peninsula. He received the first revelation when he was forty years old. As soon as he started calling his people to Islam, he and his followers were persecuted and forced to undergo severe hardship. After a while, God commanded him to migrate to the nearby city of Madinah. Over the next twenty-three years he completed his mission of prophet hood. He died at the age of 63. He led a perfect life, as he was the physical embodiment of all that the Qur'an teaches, and thus set an example for all human beings.

ISLAM'S RATIONAL APPEAL

Islam, with its clear and direct expression of truth, has a great appeal to anyone seeking knowledge. It has a solution for all problems that arise during the course of one's life. It is a guide toward a better and complete life.

ISLAM - THE SOLUTION for MODERN PROBLEMS

The Brotherhood of Man: A major problem facing mankind today is racism. The developed world can send a man to the moon but cannot stop man from hating and fighting his fellow man. Ever since the days of the Prophet Muhammad fourteen centuries ago, Islam has given a vivid example of how racism can be ended: the annual pilgrimage to Makkah reveals the Islamic miracle of the real brotherhood of all races and nations.

The Family: The family, which is the basic unit of civilization, is disintegrating in all western countries. Islam's family system brings the rights of the husband, wife, children, and relatives into a fine equilibrium. It nourishes human unselfishness, generosity, and love in the framework of a well-organized family system.

UN FRAGMENTED VIEW OF LIFE

Human beings live according to their view of life. The tragedy of secular societies is that they fail to connect the different aspects of life. The secular and the religious, as well as the scientific and the spiritual seem to be in conduct. Islam puts an end to this conflict and brings harmony to mans vision of life.

The Five Pillars of Islam

1. The Declaration of Faith: to bear witness (hat there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger to all humanity until the Day of Judgment. The prophet hood of Muhammad obliges Muslims to follow his exemplary life as a model.

2. Prayers: Daily prayers are offered five times a day as a duty toward Allah. They strengthen and enliven ones belief in Allah and inspire individuals to develop a higher morality They purify the heart and help one to resist giving into temptation.

3. Fasting the Month of Ramadan: During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food, drink, and all sexual activity from dawn to sunset. In addition, they must strive to abstain from evil intentions and desires. This communal fast seeks to instill within the individual feelings of love, sincerity, devotion, patience, unselfishness, and will-power as well as to develop a sound social conscience.

4. Zakat: An annual payment of 2.5% of ones net savings that has been in ones possession for one year. This is a religious duty and purifies ones money It must be given to those who are poor and in need.

5. Pilgrimage to Makkah: This must be performed once during one's lifetime, provided that one can afford it financially and withstand it physically. Besides these pillars, every action done with the awareness that it fulfills the will of Allah is also considered an act of worship.

Islam enjoins faith in the oneness and sovereignty of Allah, for this makes an individual aware of the meaningfulness of the universe and of his or her place in it. This belief frees one from all fears and superstitions by making him conscious of the presence of Allah and of mans obligations toward Him. This faith must be expressed and tested in action, faith alone is not enough. Belief in one God requires that we look upon all human beings as one family under the universal omnipotence of Aliah, who has created and nourishes all parts of His creation. Islam rejects the idea of a chosen people by stating clearly that one must have faith in God and do good works in good action in order to gain entrance to heaven. Thus, a direct relationship between God and each individual is established, a fact that also makes an intercessor unnecessary.

DETIK DETIK RASULULLAH

2008-08-13T12:50:00.000+08:00

Ada sebuah kisah tentang totalitas cinta yang dicontohkan Allah lewat kehidupan Rasul-Nya.

Pagi itu, meski langit telah mulai menguning, burung-burung gurun enggan mengepakkan sayap. Dengan suara terbata Rasulullah memberikan petuah, "Wahai umatku, kita semua ada dalam kekuasaan Allah dan cinta kasih-Nya. Maka taati dan bertakwalah kepada-Nya. Kuwariskan dua hal pada kalian; Sunnah dan Al Qur'an. Barang siapa mencintai sunnahku, berarti mencintai aku dan kelak orang-orang yang mencintaiku, akan bersama-sama masuk surga bersamaku".

Khutbah singkat itu diakhiri dengan pandangan mata Rasulullah yang teduh menatap para sahabatnya satu persatu. Abu Bakar menatap mata itu dengan berkaca-kaca, Umar dadanya naik turun menahan nafas dan tangisnya. Ustman menghela nafas panjang dan Ali menundukkan kepalanya dalam-dalam. Isyarat itu telah datang, saatnya sudah tiba. "Rasulullah akan meninggalkan kita semua, " desah hati para sahabat saat itu. Manusia tercinta itu, hampir usai menunaikan tugasnya di dunia. Tanda-tanda itu semakin kuat, tatkala Ali dan Fadhal dengan sigap menangkap Rasulullah yang limbung saat turun dari mimbar. Saat itu, seluruh sahabat yang hadir di sana pasti (kalau bisa) akan menahan detik-detik berlalu...

Matahari kian tinggi, tapi pintu Rasulullah masih tertutup. Sedang di dalamnya, Rasulullah sedang terbaring lemah dengan keningnya yang berkeringat dan membasahi pelepah kurma yang menjadi alas tidurnya. Tiba-tiba dari luar pintu terdengar seseorang yang berseru mengucapkan salam.

"Bolehkah saya masuk?" tanyanya. Tapi Fatimah tidak mengizinkannya masuk,

"Maafkanlah, ayahku sedang demam," kata Fatimah yang membalikkan badan dan menutup pintu.

Kemudian ia kembali menemani ayahnya yang ternyata sudah membuka mata dan bertanya pada Fatimah, "Siapakah itu wahai anakku?"

"Tidak tahu ayah, sepertinya baru kali ini aku melihatnya," tutur Fatimah lembut. Lalu, Rasulullah menatap putrinya itu dengan pandangan yang menggetarkan. Satu-satu bagian wajahnya seolah hendak di kenang. "Ketahuilah, dialah yang menghapuskan kenikmatan sementara, dialah yang memisahkan pertemuan di dunia. Dialah malaikat maut," kata Rasulullah.

Fatimah pun tak bisa menahan tangisnya. Malaikat maut datang menghampiri, namun Jibril tak ikut serta. Kemudian dipanggilah Jibril yang sebelumnya sudah bersiap diatas langit dunia menyambut ruh kekasih Allah dan penghulu dunia ini.

"Wahai Jibril, jelaskan kepadaku apa hakku nanti dihadapan Allah? "Tanya Rasululllah dengan suara yang sangat lemah.
"Pintu-pintu langit telah terbuka, para malaikat telah menanti ruhmu. Semua surga terbuka lebar menanti kedatanganmu, Ya Rasulullah"kata jibril. Tetapi itu tidak membuat Rasulullah lega, mata Rasulullah masih penuh kecemasan.
"Engkau tidak senang mendengar kabar ini Ya Rasulullah?"Tanya Jibril.
"Kabarkan kepadaku bagaimana nasib umatku kelak wahai Jibril?"
"Jangan khawatir, wahai Rasul Allah, aku pernah mendengar Allah berfirman kepadaku:
"Kuharamkan surga bagi siapa saja, kecuali umat Muhammad telah berada didalamnya'." kata Jibril.

Detik-detik semakin dekat, saatnya Izrail melakukan tugas. Perlahan ruh Rasulullah ditarik. Tampak seluruh tubuh Rasulullah bersimbah peluh, urat-urat lehernya menegang.
"Jibril, betapa sakit sakaratul maut ini." Lirih Rasulullah. Fatimah terpejam, Ali yang di sampingnya menunduk semakin dalam dan Jibril membuang muka.
"Jijikkah enkau melihatku, hingga kau palingkan wajahmu Jibril?" Tanya Rasulullah pada Malaikat pengantar wahyu itu.
"Siapakah yang tega, melihat kekasih Allah direnggut ajal," jawab Jibril.
Sebentar kemudian terdengar Rasulullah memekik, karena sakit yang tak tertahankan lagi.
"Ya Allah, dahsyat sekali maut ini, timpakan saja semua siksa maut ini kepadaku, jangan pada umatku."

Badan Rasulullah mulai dingin, kaki dan dadanya sudah tak bergerak lagi. Bibirnya bergetar seakan hendak membisikkan sesuatu, Ali segera mendekatkan telinganya.
"Uushiikum bis shalati, wa maa malakat aimanuku, (peliharalah shalat dan santuni orang-orang lemah di antaramu)."

Di luar pintu tangis mulai terdengar bersahutan, sahabat saling berpelukan. Fatimah menutupkan tangan diwajahnya, dan Ali kembali mendekatkan telinganya ke bibir Rasulullah yang mulai kebiruan.
"Ummatii,ummatii, ummatiii...? Umatku, umatku, umatku"... Dan, pupuslah manusia mulia itu. Kini, mampukah kita mencintai sepertinya?

Allahumma sholli 'ala Muhammad wa baarik wasalim 'alaihi

Email ini saya ambil dari email teman, saya tersentuh sekali setiap membaca cerita ini…Ya ALLAH betapa mulianya RasulMu…
Buat yang telah mengirim email ini, saya mengucapkan terima kasih yang sebesar-besarnya..Semoga ALLAH selalu memberikan berkah kepada kita seluruh umat Islam.. Amin

dari : fwd email

THE MORAL SYSTEM OF ISLAM

2008-08-13T12:41:00.000+08:00

Islam has laid down for humanity universal fundamental rights that are to be observed and respected under all circumstances. So that these rights can be realized in one's daily and social life, Islam provides both legal safeguards and a very effective moral system In beef, whatever improves the well-being of an individual or a society is morally good, and whatever harms this well-being is morally bad.

Islam attaches so much importance to one s love of God and love of fellow human beings that it discourages excessive formalism. We read in the Qur'an:

It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West; but it is righteousness to believe in God and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers, to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves, to be steadfast in prayers, and practice regular charity; to fulfill the contracts which you made; and to be firm and patient in pain (or suffering) and adversity and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing. (2:177)

We are given a beautiful description of the righteous and the religiously committed individual in these verses. He should obey salutary regulations but fix his gaze on the love of God and the love of humanity An individual's faith should be true and sincere. We must be prepared to show it in deeds of charity to other people and by living as good citizens and supporters of social organizations.

Finally, our own individual faith must remain firm and unshaken in all circumstances.

This is the standard by which a particular mode of conduct can be classified as either good or bad. It also provides the nucleus around which an individual's as well as a societies moral code should revolve. Before laying down any moral injunctions, Islam seeks to implant firmly in man's heart the conviction that his dealings are with God, who sees him at all times and in all places. While he may hide himself from others or deceive them, he cannot do so with God.

Islam teaches that the objective of one's life is to live a life that is pleasing to God. To make such a goal possible, Islam has provided mankind with the highest possible standard of morality This moral code, which is both straightforward and practical, provides the individual with innumerable ways to embark upon and then continue the path of moral evolution. By making divine revelation the primary source of knowledge, moral standards are made permanent and stable. This does not make them inflexible, however, for there is room for reasonable adjustment and adaptation when needed. The danger of moral relativism, now so widespread in many societies, is thereby avoided. Another benefit is the gradual internalization of these moral standards, for one seeks to obey them voluntarily to please God, not because some government or people tell him to do so. An individual's belief in God, when added to his belief in the Day of Judgment, is a powerful motivating factor for one to live a highly moral life.

Islam does not provide any novel moral virtues, nor does it seek to minimize the importance of traditional and commonly accepted moral norms or give exaggerated importance to some and neglect others. The Islamic moral code incorporates all of the commonly accepted moral virtues and then endows them with a sense of balance and proportion by assigning each one a suitable place and function in the total scheme of life. It widens the scope of man's individual and collective life by dealing with his domestic associations, his civic conduct, and his activities in the political, economic, legal, educational, and social realms. It covers his life from the home to the society, from the dining table to the battlefield and peace conferences-in short, from the cradle to the grave-for no sphere of life is exempt from the universal and comprehensive application of the moral principles of Islam. It makes morality reign supreme and ensures that the affairs of life are regulated by moral norms and not dominated by selfish desires and petty interests.

A major goal of Islam is to provide mankind with a practical and realistic system of life based on good by which he can conduct his life. It calls upon mankind not only to practice virtue but to establish it and to eradicate all that is harmful. It seeks the supremacy of one's conscience in all matters, so that what is harmful cannot gain the upper hand in either an individual's or a society's life. Those who respond to this call are known as Muslims, which literally means those who have submitted to God. The sole object of the resulting community of Muslims (the ummah ) is the undertaking of an organized effort to establish what is good and to fight and eradicate what is evil and harmful. Several of Islam's basic moral teachings are given below. They cover the broad spectrum of a Muslim's personal moral conduct as well as his social responsibilities.

God-Consciousness

The Qur'an mentions God-consciousness as the highest quality of a Muslim: The most honorable among you in the sight of God is the one who is most God-conscious. (49:13) Humility modesty control of passions and desires, truthfulness, integrity, patience, steadfastness, and fulfilling one's promises-all of these are moral values that are mentioned manyh times in the Qur'an: And God loves those who are firm and steadfast (3:14Q. The Qur'an also tells Muslims:

And vie with one another to attain your Sustainer's forgiveness and a Paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth, which awaits the God conscious, who spend for charity in time of plenty and in time of hardship, and restrain their anger and pardon their fellow men, for God loves those who do good. (3:133134)

Establish regular prayer, enjoin what is just, and forbid what is wrong; and bear patiently whatever may befall you;for this is true constancy And do not swell your (cheek with puce) at men, nor walk in insolence on the earth, for God does not love any man proud and boastful. And be moderate in your pace and lower your voice;for the harshest of sounds, indeed, is the braying of the ass. (31:18-19)

The moral behavior of a committed Muslim can be summarized by the following statement of the Prophet:

My Sustainer has given me nine commands: to remain conscious of God in private and in public; to speak justly whether angry or pleased; to show moderation when poor or rich; to re kindle friendship with those who have broken it off with me; to give to him who refuses me; that my silence should be occupied with thought; that my looking should be an admonition; and that I should command what is right.

Social Responsibilities

The teachings of Islam concerning social responsibilities are based on kindness and consideration for others. So that these broad injections will not be ignored in specific situations, Islam stresses specific acts of kindness and defines the responsibilities and rights that belong to various relationships. Our first obligation is to our immediate familyparents, spouse, and children, then to other relatives, neighbors, friends and acquaintances, orphans and widows, the needy of the community, our fellow Muslims, our fellow human beings and animals.

Parents

Respect and care for parents is a very important part of a Muslims expression of faith.

Your Sustainer has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your life-time, do not say to them a word of contempt nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor and, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility and say: My Sustainer! Bestow on them Your mercy, even as they cherished me in childhood. (17:23-24)

Other Relatives

And render to the relatives their due rights, as (also) to those in need, and to the traveler; and do not squander your wealth in the manner of a spendthrift. (7:26)

Neighbors

The Prophet said: "He is not a believer who eats his fill when his neighbor beside him is hungry" and "He does not believe whose neighbors are not safe from his injurious conduct."

Actually, according to the Qur'an and example of the Prophet, a Muslim has to discharge his moral responsibility not only to his parents, relatives, and neighbors but to all mankind, animals, and useful trees and plants. For example, the hunting of birds and animals for sport is not permitted. Similarly, cutting trees and plants that yield fruit is forbidden unless there is a very pressing need for one to do so.

Thus, on the basic moral plane, Islam provides mankind with a higher system of morality that can be used by an individual to realize his greatest potential. Islam purifies the soul of self-seeking egotism, tyranny, wantonness, and lack of discipline. It creates Godfearing men who are devoted to their ideals, motivated by piety, abstinence, and discipline, and unable to make any compromise with falsehood. It induces feelings of moral responsibility and fosters the capacity for self-control. Islam generates kindness, generosity, mercy, sympathy, peace, disinterested goodwill, scrupulous fairness, and truthfulness towards all creation in all situations. It nourishes noble qualities from which only good may be expected.

taken : warnet Jokja

LIFE AFTER DEATH

2008-08-13T12:36:00.000+08:00

The question of whether there is a life after death is not an issue of scientific concern, for science only deals with the classification and analysis of sense data. While man has been conducting scientific inquiries and research, in the modern sense of the term, for only the last few centuries, he has been familiar with the concept of life after death since time immemorial.

All of the prophets sent by God for the benefit of humanity called upon their people to worship God and to believe in life after death. They laid so much emphasis on this last belief that even a slight doubt about its reality was considered a sign of denying both God and all other beliefs. The very fact that they have dealt with this metaphysical question of life after death so confidently and so uniformly, despite the fact that they appeared over thousands of years and in different places, proves that the source of their knowledge about this reality was one and the same: divine revelation. We also know that these prophets of God were opposed strongly by their people on this very issue, as many considered it impossible. Despite such opposition, however, the prophets were able to convince many people of its truth.

This raises the following question: what made those followers forsake the established beliefs, traditions and customs of their forefathers notwithstanding the risk of being totally alienated from their own community?

The simple answer is: they analyzed the issue with their minds and hearts and came gradually to the realization that the prophets were speaking the truth. Did they realize the truth through perceptual consciousness? No, for a perceptual experience of life after death is impossible. What they used was their rational, aesthetic, and moral consciousness, which God has given to every individual in addition to a perceptual consciousness. These additional faculties guides an individual through those realities that cannot be verified by sensory data. That is why all prophets of God appeal to the aesthetic, moral, and rational consciousness of man when discussing metaphysical matters. For example, when the idolaters of Makkah denied even the possibility of life after death, the Qur'an exposed the weakness of their stand by advancing very logical and rational arguments in support of it:

And he has coined for us similitude, and has forgotten the fact of his creation, saying: Who will revive these bones when they have rotted away? Say: He will revive them who produced them at the first, for He is the knower of every creation, Who has appointed for you fire from the green tree, and behold, you

kindle from it. Is not He who created the heavens and the earth, able to create the like of them? Yes, and He is indeed the Supreme Creator, the All-knowing. (36: 78-81)In another verse, the Qur'an says very clearly that non believers do not have a sound basis for their denial of life after death. It is based on pure conjecture:

They say, 'There is nothing but our present life; we die, and we live, and nothing but Time destroys us. Of that they have no knowledge; they merely conjecture. And when our revelations are recited to them, their only argument is that they say, 'Bring us our fathers, if you speak truly.' (45:2425)

Surely God will raise all those who have died, but only when He chooses to do so. A day will come when the whole universe will be destroyed and then the dead will be resurrected to stand before God.

This day will be the beginning of the life that will never end, and on that day every person will be rewarded by God according to his or her good or evil deeds. This day is called the Day of Judgment.

The Qur'an states that there will be a life after death because the moral consciousness of mankind demands it. If there is no life after death, any belief God Himself becomes irrelevant. Furthermore, such a situation would mean that God is unjust and indifferent, for how could He create mankind and then lose interest in His creation? As God is just, those people who have committed crimes must be punished. All of those tyrants who have killed scores of innocent persons, unleashed great corruption and evil within their societies, enslaved their people to serve their whims, and other terrible deeds must be brought to justice.

As man's life is so short and the world is not eternal, true justice can only be meted out in the afterlife, which will have none of these limitations. The Qur'an states that the Day of Judgment must come and that God will decide the fate of each soul according to his or her record of deeds:

Those who disbelieve say: The Hour will never come unto us.' Say: Nay by my Lord but it is coming unto you surely' (He is) the Knower of the Unseen. Not an atom's weight, or less than that or greater, escapes Him in the heavens or in the earth, but it is in a clear record, that He may reward those who believe and do good works. For them is pardon and a rich provision.

But those who strive against Our revelations, challenging Us, theirs will be a painful doom of wrath. (34:3-5)

The Day of Resurrection will be the manifestation of God's justice and

mercy. He will shower His mercy on those who suffered during their lives for His sake, believing that eternal bliss was awaiting them. Those who abused the bounties of God and did not care about the life to come will be in the most miserable state. Drawing a comparison between them, the Qur'an says:

Is he, then, to whom we have promised a goodly promise the fulfillment of which he will meet, like the one whom We have provided with the good things of this life, and then on the Day of Resurrection he will be of those who will be brought arraigned before God? (28:61)

The Qur'an also states that this worldly life is a preparation for the eternal life after death. But those who deny it become slaves of their passions and desires and make fun of virtuous and God-conscious persons. Such persons realize their folly only at the time of their death, a time when their wish to be given a further return to this life and make amends will be in vain. Their miserable state at the time of death, the horror of the Day of Judgment, and the eternal bliss guaranteed to sincere believers are presented very clearly and powerfully in the Qur'an:

Until, when death comes unto one of them, he says, 'My Lord send me back, that I may do right in that which I have left :

behind. ~ But nay! It is but a word that he speaks; and behind : t hem is a barrier until the day when they are raised. And when the Trumpet is blown there will be no kinship among them that day nor will they ask of one another Then those

whose scales are heavy, they are successful. And those whose scales are light are those who lose their souls, in hell abiding, the fire burns their faces and they are alum therein. (23: 99- 104)

The belief in life after death guarantees success in the Hereafter and also makes this world a place of peace and happiness by transforming people into individuals who are more responsible and dutiful in their activities.

Consider the example of the people who lived in the Arabian peninsula before the appearance of the Prophet Muhammad. They were great lovers of gambling, wine, tribal feuds, plundering, and murdering. As they had no concept of an afterlife, why not enjoy themselves as they saw fit? But as soon as they accepted the belief in the One God and an afterlife, they became a very disciplined nation.

They gave up their vices, helped each other when requested to do so, and settled all their disputes on the basis of justice and equality. The denial of life after death also has consequences in this world.

When an entire nation denies belief in the afterlife, all kinds of evils and corruption are unleashed and the society is set on the path to ultimate destruction. The Qur'an mentions the terrible end of such pre-Islamic peoples as the Aad, the Thamud, and the Pharaoh of ancient Egypt:

(The tribes of) Thamud and 'Aad disbelieved in the judgment to come. As for Thamud, they were destroyed by the lightning and as for 'Aad, they were destroyed by a fierce roaring wind, which He imposed on them for seven long nights and eight long days so that you might see the people laid prostrate in it as if they were the stumps of fallen down palm trees. Now do you see a remnant of them? Pharaoh likewise and those before him, and the subverted dines. They committed errors and they rebelled against the Messenger of their Lord, and He seized them with a surpassing grip. Lo, when the waters rose, We bore you in the running ship that We might make it a reminder for you and for heeding ears to hold. So when the [trumpet is blown with a single blast and the earth and the mountains are lifted up and crushed with a single blow, then on that day the [error shall come to pass, and the heavens shall be split for upon that day it shall be very frail. Then as or him who is given his book in his right hand, he shall say: Here, take and read my book! Certainly I thought that I should encounter my reckoning' So he shall be in a pleasing life in a lofty garden, its clusters nigh together 'Eat and drink with wholesome appetite for that you did long ago, in the days gone by.' But as for him who is given his book in his left hand, he shall say: -Would that I had not been given my book and not known my reckoning!

Would that it had been the end. My wealth has not availed me, my authority is gone from me. (69: 439)

There are very convincing reasons to believe in life after death.

1. All the prophets of God have called their people to believe in it.
2. Whenever a society is built on the basis of this belief, it has been the most ideal and peaceful society, free of social and moral evils
3. History bears witness that whenever this belief has been rejected collectively by a group of people in spite of the repeated warning of the prophet, the group as a whole has been punished by God even in this world.
4. The moral, aesthetic, and rational faculties of man endorse the possibility of life after death.
5. God's attributes of justice and mercy have no meaning if there is no life after death.

PROPHETHOOD IN ISLAM

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The concept of prophethood is found in the three great monotheistic religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. In Islam, however, it has a special status and significance.

According to Islam, Allah created man to worship Him and to lead a virtuous life based on His teachings and guidance. But how can man know and fulfill his role and the purpose of his existence if he does not receive clear and practical instructions of what Allah wants him to do? The existence of prophethood, by which Allah sent a prophet to every nation to reveal His message in terms that the people could understand, has answered this question most effectively

One might ask: How were the prophets chosen and which individuals were so honored?

Prophethood is Allah's blessing and a favor that is bestowed on an individual chosen by Him to convey His message. From studying the lives of the prophets that have appeared, we notice several characteristics:

1. He is the best person in his community as regards morality and intellectual ability This is necessary, for a prophets life serves as a model for his followers. His personality should not drive people away from his message, but rather inspire them to accept it and to transform their own lives. After receiving the message, he is infallible on all matters dealing with the revelation. Although he might commit some small mistakes, but not in any matter that concerns the revelation, he cannot commit a sin. 2. He is supported by miracles, which derive from the power and permission of Allah and not of the prophet himself, to prove that he is not an impostor. Such miracles are direct challenges to the powers that be, for they do not follow the rules laid down by the experts in the affected field or activity By way of illustration, let us review some of the miracles recorded in the Old Testament, the New testament, and the Qur'an.

Moses' Egyptian contemporaries excelled in magic. Thus his major miracle was to defeat the best magicians that the society could offer. Jesus' contemporaries were skilled physicians, and so he raised the dead and cured those suffering from incurable diseases.

Muhammad's contemporaries were known for their eloquence and magnificent poetry. Therefore Muhammad's major miracle was the Qur'an, which no poet could imitate or surpass, despite their repeated and vigorous efforts to do so.

All previous miracles were limited to a specific people living at a specific time. This is not the case with the Qur'an, however, for this miracle is universal and everlasting. Although previous generations actually witnessed it, all future generations w 11 continue to witness its miraculous nature in term of its style, content, and spiritual impact and message. This ability of the Qur'an to rise above the limits imposed by time and space on all other miracles proves its divine origin.

3. Every prophet states clearly that what he receives comes from Allah and that it is for the well-being of humanity. He confirms what was revealed previously and what may be revealed by a future prophet, for his task is to convey the message entrusted to him by Allah. Thus the revealed message is always the same in essence and purpose-it cannot deviate from prior or future revelations.

Prophets are necessary for conveying God's instructions and guidance to mankind. Without this knowledge, we would be unable to answer the fundamental questions of our existence: Why were we created?

What happens after death? Is there an afterlife? Are we accountable for our actions? Is there any future reward or punishment for what we do? What about Allah, His angels, heaven, and hell? Each of these questions, and all others, are answered in the revelation brought by the prophet. But in order for his community to believe and accept them, the prophet must be brought by individuals who have attained a position of trust and respect among their people. This is why he must be morally and intellectual superior to his contemporaries.

Based on this understanding, Muslims reject some of the stones found in the Old Testament concerning the prophets. For example:

the prophet Lot engaging in fornication-with his own daughterswhen drunk, or the prophet David sending one of his military leaders to his death so that he could marry his wife. it is inconceivable to Muslims that a prophet of Allah could do such things.

Prophets are also miraculously supported by God and instructed by Him to affirm the continuity of His message. In brief, the divine revelation consists of the following information:

a) A clear concept of God, His attributes and creation, and what should and should not be ascribed to Him.

b) A clear idea about the unseen world, angels and jinn (spirits), paradise and hell.

c) Why has God created us? What does He want from us? Will we be rewarded (or punished) for obeying (or disobeying) Him?

d) A clear explanation of how to order our societies according to His will. This involves the implementation of a law that, when applied correctly and honestly, will bring about a happy and ideal society.

As we have seen in the above discussion, there is no substitute for prophets. Despite the tremendous and impressive advancements of modern science, even it cannot provide authentic information about the supernatural world or provide guidance. Its very nature, which is too materialistic and limited, precludes it from serving this purpose.

Mystic experience is also unsuitable, for it is too subjective and, frequently, too misleading.

Now one might ask: How many prophets has Allah sent to humanity? Although we cannot answer this question definitively, some Muslim scholars place the number at two hundred forty thousand. We are only sure of what is clearly mentioned in the Qur'an: God has sent one or more messengers to each nation, for He would not be just if he were to hold a nation to account for its actions w shout first informing its people of what is allowed and what is not. The Qur'an mentions twenty-five prophets by name (i.e., Noah, Abraham, Moses,

Jesus, and Muhammad, who are considered the greatest of all the prophets) and indicates that there were others not known to Muhammad.

Muslims are required to believe in and to respect all of the messengers of Allah without exception. Since all the prophets come from the same God and for the same purpose-to lead humanity to

Allah-belief in them all is essential and logical. If some are accepted and others are rejected, it is due to the individual's misunderstanding of the prophet's role or of racial (or other) bias.

The Muslims are unique in considering belief in all of the prophets of God to be an article of faith. The Jews reject Jesus Christ and Muhammad; the Christians reject Muhammad and, in reality, reject Moses because they do not abide by his laws. The Muslims accept them all as messengers of God who brought guidance to mankind.

However, this acceptance is characterized with a degree of caution, for the Qur'an and the Prophet states the revelation conveyed by those prophets has been distorted and corrupted by those who received it. We read in the Qur'an:

Say (O Muslims), we believe in Allah and that which is revealed to us and that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael, and Isaac and Jacob, and their children, and that which Moses and Jesus received and that the prophets received from their Lord. We maize no distinction between any of them and unto Him we have surrendered. (2:136)

The Qur'an tells the Muslims that this is the true and impartial belief. If other nations share this belief, it means that they are on the right track. If they do not share this belief, it means that they are following their own whims and biases. The Qur'an says:

And if they believe in what you believe, then are they rightly guided. But if they turn away, then they are in disunity, and Allah will suffice you against them. He is the Hearer; the Knower: This is Gods religion and Who is better than God in

religion? (2:137-38)

There are two important points that need to be clarified about the roles of Jesus and Muhammad, as they are usually misunderstood and distorted. In the case of Jesus, the Qur'an rejects completely the Christian assertion of his divinity and his status of the "son" of God. It also states that the unusual circumstances of his birth-without a father-does not make him a "son" of God, for if this logic were followed to its logical conclusion, Adam, who had no father and no mother, would be greater than Jesus, for: Truly the likeness of Jesus,

in God's sight, is as Adam's likeness; He created him of dust, then said unto him, "Be," and he was (3:59).

Like other prophets, Jesus performed miracles: he raised the dead and cured the blind and the lepers. He also made it perfectly clear that these miracles were done by God, not by him. But his message was distorted, because;it was not recorded in his presence and under his direction, but only about one hundred years after his death.

According to the Qur'an, Jesus was sent to the children of Israel to confirm the Torah of Moses and to bring glad tidings of a final messenger who would come after him:

And when Jesus son of Mary said, Children of Israel, I am indeed the Messenger to you, confirming the Torah that is before me, and giving good tidings of a Messenger who shall come after me, whose name shall be the praised one. (61:6) (the underlined portion is the translation of Ahmad, which is also a name of the Prophet Muhammad).

However, the majority of the Jews rejected his ministry and plotted against his life. The Qur'anic account of his death differs from the one found in the New Testament: he was not killed or crucified, but rather was raised to heaven by God. It is also implied that Jesus will return one day and that all of the Christians and Jews will believe in him before he dies. This is also supported by authentic sayings of the Prophet Muhammad.

Muhammad, the last prophet of God, was born in Makkah in the sixth century CE. Until the age of forty, he was known as a man of excellent character and cultured manners. These characteristics earned for him the nickname of al-Amin (The Trustworthy). There were no prior indications that Allah had chosen him to be His last messenger. Once he was entrusted with this task, however, he began calling his idol-worshipping people to Islam. The revelation was recorded during his lifetime in writing and in the memory of his followers. The care taken to preserve each revelation as it was transmitted by the Prophet ensured that it would reach future generations in an uncorrupted form. As Allah has stated that the Qur'an would be preserved accurately, it is the source of divine guidance for all time, and the Prophet Muhammad is His final prophet.

taken = warnet Jokja

WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT THE QURAN

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Humanity has received divine guidance through two channels: the word of Allah and the prophets who were chosen by Him to communicate His will to humanity These channels have always functioned together, and if one is ignored or neglected, the will of Allah cannot be known with any degree of accuracy. The Hindus neglected their prophets and focused all of their attention on their books, which proved to be only word puzzles that eventually were no longer understood by the people. Similarly the Christians, disregarding the Bible, attached importance only to the person of Jesus Christ and eventually deified him,. This resulted in the loss of the very essence of tawhid (monotheism) contained in the Bible.

As a matter of fact, the main scriptures revealed before the Qur'an i.e., the Old Testament and the New Testament, acquired book form long after the days of the prophets. Moreover, the New Testament was not recorded in the language spoken by Jesus Christ, believed to be Aramaic, but in Greek. This was because the early Christians made no serious effort to preserve their revelation during the lifetime of their prophet. The Old and New Testaments, which together form the Christian Bible, now consist of translations of various individuals' accounts of the original revelations as well as the additions and deletions made by the faithful.

The Qur'an, as the last revealed book of God, is extant in its original form. Allah Himself guaranteed its preservation. The entire Qur'an was recorded in written form during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on pieces of palm leaves, parchments, bones, and other suitable surfaces. Moreover, there were tens of thousands of his followers who memorized the whole Qur'an, and the Prophet himself used to recite it to the angel Gabriel once a year and twice when he was about to die.

After the Prophet's death, Abu Bakr, the first caliph, oversaw the collection of the Qur'an into one volume by the Prophet's scribe, Zaid Ibn Thabit. This volume remained with Abu Bakr who, when he was about to die, entrusted it to his successor, Umar Ibn al Khattab who, in turn, passed it on to Hafsa, the Prophet's wife. It was from this original copy that Uthman, the third caliph, prepared several other copies and sent them to different Muslim territories.

The Qur'an was preserved so meticulously because it was to be the book of guidance for all humanity forever. Thus it does not address only the Arabs, even though it was revealed in their language. It peaks to man as a human being: "O Man! What has seduced you from your Lord?" The practical nature of the Qur'anic teachings is established by the examples of the Prophet and of pious Muslims throughout history.

The Qur'an instructions are aimed at the general welfare of man and are based on possibilities within his reach. Its wisdom is conclusive in all of its venous dimensions. It does not condemn or torture the flesh, nor does it neglect the soul. It does not humanize God nor does it deify man. Everything is carefully placed where it belongs in the total scheme of creation.

Those scholars who allege that Muhammad wrote the Qur'an claim something that is not humanly possible. Could anyone living in the sixth century CE. utter such scientific truths as the Qur'an contains?

Could he describe the evolution of the embryo inside the uterus so accurately that it matches the description given by modern science?

Secondly, is it logical to believe that the Prophet, who, until the age of forty, was known far and wide for his honesty and integrity, began all of a sudden to write a book that is without equal in literary merit and that could not be surpassed by the whole legion of the Arab poets and orators of the highest caliber?

And lastly, is it justified to say that Muhammad (PBUH), who was known to his people as al-Amin (The trustworthy) and who is still admired by non-Muslim scholars for his honesty and integrity, came forth with a false claim and on that falsehood trained thousands of individuals of character, integrity, and honesty who were able to establish the best human society that the world has ever known?

Surely, any sincere and unbiased searcher of truth will come to believe that the Qur'an is the revealed book of Allah.

Without necessarily agreeing completely with their statements, we would like to quote some of the opinions of important non-Muslim scholars who have studied the Qur'an. Such comments show that the non Muslim world is taking a more serious view of the Qur'an and that it is beginning to appreciate its truth. We appeal to all people who are seeking spiritual truth to study the Qur'an in light of the aforementioned points. Cast your preconceived notions aside and listen to what these people have to say.

However often we turn to it [the Qur'an], at first disgusting us each time afresh, it soon attracts, astounds, and in the end enforces our reverence... Its style, in accordance with its contents and aim, is stern, grand, terrible - ever and anon truly sublime. Thus this book will go on exercising through all ages a most potent influence.

- Gethe, quoted in T P Hughes' Dictionary of Islam, p 526.

The Koran admittedly occupies an important position among the great religious books of the world. Though the youngest of the epochmaking works belonging to this class of literature, it yields to hardly any in the wonderful effect which it has produced on large masses of men. It has created an all but new phase of human thought and a fresh type of character. It first transformed a number of heterogeneous desert tribes of the Arabian peninsula into a nation of heroes, and then proceeded to create the vast politico-religious organizations of the Muhammadan world which are one of the great forces with which Europe and the East have to reckon today

- G. Margoliouth

Introduction toe. M. Rodwell's

The Koran, New York Every man's Library, 1977, p. Vll.

A work, then, which calls forth so powerful and seemingly incompatible emotions even in the distant reader distant as to time, and still more so as to mental development - a work which not only conquers the repugnance with which he may begin its perusal, but changes this adverse feeling into astonishment and admiration, such a work must be a wonderful production of the human mind indeed and a problem of the highest interest to every thoughtful observer of the destinies of mankind.

- Dr. Steingass

quoted in T. P. Hughes' Dictionary of Islam, pp. 526-7.

The above observation makes the hypothesis advanced by those who see Muhammad as the author of the Qur'an untenable. How could a man, from being illiterate, become the most important author, in terms of literary merits, in the whole of Arabic literature? How could he then pronounce truths of a scientific nature that no other human being could possibly have developed at that time, and all this without once making the slightest error in his pronouncement on the subject?

- Maunce Bucaille,

The Bible, the Qur'an and Science, 1978, p 125.

Here, therefore, its meets as a literary production should perhaps not be measured by some preconceived maxims of subjective and aesthetic taste, but by the effects which it produced in Muhammad's contemporaries and fellow countrymen. If it spoke so powerfully and convincingly to the hearts of his hearers as to weld hitherto centrifugal and antagonistic elements into one compact and well organized body. animated by ideas far beyond those which had until now ruled the Arabian mind, then its eloquence was perfect, simply because it created a civilized nation out of savage tribes, and shot a fresh woof into the old warp of history.

- Dr: Steingass

quoted in Hughes' Dictionary of Islam, p. 528.

In making the present attempt to improve on the performance of my predecessors, and to produce something which might be accepted as echoing however faintly the sublime rhetoric of the Arabic Koran, I have been at pain to study the intricate and richly varied rhythms which-apart from the message itself-constitute the Koran's undeniable claim to rank amongst the greatest literary masterpieces of mankind ... This very characteristic feature-"that inimitable symphony" as the believing Pickthall described his Holy Book, "the very sounds of which move men to tears and ecstasy"-has been almost totally ignored by previous translators; it is therefore not surprising that what they have wrought sounds dull and net indeed in comparison with the splendidly decorated original.

-Arthur J Arberry

The Koran Interpreted London: Oxford University Press, 1964,p.X

A totally objective examination [of the Qur'an] in the light of modern knowledge leads us to recognize the agreement between the two, as has been already noted on repeated occasions. It makes us deem it quite unthinkable for a man of Muhammad's time to have been the author of such statements, on account of the state of knowledge in his day Such considerations are part of what gives the Qur'anic revelation its unique place, and forces the impartial scientist to admit his inability to provide an explanation which calls solely upon materialistic reasoning.

Saling Mengingatkan

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Kubur Setiap Hari Menyeru Manusia Sebanyak Lima (5) Kali ...

Aku rumah yang terpencil, maka kamu akan senang dengan selalu membaca Al-Quran.
Aku rumah yang gelap, maka terangilah aku dengan selalu shalat malam.
Aku rumah penuh dengan tanah dan debu, maka bawalah amal shaleh yang menjadi hamparan.
Aku rumah ular berbisa, maka bawalah amalan Bismillah sebagai penawar.
Aku rumah pertanyaan Munkar dan Nakir, maka banyaklah bacaan "Laa ilahaillallah, Muhammadar Rasulullah", supaya kamu dapat jawaban kepadanya.

Lima Jenis Racun dan Lima Penawarnya

Dunia itu racun, zuhud itu obatnya.
Harta itu racun, zakat itu obatnya.
Perkataan yang sia-sia itu racun, zikir itu obatnya.
Seluruh umur itu racun, taat itu obatnya.
Seluruh tahun itu racun, Ramadhan itu obatnya.

Nabi Muhammad S.A.W bersabda “Ada 4 di pandang sebagai ibu", yaitu :

Ibu dari segala OBAT adalah SEDIKIT MAKAN .
Ibu dari segala ADAB adalah SEDIKIT BERBICARA.
Ibu dari segala IBADAT adalah TAKUT BERBUAT DOSA.
Ibu dari segala CITA CITA adalah SABAR. Ingatlah kepada kebenaran dan kesabaran.

Beberapa kata renungan dari Al Qur'an “Orang Yang Tidak Melakukan Shalat”:

Subuh : Dijauhkan cahaya muka yang bersinar
Dzuhur : Tidak diberikan berkah dalam rezekinya
Ashar : Dijauhkan dari kesihatan/kekuatan
Maghrib : Tidak diberi santunan oleh anak-anaknya.
Isya : Dijauhkan kedamaian dalam tidurnya

By : dooh44n@yahoo.com

Keajaiban Matematis Al-Quran

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Quran ditandai oleh suatu perwujudan unik yang tidak pernah ditemukan di dalam buku karangan manusia manapun. Tiap-Tiap elemen Quran tersusun secara matematis baik surat-suratnya, ayat, kata-kata, banyaknya surat tertentu, banyaknya kata-kata dari akar yang sama, variasi dan nomor; jumlah dari nama ilahi, ejaan yang unik dari kata-kata tertentu, ketidakhadiran atau perubahan yang sengaja dari surat tertentu di dalam kata-kata tertentu, dan banyak unsur-unsur yang lain (menyangkut) Quran di samping isi nya.Ada dua segi utama (menyangkut) mathematical sistem Quran:

( 1 ) Mathematical komposisi berkaitan kesusasteraan, dan
( 2 ) Mathematical struktur menyertakan angka-angka surat dan ayat. Oleh karena kode mathematical menyeluruh ini, penyimpangan yang paling tipis (menyangkut) teks Quran atau pengaturan phisik dengan seketika diarahkan.

SEDERHANA UNTUK MEMAHAMI MUSTAHIL UNTUK MENIRU

Untuk pertama kali di (dalam) sejarah kita mempunyai suatu kitab dengan bukti kebebasan ilahi di dalamnya - suatu komposisi mathematika yang melebihi buatan manusia biasa.

Pembaca buku ini akan dengan mudah memverifikasi keajaiban mathematical Quran. Kata “Tuhan” (Allah) ditulis dalam huruf besar di sepanjang teks. Frekwensi kejadian yang Kumulatif dari kata “Tuhan” dicatat pada sudut kiri bawah tiap halaman. Nomor di sebelah sudut kanan adalah total kumulatif angka-angka untuk ayat berisi kata “Tuhan”. Halaman terakhir, Halaman 372, menunjukkan bahwa total kejadian dari kata “Tuhan” adalah 2698, atau 19×142. Total penjumlahan angka-angka ayat untuk semua ayat berisi kata “Tuhan” adalah 118123, juga kelipatan 19 ( 118123= 19×6217).

Sembilan belas adalah bilangan pembagi sepanjang mathematical sistem Quran.

Perwujudan ini sendiri mencukupi bukti yang tak dapat dipertentangkan ini bahwa Quran adalah pesan Tuhan kepada dunia. Tidak ada manusia yang bisa mengawasi 2698 kejadian (menyangkut) kata ” Tuhan,” dan angka-angka ayat di mana mereka muncul. Ini terutama mustahil mengingat bahwa :

(1) Lamanya masa ketidak-tahuan hingga rahasia Quran ini diungkapkan, dan
(2) fakta bahwa surat dan ayat secara luas dipisahkan oleh waktu dan tempat pengungkapannya.
(3) Urutan waktu turunnya ayat sangat berbeda dengan susunan akhirnya.

Bagaimanapun, mathematical sistem Quran tidak terbatas pada kata “Tuhan” saja, namun luas/sangat-banyak, sangat ruwet, dan secara total menyeluruh.

FAKTA SEDERHANA

Seperti halnya Quran itu sendiri, kode mathematical Quran terbentang dari yang sangat sederhana, hingga yang sangat kompleks. Fakta Yang sederhana, dapat ditemukan tanpa menggunakan peralatan apapun. Fakta Yang kompleks memerlukan bantuan kalkulator atau komputer. Fakta berikut ini tidak memerlukan peralatan apapun untuk membuktikan, tetapi sangat menyenangkan. Ingat ini semua mengacu pada teks Arab yang asli:

1. Ayat Yang pertama (1:1), dikenal sebagai “Basmalah”, terdiri dari 19 huruf.

2. Quran terdiri dari 114 surat, yang mana 114 adalah …… 19 x 6.

3. Total jumlah ayat di (dalam) Quran adalah 6346, atau …. 19 x 334. [ 6234 ayat dinomori & 112 ayat tak dinomeri (Basmalah) 6234+112= 6346] Catat bahwa 6+3+4+6 =……. 19.

4. Basmalah terjadi 114 kali, di samping ketidakhadirannya dari Surar 9 ( namun terjadi dua kali di (dalam) Surat 27) & 114= 19x6.

5. Dari Basmalah yang hilang itu di Surat 9 kepada ekstra Basmalah di Surat 27, ada tepat …….. 19 surat

6. Setelah itu, bahwa total angka-angka surat dari 9 ke 27 ( 9+10+11+12+…+26+27) adalah 342, atau …… 19 x 18.

7. Total ini (342) banyaknya juga sama dengan kata-kata antara kedua Basmalah di Surat 27, dan 342= …….. 19 x 18.

8. Ayat terkenal yang pertama turun ( 96:1-5) terdiri dari … 19 kata-kata.

9. 19 kata yang pertama turun ini terdiri dari 76 huruf . 19 x 4.

10. Sura 96, pertama di (dalam) urutan yang menurut urutan waktu, terdiri dari ….. 19 ayat.

11. Surat yang pertama menurut urutan waktu ini ditempatkan dari surat terakhir sebanyak .. 19 surat.

12. Sura 96 terdiri dari 304 huruf Arab, dan 304 sama dengan 19 x 16.

13. Ayat yang turun terakhir (Sura 110) terdiri dari ……. 19 kata-kata.

14. Ayat Pertama dari surat yang turun terakhir ( 110:1) terdiri dari …………… 19 huruf

15. 14 huruf Arab yang berbeda, membentuk 14 satuan yang berbeda “Inisial Quranic” ( seperti A.L.M. di 2:1), dan mengawali 29 surat. Jika ditambahkan 14+14+29= 57= …… 19 x 3.

16. Total dari 29 nomor surat di mana terdapat Inisial Quranic jika dijumlah : 2+3+7+…+50+68= 822, dan 822+14 ( 14 set inisial) sama 836, atau….. 19 x 44.

17. Antara surat dengan inisial yang pertama ( Surat 2) dan surat dengan inisial terakhir ( Sura 68) ada 38 surat tanpa inisial atau 19 x 2.

18. Antara surat dengan inisial pertama dan terakhir, ada …. 19 set surat “berinisial” dan “tak berinisial” suras.

19. Quran menyebutkan 30 angka-angka berbeda: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 19, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 99, 100, 200, 300, 1000, 2000, 3000, 5000, 50,000,& 100,000. Penjumlahan dari angka-angka ini adalah 162146, yang mana sama dengan 19x8534.

Inilah suatu ringkasan tentang Fakta Yang sederhana itu.

sumber : http://www.submission.org/

HIKMAH PENGHARAMAN BABI

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Hal ini penting untuk diketahui, terutama oleh pemuda-pemuda kita yang sering pergi ke negara-negara Eropa dan Amerika, yang menjadikan daging babi sebagai makanan pokok dalam hidangan mereka.

Dalam kesempatan ini, saya sitir kembali kejadian yang berlangsung ketika Imam Muhammad Abduh mengunjungi Perancis.

Mereka bertanya kepadanya mengenai rahasia diharamkannya babi dalam Islam. Mereka bertanya kepada Imam,

"Kalian (umat Islam) mengatakan bahwa babi haram, karena ia memakan sampah yang mengandung cacing pita, mikroba-mikroba dan bakteri-bakteri lainnya. Hal itu sekarang ini sudah tidak ada. Karena babi diternak dalam peternakan modern, dengan kebersihan terjamin, dan proses sterilisasi yang mencukupi.Bagaimana mungkin babi-babi itu terjangkit cacing pita atau bakteri dan mikroba lainnya?"

Imam Muhammad Abduh tidak langsung menjawab pertanyaan itu, dan dengan kecerdikannya beliau meminta mereka untuk menghadirkan dua ekor ayam jantan beserta satu ayam betina, dan dua ekor babi jantan beserta satu babi betina.

Mengetahui hal itu, mereka bertanya, "Untuk apa semua ini?"

Beliau menjawab,"Penuhi apa yang saya minta, maka akan saya perlihatkan suatu rahasia."

Mereka memenuhi apa yang beliau minta.Kemudian beliau memerintahkan agar melepas dua ekor ayam jantan bersama satu ekor ayam betina dalam satu kandang.Kedua ayam jantan itu berkelahi dan saling membunuh,untuk mendapatkan ayam betina bagi dirinya sendiri,hingga salah satu dari keduanya hampir tewas.Beliau lalu memerintahkan agar mengurung kedua ayam tersebut. Kemudian beliau memerintahkan mereka untuk melepas dua ekor babi jantan bersama dengan satu babi betina. Kali ini mereka

menyaksikan keanehan.Babi jantan yang satu membantu temannya sesama jantan untuk melaksanakan hajat seksualnya,tanpa rasa cemburu, tanpa harga diri atau keinginan untuk menjaga babi betina dari temannya.

Selanjutnya beliau berkata, "Saudara-saudara, daging babi membunuh 'ghirah' orang yang memakannya. Itulah yang terjadi pada kalian.Seorang lelaki dari kalian melihat isterinya bersama lelaki lain, dan membiarkannya tanpa rasa cemburu, dan seorang

bapak di antara kalian melihat anak perempuannya bersama lelaki asing,dan kalian membiarkannya tanpa rasa cemburu, dan was-was,karena daging babi itu menularkan sifat-sifatnya pada orang yang memakannya."

Kemudian beliau memberikan contoh yang baik sekali dalam syariat Islam.Yaitu Islam mengharamkan beberapa jenis ternak dan unggas yang berkeliaran di sekitar kita,yang memakan kotorannya sendiri.Syariah memerintahkan bagi orang yang ingin menyembelih ayam,bebek atau angsa yang memakan kotorannya sendiri agar mengurungnya selama tiga hari, memberinya makan dan memperhatikan apa yang dikonsumsi oleh hewan itu.Hingga perutnya bersih dari kotoran-kotoran yang mengandung bakteri dan mikroba. Karena penyakit ini akan berpindah kepada manusia,tanpa diketahui dan dirasakan oleh orang yang memakannya. Itulah hukum Allah, seperti itulah hikmah Allah.

Ilmu pengetahuan modern telah mengungkapkan banyak penyakit yang disebabkan mengkonsumsi daging babi. Sebagian darinya disebutkan oleh Dr. Murad Hoffman, seorang Muslim Jerman, dalam bukunya"Pergolakan Pemikiran: Catatan Harian Muslim Jerman", halaman 130-131:"Memakan daging babi yang terjangkiti cacing babi tidak hanya berbahaya, tetapi juga dapat menyebabkan meningkatnya kandungan kolestrol dan memperlambat proses penguraian protein dalam tubuh,yang mengakibatkan kemungkinan terserang kanker usus, iritasi kulit,eksim, dan rematik.Bukankah sudah kita ketahui, virus-virus influenza yang berbahaya hidup dan berkembang pada musim panas karena medium babi?"

Dr. Muhammad Abdul Khair, dalam bukunya Ijtihadat fi at Tafsir al Qur'an al Karim, halaman 112, menyebutkan beberapa penyakit yang disebabkan oleh daging babi: "Daging babi mengandung benih-benih cacing pita dan cacing trachenea lolipia.

Cacing-cacing ini akan berpindah kepada manusia yang mengkonsumsi daging babi tersebut.Patut dicatat, hingga saat ini, generasi babi belum terbebaskan dari cacing-cacing ini. Penyakit lain yang ditularkan oleh daging babi banyak sekali, di antaranya:

Kolera babi. Yaitu penyakit berbahaya yang disebabkan oleh virus

Keguguran nanah, yang disebabkan oleh bakteri prosillia babi.

Kulit kemerahan, yang ganas dan menahun. Yang pertama bisa menyebabkan kematian dalam beberapa kasus, dan yang kedua menyebabkan gangguan persendian.Penyakit pengelupasan kulit.

Benalu eskares, yang berbahaya bagi manusia.

Fakta-fakta berikut cukup membuat seseorang untuk segera menjauhi babi:

Babi adalah hewan yang kerakusannya dalam makan tidak tertandingi hewan lain.Ia makan semua makanan di depannya.Jika perutnya telah penuh atau makanannya telah habis, ia akan memuntahkan isi perutnya dan memakannya lagi, untuk memuaskan kerakusannya.Ia tidak akan berhenti makan, bahkan memakan muntahannya.

Ia memakan semua yang bisa dimakan di hadapannya.Memakan kotoran apa pun di depannya, entah kotoran manusia,hewan atau tumbuhan, bahkan memakan kotorannya sendiri, hingga tidak ada lagi yang bisa dimakan di hadapannya.Ia mengencingi kotoranya dan memakannya jika berada di hadapannya,kemudian memakannya kembali.Ia memakan sampah, busuk-busukan, dan kotoran hewan.Ia adalah hewan mamalia satu-satunya yang memakan tanah,memakannya dalam jumlah besar dan dalam waktu lama, jika dibiarkan.Kulit orang yang memakan babi akan mengeluarkan bau yang tidak sedap.Penelitian ilmiah modern di dua negara Timur dan Barat, yaitu Cina dan Swedia --Cina mayoritas penduduknya penyembah berhala, sedangkan Swedia mayoritas penduduknya sekular-- menyatakan:daging babi merupakan penyebab utama ka nker anus dan kolon. Persentase penderita penyakit ini di negara-negara yang penduduknya memakan babi meningkat secara drastis. Terutama di negara-negara Eropa, dan Amerika,serta di negara-negara Asia (seperti Cina dan India).

Sementara di negara-negara Islam, persentasenya amat rendah, sekitar 1/1000. Hasil penelitian ini dipublikasikan pada 1986, dalam Konferensi Tahunan Sedunia tentang Penyakit Alat Pencernaan,yang diadakan di Sao Paulo.Kini kita tahu betapa besar hikmah Allah mengharamkan daging dan lemak babi.Untuk diketahui bersama, pengharaman tersebut tidak hanya daging babi saja,namun juga semua makanan yang diproses dengan lemak

babi,seperti beberapa jenis permen dan coklat, juga beberapa jenis roti yang bagian atasnya disiram dengan lemak babi.Kesimpulannya, semua hal yang menggunakan lemak hewan hendaknya diperhatikan sebelum disantap. Kita tidak memakannya kecuali setelah yakin bahwa makanan itu tidak mengandung lemak atau minyak babi,sehingga kita tidak terjatuh ke dalam kemaksiatan terhadap Allah SWT,dan tidak terkena bahaya-bahaya yang melatarbelakangi Allah SWT mengharamkan daging dan lemak babi.

Oleh: Syeikh Fauzi Muhammad Abduh

PLANTS

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PART OF BODY

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FISH

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PLANTS

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LAMB

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BEES

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AMAZING

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ROCK

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QUARTZ

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AURORA

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CLOUDS

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MARS

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EARTH

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MOON

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MOUNTAIN

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TREE

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OCEAN

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FIRE

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THE CASE OF SAUDI ARABIA

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Because of the presence of the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah in its

midst, Saudi Arabia is the heartland and center of the Islamic world and its

development is of great significance for the Islamic world as a whole. It is,

therefore, necessary to deal with it separately albeit briefly. Already in the

18th century, the Sa'ud family in Najd in alliance with 'Adba al-Wahhab

and their followers became a political power to be reckoned with. In the

early 19th century the newly established Saudi power created by

Muhammad ibn Sa'ud united much of Arabia and even influenced other

parts of the Muslim world. The Ottomans, wary of the rise of this new and

independent power, asked Muhammad Ali, the ruler of Egypt, to crush the

new movement. After several campaigns, Muhammad Ali succeeded and

the first Saudi state ended. A second Saudi state was established briefly in

19th century. Finally toward the end of the century 'Abd al-Aziz ibn Sa'ud,

an exceptionally gifted military leader and statesman, succeeded against

considerable odds to overcome external and internal opposition, especially

of the Rashid family, to recapture Riyadh with a small number of men in

1902 and from there to extend his power over the rest of Najd and finally

the Hijaz and Asir. By 1926 he had gained control of Makkah, Jeddah and

Madinah and was recognized as the king of the vast area which henceforth

became known as Saudi Arabia. The Saudi family rules to this day in that

land, considering itself first and foremost as Khadim al-Haramayn, that is,

servant of the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.

With oil discovered in the late 30's in Saudi Arabia, the country became

transformed rapidly from a predominantly Bedouin society to a country

with major urban centers, ports, a vast network of highways, and the most

modern communications systems. From the 1950's to the 1970's more

financial rescuers were used in the building of Saudi Arabia than in any

other country during a comparable period. The result was a vast

transformation of the land and the life of its inhabitants, while at the same

time Islamic Law has continued to be strictly observed and Islam continues

to be the guiding principle of society.

Besides the adaptation of modern technology and the creation of major

industries which include not only the oil industry but petrochemicals and

electronics, Saudi Arabia has concentrated upon the training of its human

resources and educational development. Major universities have been

established starting in the 1960's and today the country boasts of not only

such religious universities as the Umm al-qura in Makkah, the Islamic

University of Madinah, and Imam Muhammad ibn Sa'ud Islamic University

in Riyadh, but also the King Sa'ud University in Riyadh with 35,000

students, the King 'Abdal-'Aziz University in Jeddah, and the King Fahd

University of Petroleum and Minerals of Dharan, all of which provide

excellent programs in the sciences and technology. Saudi Arabia also has an

extensive program of sending students to America and Europe, mostly in

technical fields. Some of these students have also participated in scientific

and technological research in the West. The first Muslim astronaut was in

fact from Saudi Arabia. This pioneer, Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul

Aziz, flew in the shuttle Discovery in 1985 and launched the first Arab

satellite. Important Islamic research institutions have also been established

in Saudi Arabia to encourage scientific and scholarly activity. These

include the King Faisal Islamic Foundation which provides major annual

awards in the medical and scientific fields and the King Abd al-Aziz

Scientific City which sponsors a wide range of original scientific research.

The Saudis have also spent much of their oil wealth in welfare and health

projects both within Saudi Arabia and throughout the Islamic world. Their

concern for Islamic matters is shown not only in the building of numerous

mosques and the support of Islamic programs throughout the world, but

most of all in their care for the pilgrims who come annually to perform the

rites of hajj from all over the world. Thanks to modern methods of

transportation, the number of pilgrims has increased from a few tens of

thousands fifty or sixty years ago to some two million today. To care for

the greatest annual assembly on earth is a stupendous task which the Saudis

have carried out successfully over the years. They have built a special

airport in Jeddah for the pilgrims, the building being one of the

masterpieces of contemporary architecture, and have expanded greatly the

areas of the sanctuary (human) of both Makkah and Madianh. The

treatment of the problems of the hajj represent perhaps the best example of

the Saudis' attempt to apply the possibilities of modern technology to

specifically Islamic needs. It symbolizes the intention of Saudi Arabia to

make use of modern science and technology white reaming a profoundly

Islamic society.

CONCLUSION

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The Islamic world remains today a vast land stretching from the Atlantic to

the Pacific, with an important presence in Europe and America, animated

by the teachings of Islam and seeking to assert its own identity. Despite the

presence of nationalism and various secular ideologies in their midst,

Muslims various secular ideologies in their midst, Muslims wish to live in

the modern world but without simply imitating blindly the ways followed

by the West. The Islamic world wishes to live at peace with the West as

well as the East but at the same time not to be dominated by them. It wishes

to devote its resources and energies to building a better lift for its people

on the basis of the teachings of Islam and not to squander its resources in

either internal or external conflicts. It seeds finally to create better

understanding with the West and to be better understanding each other

better that they can serve their own people more successfully and also

contribute to a better life for the whole of humanity.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD

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In seeking to live successfully in the modern world, in independence and

according to Islamic principles, Muslim countries have been emphasizing a

great deal the significance of the role of education and the importance of

mastering Western science and technology. Already in the 19th century,

certain Muslim countries such as Egypt, Ottoman Turkey and Persia

established institutions of higher learning where the modern sciences and

especially medicine were taught. During this century educational

institutions at all levels have poliferated throughout the Islamic world.

Nearly every science ranging from mathematics to biology as well as

various fields of modern technology are taught in these institutions and

some notable scientists have been produced by the Islamic world, men and

women who have often combined education in these institutions with

training in the West.

In various part of the Islamic world there is, however, a sense that

educational institutions must be expanded and also have their standards

improved to the level of the best institutions in the world in various fields

of learning especially science and technology. At the same time there is an

awareness that the educational system must be based totally on Islamic

principles and the influence of alien cultural and ethical values and norms,

to the extent that they are negative, be diminished. To remedy this problem

a number of international Islamic educational conferences have been held,

the first one in Makkah in 19tt, and the foremost thinkers of the Islamic

world have been brought together to study and ponder over the question of

the relation between Islam and modern science. This is an ongoing process

which is at the center of attention in many part of the Islamic world and

which indicates the significance of educational questions in the Islamic

world today.

THE REVIVAL AND REASSERTATION OF ISLAM

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Muslims did not wish to gain only political independence, They also wished

to assert their own religious and cultural identity. From the 18th century

onward Muslim reformers appeared upon the scene who sought to reassert

the teachings of Islam and to reform society on the basis of Islamic

teachings. One of the first among this group was Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-

Wahhab, who hailed from the Arabian peninsula and died there in 1792.

This reformer was supported by Muhammad ibn al-Sa'ud, the founder to

the first Saudi State. With this support Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab

was able to spread his teachings not only in Arabia but even beyond its

borders to other Islamic lands where his reforms continue to wield

influence to this day.

In the 19th century Islamic assertion took several different forms ranging

from the Mahdi movement of the Sudan and the Sanusiyyah in North

Africa which fought wars against European colonizers, to educational

movements such as that of Aligarh in India aiming to reeducate Muslims.

In Egypt which, because of al-Azhar University, remains to this day central

to Islamic learning, a number of reformers appear, each addressing some

aspect of Islamic thought. Some were concerned more with law, others

economics, and yet others the challenges posed by Western civilization with

its powerful science and technology. These included Jamal al-Din al

Afghani who hailed originally from Persia but settled in Cairo and who

was the great champion of Pan-Islamism, that is the movement to unite the

Islamic world politically as sell as religiously. His student, Muhammad

'Abduh, who became the rector of al-Azhar, was also very influential in

Islamic theology and thought. Also of considerable influence was his Syrian

student, Rashid Rida, who held a position closer to that of 'Abd al-Wahhab

and stood for the strict application of the Shari'ah.

Among the most famous of these thinkers is Muhammad Iqbal, the

outstanding poet and philosopher who is considered as the father of

Pakistan. Moreover, as Western influence began to penetrate more deeply

into the fiber of Islamic society, organizations gradually grew up whose

goal was to reform society in practice along Islamic lines and prevent its

secularization. These included the Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan al-

Muslimin) founded in Egypt and with branches in many Muslim contries,

and the Jama'at-I Islami of Pakistan founded by the influential Mawlana

Mawdudi. These organizations have been usually peaceful and have sought

to reestablish an Islamic order through eduction. During the last two

decades, however, as a result of the frustration of many Muslims in the

face of pressures coming from a seculatized outside world, some have

sought to reject the negative aspects of Western thought and culture and to

return to an Islamic society based completely on the application of the

Shari'ah.

Today in every Muslim country there are strong movements to preserve

and propagate Islamic teachings. In countries such as Saudi Arabia Islamic

Law is already being applied and in fact is the reason for the prosperity,

development and stability of the country. In other countries where Islamic

Law is not being applied, however, most of the effort of Islamic

movements is spent in making possible the full application of the Shari'ah

so that the nation can enjoy prosperity along with the fulfillment of the

faith of its people. In any case the widespread desire for Muslims to have

the religious law of Islam applied and to reassert their religious values and

their own identity must not be equated with exceptional violent eruptions

which do exist but which are usually treated sensationally and taken out

proportion by the mass media in the West.

THE AFTERMATH OF THE COLONIAL PERIOD

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"Most surely man is in loss, except those who believe and do good, and

enjoin on each other truth, and enjoin of each other patience" (Qurna,

Surah CIII:2-3).

At the height of European colonial expansion in the 19th century, most of

the Islamic world was under colonial rule with the exception of a few

regions such as the heart of the Ottoman empire, Persia, Afghanistan,

Yemen and certain parts of Arabia. Bus even these areas were under

foreign influence or, in the case of the Ottomans, under constant threat.

After the First World War with the breakup of the Ottoman empire, a

number of Arab states such as Iraq became independent, others like Jordan

were created as a new entity and yet others like Palestine, Syria and

Lebanon were either mandated or turned into French colonies. As for

Arabia, it was at this time that Saudi Arabia became finally consolidated.

As for other parts of the Islamic world, Egypt which had been ruled by the

descendants of Muhammad Ali since the 19th century became more

independent as a result of the fall of the Ottomans, Turkey was turned into

a secular republic by Ataturk, and the Pahlavi dynasty began a new chapter

in Persia where its name reverted to its eastern traditional form of Iran.

But most of the rest of the Islamic world remained under colonial rule.

It was only after the Second World War and the dismemberment of the

British, French, Dutch and Spanish empires that the rest of the Islamic

world gained its independence. In the Arab world, Syria and Lebanon

became independent at the end of the war as did Libya and shaykdoms

around the Gulf and the Arabian Sea by the 1960's. The North African

countries of Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria had to fight a difficult and, in

the case of Algeria, long and protracted war to gain their freedom which

did not come until a decade later for Tunisia and Morocco and two decades

later for Algeria. Only Palestine did not become independent but was

partitioned in 1948 with the establishment of the state of Israel.

In India Muslims participated in the freedom movement against British rule

along with Hindus and when independence finally came in 1947, they were

able to create their own homeland, Pakistan, which came into being for the

sake of Islam and became the most populated Muslim state although many

Muslims remained in India. In 1971, however, the two parts of the state

broke up, East Pakistan becoming Bangladesh. Farther east still, the

Indonesians finally gained their independence from the Dutch and the

Malays theirs from Britain. At first Singapore was part of Malaysia but it

separated in 1963 to become an independent state. Small colonies still

persisted in the area and continued to seek their independence, the kingdom

of Brunei becoming independent as recently as 1984.

In Africa also major countries with large or majority Muslim populations

such as Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania began to gain their independence in

the 1950's and 1960's with the result that by the end of the decade of the

60's most parts of the Islamic world were formed into independent national

states. There were, however, exceptions. The Muslim states in the Soviet

Union failed to gain their autonomy or independence. The same holds true

for Sinkiang (called Eastern Turkestan by Muslim geographers) while in

Erirea and the southern Philippines Muslim independence movements still

continue.

While the world of Islam has entered into the modern world in the form of

national states, continuos attempts are made to create closer cooperation

within the Islamic world as a whole and to bring about greater unity. This

is seen not only in the meetings of the Muslim heads of state and the

establishment of the OIC (Organization of Islamic Countries) with its own

secretariat, but also in the creation of institutions dealing with the whole of

the Islamic world. Among the most important of these is the Muslim World

League (Rabitat al-Alam Al-Islami) with its headquarters in Makkah, Saudi

Arabia has in fact played a pivotal role in the creation and maintenance of

such organizations.

THE INFLUENCE OF ISLAMIC SCIENCE AND LEARNING

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The oldest university in the world which is still functioning is the eleven

hundred-year-old Islamic University of Fez, Morocco, known as the

Qarawiyyin. This old tradition of Islamic learning influenced the West

greatly through Spain. In this land where Muslims, Christians and Jews

lived for the most part peacefully for may centuries, translations began to

be made in the 11th century mostly in Toledo of Islamic works into Latin

often through the intermediary of Jewish scholars most of whom knew

Arabic and often wrote in Arabic. As a result of these translations, Islamic

thought and through it much of Greek thought became known to the West

and Western schools of learning began to flourish. Even the Islamic

educational system was emulated in Europe and to this day the term chair

in a university reflects the Arabic Kursi (literally seat) upon which a

teacher would sit to teach his students in the Madrasah (school of higher

learning). As European civilization grew and reached the high Middle

Ages, there was hardly a field of learning or a form of art, whether it was

literature or architecture, where there was not some influence of Islam

present. Islamic learning became in this way part and parcel of Western

civilization even if with the advent of the Renaissance, the West not only

turned against its own medieval past put also sought to forget the long

relation it had with the Islamic world, one which was based on intellectual

respect despite religious opposition.

ARCHITECTURE

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One of the major achievements of Islamic civilization is architecture which

combines technology and art. The great masterpieces of Islamic

architecture from the Cordoba Mosque and the Dome of Rock in Jerusalem

to the Taj Mahal in India display this perfect wedding between the artistic

principles of Islam and remarkable technological know-how. Much of the

outstanding medieval architecture of the West is in fact indebted to the

techniques of Islamic architecture. When one views the Notre Dame in

Paris or some other Gothic cathedral, one is reminded of the building

techniques which traveled from Muslim Cordoba northward. Gothic arches

as well as interior courtyards' of so many medieval and Renaissance

European structures remind the viewer of the Islamic architectural

examples from which they originally drew. In fact the great medieval

European architecture can also be directly experienced in the Moorish style

found not only in Spain and Latin America, but in the southwestern United

States as well.

TECHNOLOGY

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Islam inherited the millennial experience in various forms of technology

from the peoples who entered the fold of Islam and the nations which

became part of Dar al-islam. A wide range of technological knowledge,

from the building of water wheels by the Romans to the underground

water system by the Persians, became part and parcel of the technology of

the newly founded order.

Muslims also imported certain kinds of technology from the Far East such

as paper which they brought from China and whose technology they later

transmitted to the West. They also developed many forms of technology on

the basis of earlier existing knowledge such as the metallurgical art making

the famous Damascene swords, and art which goes back to the making of

steel several thousand years before on the Iranian Plateau. Likewise

Muslims developed new architectural techniques of vaulting, methods of

ventilation, preparations of dyes, techniques of weaving, technologies

related to irrigation and numerous other forms of technology, some of

which survive to this day.

In general Islamic civilization emphasized the harmony between man and

nature as seen in traditional design of Islamic cities. Maximum use was

made of natural elements and forces, and men built in harmony with, not in

opposition to nature. Some of the Muslim technological feats such as dams

which have survived for over a millennium, domes which can withstand

earthquakes, and steel which reveals incredible metallurgical know-how,

attest to the exceptional attainment of Muslims in many fields of

technology. In fact it was a vastly superior technology that first impressed

the Crusaders in their unsuccessful attempt to capture the Holly Land and

much of this technology was brought back by the Crusaders to the rest of

Europe.

CHEMISTRY

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The very name alchemy as well as its derivative chemistry come from the

Arabic al-Kimiya'. The Muslims mastered Alexandrian and very early in

their history, produced their greatest alchemist, Jabir ibn Hayyan (the Latin

Geber) who lived in the 8th century. Putting the cosmological and symbolic

aspects of alchemy aside, one can assert that this art led to much

experimentation with various materials and in the hands of Muhammad Ibn

Zakariyya' al-Razi was converted into the science of chemistry. To this day

certain chemical instruments such as the alembic (al-'ambiq) still bear their

original Arabic names and the mercury-sulphur theory of Islamic alchemy

remains as the foundation of the acid-base theory of chemistry. Al-Razi's

division of materials into animal, vegetable and mineral is still prevalent

and a vast body of knowledge of materials accumulated by Islamic

alchemists and chemists has survived over the centuries in both East and

West. For example the use of dyes in objects of Islamic art ranging from

carpets to miniatures or the making of glass have much to do with this

branch of learning which the West learned completely from Islamic

sources since alchemy was not studied and practiced in the West before the

translation of Arabic texts into Latin in the 11th century.

NATURAL HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

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The vast expanse of the Islamic world enabled the Muslims to develop

natural history based not only on the Mediterranean world, as was the case

of the Greek natural historians, but also on most of the Eurasian and even

African land masses. knowledge of minerals, plants and animals was

assembled from areas as far away as the Malay world and synthesized for

the first time by Ibn Sina in his Kitab al-Shifa' (The Book of Healing).

Such major natural and human history. Al-Biruni likewise in his study of

India turned to the natural history and even geology of the region,

describing correctly the sedimentary nature of the Ganges basin. He also

wrote the most outstanding Muslim work on mineralogy.

As for botany, the most important treatises were composed in the 12th

century in Spain with the appearance of the work of al-Ghafiqi. This is also

the period when the best known Arabic work on agriculture, The Kitab alfalahah,

was written. The Muslims also showed much interest in zoology

especially in horses as witnessed by the classical text of al-Jawaliqi, and in

falcons and other hunting birds. The works of al-Jahiz and al-Damiri are

especially famous in the field of zoology and deal with the literary, moral

and even theological dimensions of the study of animals as well as the

purely zoological aspects of the subject. This is also true of a whole class of

writings on the "wonders of creation" of which the book of Abu Yahya al-

Qazwini, the Aja'ib al-makhluqat (The Wonders of Creation) is perhaps the

most famous.

Likewise in geography, Muslims were able to extend their horizons far

beyond the world of Ptolemy. As a result of travel over land and by sea

and the facile exchange of ideas made possible by the unified structure of

the Islamic world and the hajj which enables pilgrims from all over the

Islamic world to gather and exchange ideas in addition to visiting the House

of God, a vast amount of knowledge of areas from the Pacific to the

Atlantic was assembled. The Muslim geography of practically the whole

globe minus the Americas, dividing the earth into the traditional seven

climes each of which they studied carefully from both a geographical and

climactic point of view. They also began to draw maps some of which

reveal with remarkable accuracy many features such as the origin of the

Nile, not discovered in the West until much later. The foremost among

Muslim geographers was Abu 'Abdallah al-drisi, who worked at the court

of Roger II in Sicily and who dedicated his famous book, Kitab al-rujari

(The Book of Roger) to him. His maps are among the great achievements

of Islamic Science. It was in fact with the help of Muslim geographers and

navigators that Magellan crossed the Cape of Good Hope into the Indian

Ocean. Even Columbus made use of their knowledge in his discovery of

America.

THE MEDICAL SCIENCES

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The Hadiths of the Prophet contain many instructions concerning health

including dietary habits; these sayings became the foundation of what came

to be known later as "Prophetic medicine" (al-tibb al-nabawi). Because of

the great attention paid in Islam to the need to take care of the body and to

hygiene, early in Islamic history Muslims began to cultivate the field of

medicine turning once again to all the knowledge that was available to them

from Greek, Persians and Indian sources. At first the great physicians

among Muslims were mostly Christian but by the 9th century Islamic

medicine, properly speaking, was born with the appearance of the major

compendium, The Paradise of Wisdom (Firdaws al-hikmah) by 'Ali ibn

Rabban al-Tabari, who synthesized the Hippocratic and Galemic traditions

of medicine with those of India and Persia. His student, Muhammad ibn

Zakariyya' al-Razi (the Latin Rhazes), was one of the greatest of physicians

who emphasized clinical medicine and observation. He was a master of

prognosis and psychosomatic medicine and also of anatomy. He was the

first to identify and treat smallpox, to use alcohol as an antiseptic and make

medical use of mercury as a purgative. His Kitab al-hawi (Continens) is the

longest work ever written in Islamic medicine and he was recognized as a

medical authority in the West up to the 18th century.

The greatest of all Muslim physicians, however, was Ibn Sina who was

called "the prince of physicians" in the West. He synthesized Islamic

medicine in his major masterpiece, al-Qanun fi'ltibb (The Canon of

Medicine), which is the most famous of all medical books in history. It was

the final authority in medical books in history. It was the final authority in

medical matters in Europe for nearly six centuries and is still taught

wherever Islamic medicine has survived to this day in such land as Pakistan

and India. Ibn Sina discovered many drugs and identified and treated

several ailments such as meningitis but his greatest contribution was in the

philosophy of medicine. He created a system of medicine within which

medical practice could be carried out and in which physical and

psychological factors, drugs and diet are combined.

After Ibn Sina, Islamic medicine divided into several branches. In the Arab

world Egypt remained a major center for the study of medicine, especially

ophthalmology which reached its peak at the court of al-Hakim. Cairo

possessed excellent hospitals which also drew physicians from other lands

including Ibn Butlan, author of the famous Calendar of Health, and Ibn

Nafis who discovered the lesser or pulmonary circulation of the blood long

before Michael Servetus, who is usually credited with the discovery.

As for the western lands of Islam including Spain, this area was likewise

witness to the appearance of outstanding physicians such as Sa'd al-Katib of

Cordoba who composed a treatise on gynecology, and the greatest Muslim

figure in surgery, the 12th century Abu'l-Qasim al-Zahrawi (the Latin

Albucasis) whose medical masterpiece Kitab al-tasrif was well known in the

West as Concessio. One must also mention the Ibn Zuhr family which

produced several outstanding physicians and Abu Marwan 'Abd al-Malik

who was the Maghrib's most outstanding clinical physician. The well

known Spanish philosophers, Ibn Tufayl and Ibn Rushd, were also

outstanding physicians.

Islamic medicine continued in Persia and the other eastern lands of the

Islamic world under the influence of Ibn Sina with the appearance of major

Persian medical compendia such as the Treasury of Sharaf al-Din al-Jurjani

and the commentaries upon the Canon by Fakhr al-Din al-Razi and Qutb al

Din al-Shirazi. Even after the Mongol invasion, medical studies continued

as can be seen in the work of Rashid al-Din Fadlallah, and for the first time

there appeared translations of Chinese medicine and interest in acupuncture

among Muslims. The Islamic medical tradition was revived in Safavid

period when several diseases such as the first time and much attention was

paid to pharmacology. Many Persian doctors such as 'Ayn al-Mulk of

Shiraz also traveled to India at this time to usher in golden age of Islamic

medicine in the subcontinent and to plant the seed of the Islamic medical

tradition which continues to flourish to this day in the soil of that land.

The Ottoman world was also an arena of great medical activity derived

from the heritage of Ibn Sina. The Ottoman Turks were especially known

for the creation of major hospitals and medical centers. These included not

only units for the care of the physically ill, but also wards for patients with

psychological ailments. The Ottomans were also the first to receive the

influence of modern European medicine in both medicine and

pharmacology.

In mentioning Islamic hospitals it is necessary to mention that all major

Islamic cities had hospitals; some like those of Baghdad were teaching

hospitals while some like the Nasiri hospital of Cairo had thousands of beds

for patients with almost any type of illness. Hygiene in these hospitals was

greatly emphasized and al-Razi had even written a treatise on hygiene in

hospitals. Some hospitals also specialized in particular diseases including

psychological ones. Cairo even had a hospital which specialized in patients

having insomnia.

Islamic medical authorities were also always concerned with the

significance of pharmacology and many important works such as the Canon

have whole books devoted to the subject. The Muslims became heir not

only to the pharmacological knowledge of the Greeks as contained in the

works of Dioscorides, but also the vast herbal pharmacopias of the Persians

and Indians. They also studied the medical effects of many drugs, especially

herbs, themselves. The greatest contributions in this field came from

Maghribi scientists such as Ibn JulJul, Ibn al-Salt and the most original of

Muslim pharmacologists, the 12th century scientist, al-Ghafiqi, whose Book

of Simple Drugs provides the best descriptions of the medical properties of

plants known to Muslims. Islamic medicine combined the use of drugs for

medical purposes with dietary considerations and a whole lifestyle derived

from the teachings of Islam to create a synthesis which has not died out to

this day despite the introduction of modern medicine into most of the

Islamic world.

THE MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES AND PHYSICS

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The Muslim mind has always been attracted to the mathematical sciences in

accordance with the "abstract" character of the doctrine of Oneness which

lies at the heart of Islam. The mathematical sciences have traditionally

included astronomy, mathematics itself and much of what is called physics

today. In astronomy the Muslims integrated the astronomical traditions of

the Indians, Persians, the ancient Near East and especially the Greeks into a

synthesis which began to chart a new chapter in the history of astronomy

from the 8th century onward. The Almagest of Ptolemy, whose very name

in English reveals the Arabic origin of its Latin translation, was thoroughly

studied and its planetary theory criticized by several astronomers of both

the eastern and western lands of Islam leading to the major critique of the

theory by Nasir al-Din al-Tusi and his students, especially Qutb al-Din al-

Shirazi, in the 13th century.

The Muslims also observed the heavens carefully and discovered many new

stars. The book on stars of 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi was in fact translated

into Spanish by Alfonso X el Sabio and had a deep influence upon stellar

toponymy in European languages. Many star names in English such as

Aldabran still recall their Arabic origin. The Muslims carried out many

fresh observations which were contained in astronomical tables called Zij.

One of the acutest of these observers was al-Battani whose work was

followed by numerous others. The Zij of al-Ma'mun observed in Baghdad,

the Hakimite Zij of Cairo, the Toledan Tables of al-Zarqali and his

associated, the II-Khanid Zij of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi observed in Maraghah,

and the Zij of Ulugh-Beg from Samarqand are among the most famous

Islamic astronomical tables. They wielded a great deal of influence upon

Western astronomy up to the time of Tycho Brahe. The Muslims were in

fact the first to create an astronomical observatory as a scientific

institution, this being the observatory of Maraghah in Persia established by

al-Tusi. This was indirectly the model for the later European

observatories. Many astronomical instruments were developed by Muslims

to carry out observation, the most famous being the astrolabe. There

existed even mechanical astrolabes perfected by Ibn Samh which must be

considered as the ancestor of the mechanical clock.

Astronomical observations also had practical applications including not

only finding the direction of Makkah for prayers, but also devising

almanacs (the word itself being of Arabic origin). The Muslims also

applied their astronomical knowledge to questions of time-keeping and the

calendar. The most exact solar calendar existing to this day is the Jalali

calendar devised under the direction of 'Umar Khayyam in the 12th

century and still in use in Persia and Afghanistan.

As for mathematics proper, like astronomy, it received its direct impetus

from the Quran not only because of the mathematical structure related to

the text of the Sacred Book, but also because the laws of inheritance

delineated in the Quran require rather complicated mathematical solutions.

Here again Muslims began by integrating Greek and Indian mathematics.

The first great Muslim mathematician, al-Khwarazmi, who lived in the 9th

century, wrote a treatise on arithmetic whose Latin translation brought

what is known as Arabic numerals to the West. To this day guarismo,

derived from his name, means figure or digit in Spanish while algorithm is

still used in English. Al-Khwarzmi is also the author of the first book on

algebra. This science was developed by Muslims on the basis of earlier

Greek and Indian works of a rudimentary nature. The very name algebra

comes from the first part of the name of the book of al-Khwarazmi,

entitled Kitab al-jabr wa'l-muqabalah. Abu Kamil al-Shuja' discussed

algebraic equations with five unknowns. The science was further developed

by such figures as al-Karaji until it reached its peak with Khayyam who

classified by kind and class algebraic equations up to the third degree.

The Muslims also excelled in geometry as reflected in their art. The

brothers Banu Musa who lived in the 9th century may be said to be the first

outstanding Muslim geometers while their contemporary Thabit ibn

Qurrah used the method of exhaustion, giving a glimpse of what was to

become integral calculus. Many Muslim mathematicians such as Khayyam

and al-Tusi also dealt with the fifth postulate of Euclid and the problems

which follow if one tries to prove this postulate within the confines of

Euclidin geometry.

Another branch of mathematics developed by Muslims is trigonometry

which was established as a distinct branch of mathematics by al-Biruni. The

Muslim mathematicians, especially al-Battani, Abu'l-Wafa', Ibn Yunus and

Ibn al-Haytham, also developed spherical astronomy and applied it to the

solution of astronomy and applied it to the solution of astronomical

problems.

The love for the study of magic squares and amicable numbers led Muslims

to develop the theory of numbers. Al-Khujandi discovered a particular case

of Fermat's theorem that "the sum of two cubes cannot be another cube",

while al-Karaji analyzed arithmetic and geometric progressions such as:

13+23+33+...+n3=(1+2+3+...+n)2. Al-Biruni also dealt with progressions

while Ghiyath al-Din Jamshid al-Kashani brought the study of number

theory among Muslims to its peak.

In the field of physics the Muslims made contributions in especially three

domains. The first was the measurement of specific weights of objects and

the study of the balance following upon the work of Archimedes. In this

domain the writings of al-Biruni and al-Khazini stand out. Secondly they

criticized the Aristotelian theory of projectile motion and tried to quantify

this type of motion. The critique of Ibn Sina, Abu'l-Barakat

al-Baghdadi, Ibn Bajjah and others led to the development of the idea of

impetus and momentum and played an important role in the criticism of

Aristotelian physics in the West up to the early writings of Galileo.

Thirdly there is the field of optics in which the Islamic sciences produced

in Ibn al-Haytham (the Latin Alhzen) who lived in the 11th century, the

greatest student of optics between Ptolemy and Witelo. Ibn al-Haytham's

main work on optics, the Kitab al-manazir, was also well known in the

West as Thesaurus opticus. Ibn al-Haytham solved many optical problems,

one of which is named after him, studied the property of lenses, discovered

the Camera Obscura, explained correctly the process of vision, studied the

structure of the eye, and explained for the first time why the sun and the

moon appear larger on the horizon. His interest in optics was carried out

two centuries later by Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi and Kamal al-Din al-Farisi. It

was Qutb al-Din who gave the first correct explanation of the formation of

the rainbow.

It is important to recall that in physics as in many other fields of science

the Muslims observed, measured and carried out experiments. They must

be credited with having developed what came to be known later as the

experimental method.

THE INTEGRATION OF THE PRE-ISLAMIC SCIENCES

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As Islam spread northward into Syria, Egypt, and the Persian empire, it

came face to face with the sciences of antiquity whose heritage had been

preserved in centers which now became a part of the Islamic world.

Alexandria had been a major center of sciences and learning for centuries.

The Greek learning cultivated in Alexandria was opposed by the Byzantines

who had burned its library long before the advent of Islam. The tradition

of Alexandrian learning did not die, however. It was transferred to

Antioch and from there farther east to such cities as Edessa by eastern

Christians who stood in sharp opposition to Byzantium and wished to have

their own independent centers of learning. Moreover, the Persian king,

Shapur I, had established Jundishapur in Persia as a second great center of

learning matching Antioch. He even invited Indian physicians and

mathematicians to teach in this major seat of learning, in addition to the

Christian scholars who taught in Syriac as well as the Persians whose

medium of instruction was Pahlavi.

Once Muslims established the new Islamic order during the Umayyad

period, they turned their attention to these centers of learning which had

been preserved and sought to acquaint themselves with the knowledge

taught and cultivated in them. They therefore set about with a concerted

effort of translate the philosophical and scientific works which were

available to them from not only Greek and Syriac (which was the language

of eastern Christian scholars) but also from Pahlavi, the scholarly language

of pro-Islamic Persia, and even from Sanskrit. Many of the accomplished

translators were Christian Arabs such as Hunayn ibn Ishaq, who was also

an outstanding physician, and others Persians such as Ibn Muqaffa', who

played a major role in the creation of the new Arabic prose style

conductive to the expression of philosophical and scientific writing. The

great movement of translation lasted from the beginning of the 8th to the

end of the 9th century, reaching its peak with the establishment of the

House of Wisdom (Bayt al-hikmah) by the caliph al-Ma'mun at the

beginning of the 9th

century.

The result of this extensive effort of the Islamic community to confront the

challenge of the presence of the various philosophies and sciences of

antiquity and to understand and digest them in its own terms and according

to its own world view was the translation of a vast corpus of writings into

Arabic. Most of the important philosophical and scientific works of

Aristotle and his school, much of Plato and the Pythagorean school, and the

major works of Greek astronomy, mathematics and medicine such as the

Almagest of Ptolemy, The Elements of Euclid, and the works of

Hippocrates and Galen, were all rendered into Arabic. Furthermore,

important works of astronomy, mathematics and medicine were translated

from Pahlavi and Sanskrit. As a result, Arabic became the most important

scientific language of the world for many centuries and the depository of

much of the wisdom and the sciences of antiquity.

The Muslims did not translate the scientific and philosophical works of

other civilizations out of fear of political or economic domination but

because the structure of Islam itself is based upon the primacy of

knowledge. Nor did they consider these forms of knowing as "un-Islamic"

as long as they confirmed the doctrine of God's Oneness which Islam

considers to have been at the heart of every authentic revelation from God.

Once these sciences and philosophies confirmed the principle of Oneness,

the Muslims considered them as their own. They made them part of their

world view and began to cultivate the Islamic sciences based on what they

had translated, analyzed, criticized, and assimilated, rejecting what was not

in conformity with the Islamic perspective.

THE ATTITUDE OF THE QURAN AND THE PROPHET

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"HE HAS TAUGHT YOU THAT WHICH [HERETOFORE] YOU KNEW

NOT" (QURAN, SURAH II:239)

Islam is a religion based upon knowledge for it is ultimately knowledge of

the Oneness of God combined with faith and total commitment to Him that

saves man. The text of the Quran is replete with verses inviting man to use

his intellect, to ponder, to think and to know, for the goal of human life is

to discover the Truth which is none other than worshipping God in His

Oneness. The Hadith literature is also full of references to the importance

of knowledge. Such sayings of the Prophet as "Seek knowledge even in

China", "Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave", and Verily the

men of knowledge are the inheritors of the prophets", have echoed

throughout the history of Islam and incited Muslims to seek knowledge

wherever it might be found. During most of its history, Islamic civilization

has been witness to a veritable celebration of knowledge. That is why every

traditional Islamic city possessed public and private libraries and some

cities like Cordoba and Baghdad boasted of libraries with over 400,000

books. Such cities also had bookstores, some of which sold a large number

of titles. That is also why the scholar has always been held in the highest

esteem in Islamic society.

ISLAMIC HISTORY AFTER THE MONGOL INVASION

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The Mongols devastated the eastern lands of Islam and ruled from the Sinai

Desert to India for a century. But they soon converted to Islam and became

known as the II-Khanids. They were in turn succeeded by Timur and his

descendants who made Samarqand their capital and ruled from 1369 to

1500. The sudden rise of Timur delayed the formation and expansion of

the Ottoman empire but soon the Ottomans became the dominant power in

the Islamic world.

From humble origins the Turks rose to dominate over the whole of

Anatolia and even parts of Europe. In 1453 Mehmet the Conqueror

captured Constantiople and put an end to the Byzantine empire. The

Ottomans conquered much of eastern Europe and nearly the whole of the

Arab world, only Morocco and Mauritania in the West and Yemen,

Hadramaut and parts of the Arabian peninsula remaining beyond their

control. They reached their zenith of power with Suleyman the Magnificent

whose armies reached Hungary and Austria. From the 17th century onward

with the rise of Western European powers and later Russia, the power of

the Ottomans began to wane. But they nevertheless remained a force to be

reckoned with until the First World War when they were defeated by

Western nations. Soon thereafter Kamal Ataturk gained power in Turkey

and abolished the six centuries of rule of the Ottomans in 1924.

While the Ottomans were concerned mostly with the western front of their

empire, to the east in Persia a new dynasty called the Safavids came to

power in 1502. The Safavids established a powerful state of their own

which flourished for over two centuries and became known for the

flowering of the arts. Their capital Isfahan, became one of the most

beautiful cities with its blue tiled mosques and exquisite houses. The

Afghan invasion of 1736 put an end to Safavid rule and prepared the

independence of Afghanistan which occurred formally in the 19th century.

Persia itself fell into turmoil until Nader Shah, the last Oriental conqueror,

reunited the country and even conquered India. But the rule of the dynasty

established by him was short-lived. The Zand dynasty soon took over to be

overthrown by the Qajars in 1779 who made Tehran their capital and ruled

until 1921 when they were in turn replaced by the Pahlavis.

As for India, Islam entered into the land east of the Indus River peacefully.

Gradually Muslims gained political power beginning in the early 13th

century. But this period which marked the expansion of both Islam and

Islamic culture came to an end with the conquest of much of India in 1526

by Babur, one of the Timurid princes. He established the powerful Mogul

empire which produced such famous rulers as Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah

Jahan and which lasted, despite the gradual rise of British power in India,

until 1857 when it was officially abolished.

Farther east in the Malay world, Islam began to spread in the 12th century

in northern Sumatra and soon Muslim kingdoms were established in Java,

Sumatra and mainland Malaysia. Despite the colonization of the Malay

world, Islam spread in that area covering present day Indonesia. Malaysia,

the southern Philippines and southern Thailand, and is still continuing in

islands farther east.

As far as Africa is concerned, Islam entered into East Africa at the very

beginning of the Islamic period but remained confined to the coast for

some time, only the Sudan and Somaliland becoming gradually both

Arabized and Islamized. West Africa felt the presence of Islam through

North African traders who traveled with their camel caravans south of the

Sahara. By the 14th century there were already Muslim sultanates in such

areas as Mali, and Timbuctu in West Africa and Harar in East Africa had

become seats of Islamic learning.

Gradually Islam penetrated both inland and southward. There also

appeared major charismatic figures who inspired intense resistance against

European domination. The process of the Islamization of Africa did not

cease during the colonial period and continues even today with the result

that most Africans are now Muslims carrying on a tradition which has had

practically as long a history in certain areas of sub-Saharan Africa as Islam

itself.

NORTH AFRICA AND SPAIN

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When the Abbasids captured Damascus, one of the Umayyad princes

escaped and made the long journey from there to Spain to found Umayyad

rule there, thus beginning the golden age of Islam in Spain. Cordoba was

established as the capital and soon became Europe's greatest city not only in

population but from the point of view of its cultural and intellectual life.

The Umayyads ruled over two centuries until they weakened and were

replaced by local rulers.

Meanwhile in North Africa, various local dynasties held sway until two

powerful Berber dynasties succeeded in uniting much of North Africa and

also Spain in the 12th and 13th centuries. After them this area was ruled

once again by local dynasties such as the Sharifids of Morocco who still

rule in that country. As for Spain itself, Muslim dynasty was defeated in

Granada in 1492 thus bringing nearly eight hundred years of Muslim rule

in Spain to an end.

THE CALIPHATES

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The Umayad caliphate established in 661 was to last for about a century.

During this time Damascus became the Capital of an Islamic world which

stretched from the western borders of China to southern France. Not only

did the Islamic conquests continue during this period through North Africa

to Spain and France in the West and to Sind, Central Asia and Transoxiana

in the East, but the basic social and legal institutions of the newly founded

Islamic world were established.

The Abbasids, who succeeded the Umayyads, shifted the capital to Baghdad

which soon developed into an incomparable center of learning and culture

as well as the administrative and political hear of a vast world.

They ruled for over 500 years but gradually their power waned and they

remained only symbolic rulers bestowing legitimacy upon various sultans

and princes who wielded actual military power. The Abbasid caliphate was

finally abolished when Hulagu, the Mongol ruler, captured Baghdad in

1258, destroying much of the city including its incomparable libraries.

While the Abbasids ruled in Baghdad, a number of powerful dynasties such

as the Fatimids, Ayyubids and Mamluks held power in Egypt, Syria and

Palestine. The most important event in this area as far as the relation

between Islam and the Western world was concerned was the series of

Crusades declared by the Pope and espoused by various European kings.

The purpose, although political, was outwardly to recapture the Holy Land

and especially Jerusalem for Christianity. Although there was at the

beginning some success and local European rule was set up in parts of

Syria and Palestine, Muslims finally prevailed and in 1187 Saladin, the

great Muslim leader, recaptured Jerusalem and defeated the Crusaders.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ISLAM:

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Upon the death of the Prophet, Abu Bakr, the friend of the Prophet and the

first adult male to embrace Islam, became caliph. Abu Bakrruled for two

years to be succeeded by 'Umar who was caliph for a decade and during

whose rule Islam spread extensively east and west conquering the Persian

empire, Syria and Egypt. It was 'Umar who marched on foot at the end of

the Muslim army into Jerusalem and ordered the protection of public

treasury and a sophisticated financial administration. He established may of

the basic practices of Islamic government.

'Umar was succeeded by 'Uthman who ruled for some twelve years during

which time the Islamic expansion continued. He is also known as the caliph

who had the definitive text of the Noble Quran copied and sent to the four

comers of the Islamic world. He was in turn succeeded by 'Ali who is

known to this day for his eloquent sermons and letters, and also for his

bravery. With his death the rule of the "rightly guided" caliphs, who hold a

special place of respect in the hearts of Muslims came to an end.

ISLAM A WORLD CIVILIZATION

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"Thus We have appointed you a middle nation, that you may be witnesses

upon mankind." (Quran, surah 11:43)

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

Islam was destined to become a world religion and to create a civilization

which stretched from one end of the globe to the other. Already during the

early Muslim caliphates, first the Arabs, then the Persians and later the

Turks set about to create classical Islamic civilization. Later, in the 13th

century, both Africa and India became great centers of Islamic civilization

and soon thereafter Muslim kingdoms were established in the Malay

Indonesian world while Chinese Muslims flourished throughout china.

Islam is a religion for all people from whatever race or background they

might be. That is why Islamic civilization is based on a unity which stands

completely against any racial or ethnic discrimination. Such major racial

and ethnic groups as the Arabs, Persians, Turks, Africans, Indians, Chinese

and Malays in addition to numerous smaller units embraced Islam and

contributed to the building of Islamic civilization. Moreover, Islam was not

opposed to learning from the earlier civilizations and incorporating their

science, learning, and culture into its own world view, as long as they did

not oppose the principles of Islam. Each ethnic and racial group which

embraced Islam made its contribution to the one Islamic civilization to

which everyone belonged. The sense of brotherhood and sisterhood was so

much emphasized that it overcame all local attachments to a particular

tribe, race, or language-all of which became subservient to the universal

brotherhood and sisterhood of Islam.

The global civilization thus created by Islam permitted people of diverse

ethnic backgrounds to work together in cultivation various arts and

sciences. Although the civilization was profoundly Islamic, even non

Muslim "people of the book" participated in the intellectual activity whose

fruits belonged to everyone. The scientific climate was reminiscent of the

present situation in America where scientists and men and women of

learning from all over the world are active in the advancement of

knowledge which belongs to everyone.

The global civilization created by Islam also succeeded in activating the

mind and thought of the people who entered its fold. As a result of Islam,

the nomadic Arabs became torch-bearers of science and learning. The

Persians who had created a great civilization before the rise of Islam

nevertheless produced much more science and learning in the Islamic

period than before. The same can be said of the Turks and other peoples

who embraced Islam. The religion of Islam was itself responsible not only

for the creation of a world civilization in which people of many different

ethnic backgrounds participated, but it played a central role in developing

intellectual and cultural life on a scale not seen before. For some eight

hundred years Arabic remained the major intellectual and scientific

language of the world. During the centuries following the rise of Islam,

Muslim dynasties ruling in various parts of the Islamic world bore witness

to the flowering of Islamic culture and thought. In fact this tradition of

intellectual activity was eclipsed only at the beginning of modern times as a

result of the weakening of faith among Muslims combined with external

domination. And today this activity has begun anew in many parts of the

Islamic world now that the Muslims have regained their political

independence.

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM

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From the oasis cities of Makkah and Madinah in the Arabian desert, the

message of Islam went forth with electrifying speed. Within half a century

of the Prophet's death, Islam had spread to three continents. Islam is not, as

some imagine in the West, a religion of the sword nor did it spread

primarily by means of war. It was only within Arabia, where a crude form

of idolatry was rampant, that Islam was propagated by warring against

those tribes which did not accept the message of God--whereas Christians

and Jews were not forced to convert. Outside of Arabia also the vast lands

conquered by the Arab armies in a short period became Muslim not by

force of the sword but by the appeal of the new religion. It was faith in

One God and emphasis upon His Mercy that brought vast numbers of

people into the fold of Islam. The new religion did not coerce people to

convert. Many continued to remain Jews and Christians and to this day

important communities of the followers of these faiths are found in Muslim

lands.

Moreover, the spread of Islam was not limited to its miraculous early

expansion outside of Arabia. During later centuries the Turks embraced

Islam peacefully as did a large number of the people of the Indian

subcontinent and the Malay-speaking world. In Africa also, Islam has

spread during the past two centuries even under the mighty power of

European colonial rulers. Today Islam continues to grow not only in

Africa but also in Europe and America where Muslims now comprise a

notable minority.

ISLAMIC LAW (al-Shari'ah)

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Islam possesses a religious law called al-Shari'ah in Arabic which governs

the life of Muslims and which Muslims consider to be the embodiment of

the Will of god. The Shari'ah is contained in principle in the Quran as

elaborated and complemented by the Sunnah. On the basis of these

principles the schools of this day were developed early in Islamic history.

This Law, while being rooted in the sources of the Islamic revelation, is a

living body of law which caters to the needs of Islamic society.

Islamic laws are essentially preventative and are not based on harsh

punishment except as a last measure. The faith of the Muslim causes him to

have respect for the rights of others and Islamic Law is such that it

prevents transgression from taking place in most instances. That is why

what people consider to be harsh punishments are so rarely in need of

being applied.

WHAT IS THE ISLAMIC RELIGION?

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According to a famous saying of the Prophet Islam consists of five pillars

which are as follows: affirmation of the faith (shahadah), that is, witnessing

that La ilaha illa 'Llah (There is no divinity but Allah) and Muhammadun

rasul Allah (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah); the five daily prayers

(al-salat) which Muslims perform facing Makkah; fasting (al-sawm) from

dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan; making the pilgrimage to

Makkah (al-hajj) at least once in a lifetime if one's financial and physical

conditions permit it; and paying a 2 1/2% tax (al-zakat) on one's capital

which is used for the needs of the community. Muslims are also

commanded to exhort others to perform good acts and to abstain from evil.

Ethics lies at the heart of Islamic teachings and all men and women are

expected to act ethically towards each other at all times. As the Prophet has

said, "None of you is a believer until you love for your brother what you

love for yourself."

As for faith according to Islam (al-iman), it means having faith in God, His

books, His messengers, the Day of Judgment and God's determination of

human destiny. It is important to understand that the definition of al-iman

refers to books and prophets in the plural thus pointing directly to the

universality of revelation and respect for other religions emphasized so

much in the Quran. There is also the important concept, al-ihsan or virtue,

which means to worship God as if one sees him, knowing that even if one

does not see Him, He sees us. It means to remember God at all times and

marks the highest level of being a Muslim.

THE PROPHET OF ISLAM

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The Prophet of Islam is loved and revered by Muslims precisely because he

was chosen by God to reveal His Word to mankind. The Prophet

Muhammad is not considered to be divine but a human being. However, he

is seen as the most perfect of human beings, shining like a jewel among

stones. He was born in 570 A. D. in one of the most powerful tribes in the

Arabia of that time, for it had guardianship over the Ka'bah in Makkah. An

orphan brought up by his grandfather and later by his uncle, the young

Muhammad displayed exceptional virtue as a trustworthy individual whom

members of various tribes would invite to act as arbitrator in their

disputes.

At that time the Arabs followed a form of idolatry, each tribe keeping its

own idols at the Ka'bah, the cubical structure built originally by Abraham

to celebrate the glory of the One God. But the monotheistic message of

Abraham had long become forgotten among the general population of the

Arabian peninsula. The young Muhammad, however was a believer in the

One God all of his life and never participated in the idolatrous practices of

his tribe.

When forty years old, during one of the retreats which he made habitually

in a cave on top of a mountain outside Makkah, Muhammad first saw the

archangel Gabriel who revealed God's Word to him, the Quran, and

announced the Muhammad is the messenger of God. For the next thirteen

years he preached the Word of God to the Makkans, inviting them to

abandon idolatry and accept the religion of Oneness. A few accepted his

call but most Makkans, especially those of his own tribe, opposed him

violently, seeing in the new religion a grave danger to their economic as

well as social domination based upon their control of the Ka'bah. But the

Prophet continued to call the people to Islam and gradually a larger

number of men and women began to accept the faith and submit themselves

to its teachings. As a result, persecution of Muslims increased until the

Prophet was forced to send some of his companions to Abyssina where they

were protected by the Christian King.

The Makkan period was also one of intense spiritual experience for the

Prophet and the noble companions who formed the nucleus of the new

religious community which was soon to spread worldwide. It was during

this period that God ordered the direction of prayers to be changed from

Jerusalem to Makkah. To this day Jerusalem remains along with Makkah

and Madinah one of the holiest cities of Islam.

In 622 A. D. the Prophet was ordered by God to migrate to Yathrib, a city

north of Makkah. He followed the Divine Command and left with his

followers for that city which henceforth was known as "The City of the

Prophet" (Madinat al-nabi) or simply Madinah. This event was so

momentous that the Islamic calendar begins with this migration (hijrah).

In Madinah, the Prophet established the first Islamic society which has

served as the model for all later Islamic societies. Several battles took place

against the invading Makkans which the Muslims won against great odds.

Soon more tribes began to join Islam and within a few years most of

Arabia had embraced the religion of Islam.

After many trials and eventually successive victories, the Prophet returned

triumphantly to Makkah where the people embraced Islam at last. He

forgave all his former enemies and marched to the Ka'bah, where he

ordered his companion and cousin 'Ali to join him in destroying all the

idols. The Prophet reconstituted the rite of pilgrimage as founded by

Abraham. The Prophet then returned to Madinah and made another

pilgrimage to Makkah. It was upon returning from this last pilgrim that he

delivered his farewell address. Soon he fell ill and after three day s died in

632 A. D. in Madinah where he was buried in the chamber of his house

next to the first mosque of Islam.

The Practices and traditions (Sunnah) of the Prophet which includes his

sayings (Hadith) became the guide for Muslims in the understanding of the

Quran and the practice of their religion. The Quran itself asserts that God

has chosen in the Prophet an example for Muslims to follow. Besides this

emulation of the Prophet in all aspects of life and thought, his sayings were

assembled by various scholars. Finally they were codified in books of

Hadith where the authentic were separated from the spurious. The Sunnah

has always remained, after the Quran, the second source of everything

Islamic.

THE QUR'AN

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For Muslims, or followers of Islam, the Qur'an is the actual Word of God

revealed through the archangel Gabriel to the Prophet of Islam during the

twenty-three-years period of his prophetic mission. It was revealed in the

Arabic language as a sonoral revelation which the Prophet repeated to his

companions. Arabic became therefore the language of Islam even for non

Arab Muslims. Under the direction of the Prophet, the verses and chapters

were organized in the order known to Muslims to this day. There is only

one text of Qur'an accepted by all schools of Islamic thought and there are

no variants.

The Qur'an is the central sacred reality of Islam. The sound of the Qur'an

is the first and last sound that a Muslim hears in this life. As the direct

Word of God and the embodiment of God's Will, the Qur'an is considered

as the guide par excellence for the life of Muslims. It is the source of all

Islamic doctrines and ethics. Both the intellectual aspects of Islam and

Islamic Law have their source in the Qur'an. Perhaps there is no book

revered by any human collectivity as much as the Qur'an is revered by

Muslims. Essentially a religion of the book, Islam sees all authentic

religions as being associated with a scripture. That is why Muslims call

Christians and Jews the "people of the book".

Throughout all its chapters and verses, the Quran emphasizes the

significance of knowledge and encourages Muslims to learn and to acquire

knowledge not only of God's laws and religious injunctions, in a language

rich in its varied terminology, to the importance of seeing, contemplating,

and reasoning about the world of creation and its diverse phenomena. It

places the gaining of knowledge as the highest religious activity, one that is

most pleasing in God's eyes. That is why wherever the message of the

Qur'an was accepted and understood, the quest for knowledge flourished.

about ISLAM

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"This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favor

unto you, and have chosen for you as your religion Islam." (Qur'an, Surah

V:3)

Islam is a religion based upon the surrender to God who is One. The very

name of the religion, AL ISLAM in Arabic, means at once submission and

peace, for it is in submitting to God's Will that human beings gain peace in

their lives in this world and in the hereafter. The message of Islam

concerns God, who in Arabic is called Allah, and it addresses itself to

humanity's most profound nature. It concerns men and women as they

were created by God--not as fallen beings. Islam therefore considers itself

to be not an innovation but a reassertion of the universal truth of all

revelation which is God's Oneness.

This truth was asserted by the prophets of old and especially by Abraham,

the father of monotheism. Islam reveres all of these prophets including not

only Abraham, who is the father of the Arabs as well as of the Jews, but

also Moses and Christ. The Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad--

may peace and blessings be upon him, his family and his companions--, was

the last of this long lime of prophets and Islam is the last religion until the

Day of Judgment. It is the final expression of the Abrahamic tradition. One

should in fact properly speak of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition. One

should in fact properly speak of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition, for

Islam shares with the other Abrahamic religions their sacred history, the

basic ethical teachings contained in the Ten Commandments and above all,

belief in the One God. And it renews and repeats the true beliefs of Jews

and Christians whose scriptures are mentioned as divinely revealed books

in Islam's own sacred book, the Quran.

Allah

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Islam is the complete submission and obedience to Allah (God). The
name Allah (God) in Islam never refers to Muhammad (pbuh), as many
Christians may think; Allah is the personal name of God.
What do Muslims believe about Allah?
• He is the one God, Who has no partner.
• Nothing is like Him. He is the Creator, not created, nor a part of His
creation.
• He is All-Powerful, absolutely Just.
• There is no other entity in the entire universe worthy of worship
besides Him.
• He is First, Last, and Everlasting; He was when nothing was, and will be
when nothing else remains.
• He is the All-Knowing, and All-Merciful, the Supreme, the Sovereign.
• It is only He Who is capable of granting life to anything.
• He sent His Messengers (peace be upon them) to guide all of mankind.
• He sent Muhammad (pbuh) as the last Prophet and Messenger for all
mankind.
• His book is the Holy Qur'an, the only authentic revealed book in the
world that has been kept without change.
• Allah knows what is in our hearts.
These are some of the basic guidelines Muslims follow in their knowledge
of God:
• Eliminate any anthropomorphism (human qualities) from their
conception of Allah. His attributes are not like human attributes, despite
similar labels or appellations.
• Have unwavering faith in exactly what Allah and Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) described Allah to be, no more, no less.
• Eradicate any hope or desire of learning or knowing the modality of His
names and attributes.
• Belief totally in all the names and attributes of Allah; one cannot believe
in some and disbelieve the others.
• One cannot accept the names of Allah without their associated attributes,
i.e. one cannot say He is Al-Hayy - 'The Living' and then say that He is
without life.
• Similarity in names (or meanings) does not imply similarity in what is
being described (referents). As a robotics arm differs from a human
arm, so the "hand" of Allah is nothing like a human hand, His speech is
nothing like human speech, etc.
• Certain words are ambiguous or vague in their meanings, and thus may
be susceptible to misinterpretation. Only those meanings that are in
accordance with what is specified by Allah and His Prophet (pbuh) are
acceptable.

Mathematical Miracle of the Quran

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The Quran is characterized by a unique phenomenon never found in any human authored book. Every element of the Quran is mathematically composed - the suras, the verses, the words, the number of certain letters, the number of words from the same root, the number and variety of divine names, the unique spelling of certain words, the absence or deliberate alteration of certain letters within certain words, and many other elements of the Quran besides its content.

There are two major facets of the Quran’s mathematical system:

(1) The mathematical literary composition, and
(2) The mathematical structure involving the numbers of suras and verses.

Because of this comprehensive mathematical coding, the slightest distortion of the Quran’s text or physical arrangement is immediately exposed.

SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND IMPOSSIBLE TO IMITATE

For the first time in history we have a scripture with built-in proof of divine authorship - a superhuman mathematical composition. Any reader of this book can easily verify the Quran’s mathematical miracle. The word "God" (Allah) is written in bold capital letters throughout the text.

The cumulative frequency of occurrence of the word "God" is noted at the bottom of each page in the left hand corner. The number in the right hand corner is the cumulative total of the numbers for verses containing the word "God." The last page of the text, Page 372, shows that the total occurrence of the word "God" is 2698, or 19×142. The total sum of verse numbers for all verses containing the word "God" is 118123, also a multiple of 19 (118123 = 19×6217).

Nineteen is the common denominator throughout the Quran’s mathematical system. This phenomenon alone suffices as incontrovertible proof that the Quran is God’s message to the world. No human being(s) could have kept track of 2698 occurrences of the word "God," and the numbers of verses where they occur.

This is especially impossible in view of

(1) the age of ignorance during which the Quran was revealed, and
(2) the fact that the suras and verses were widely separated in time and place of revelation. The chronological order of revelation was vastly different from the final format (Appendix 23).

However, the Quran’s mathematical system is not limited to the word "God;" it is extremely vast, extremely intricate, and totally comprehensive.

THE SIMPLE FACTS

Like the Quran itself, the Quran’s mathematical coding ranges from the very simple, to the very complex. The Simple Facts are those observations that can be ascertained without using any tools. The complex facts require the assistance of a calculator or a computer. The following facts do not require any tools to be verified, but please remember they all refer to the original Arabic text:

The first verse (1:1),known as "Basmalah," consists of 19 letters.
The Quran consists of 114 suras, which is …………..19 x 6.
The total number of verses in the Quran is 6346, or ….19 x 334. [6234 numbered verses & 112 un-numbered verses (Basmalahs) 6234+112 = 6346] Note that 6+3+4+6 =…….19.
The Basmalah occurs 114 times, despite its conspicuous absence from Sura 9 (it occurs twice in Sura 27) & 114= 19×6.
From the missing Basmalah of Sura 9 to the extra Basmalah of Sura 27, there are precisely ……………19 suras.
It follows that the total of the sura numbers from 9 to 27 (9+10+11+12+…+26+27) is 342, or ………….19 x 18.
This total (342) also equals the number of words between the two Basmalahs of Sura 27, and 342 = ……..19 x 18.
The famous first revelation (96:1-5) consists of …….19 words.
This 19-worded first revelation consists of 76 letters .19 x 4.
Sura 96, first in the chronological sequence, consists of ……………………………………………..19 verses.
This first chronological sura is placed atop the last ..19 suras.
Sura 96 consists of 304 Arabic letters, and 304 equals .19 x 16.
The last revelation (Sura 110) consists of …………19 words.
The first verse of the last revelation (110:1) consists of …………….19 letters.
14 different Arabic letters, form 14 different sets of "Quranic Initials" (such as A.L.M. of 2:1), and prefix 29 suras. These numbers add up to 14+14+29 = 57 = ……19 x 3.
The total of the 29 sura numbers where the Quranic Initials occur is 2+3+7+…+50+68 = 822, and 822+14 (14 sets of initials) equals 836, or …………….. 19 x 44.
Between the first initialed sura (Sura 2) and the last initialed sura (Sura 68) there are 38 un-initialed suras 19 x 2.
Between the first and last initialed sura there are ….19 sets of alternating "initialed" and "un-initialed" suras.
The Quran mentions 30 different numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 19, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 99, 100, 200, 300, 1000, 2000, 3000, 5000, 50,000, & 100,000. The sum of these numbers is 162146, which equals 19×8534.

This is a condensed summary of the Simple Facts.

Source : http://www.submission.org/

SEX DALAM ISLAM

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* Merayu istri dan bercanda dengannya disaat santai berduaan. Nabi SAW pun selalu bercanda, tertawa dan merayu para istrinya

* Meletakkan tangan di kepala istri dan mendoakannya. Rasulullah SAW bersabda, "apabila salah seorang kamu menikahi seorang wanita, maka hendaklah ia memegang ubun2nya, dan bacalah bismillah lalu mohon berkahlah kepada Allah, dan hendaknya ia membaca '(Ya Allah,sesungguhnya aku memohon kepadamu dari kebaikanya dan kebaikan sifat yang ada padanya dan aku berlindung kepadaMu dari keburukannya dan keburukan sifat yang ada padanya)’

* Disunahkan bagi kedua mempelai melakukan shalat dua rakaat bersama, hal tsb di ambil dari kaum salaf

* Membaca basmalah sebelum melakukan jima'. Rasulullah bersabda "Kalo sekiranya seorang di antara kamu hendak bersenggama dengan istrinya,terus membaca "(dengan menyebut nama Allah, Ya Allah, Ya Allah,jauhkanlah syetan dari kami dan jauhkanlah syetan dari apa yang Engkau rizqi kan kepada kami)" Maka sesungguhnya jika keduanya dikaruniai anak dari persenggamaanya itu, niscaya ia tidak akan dibahayakan oleh syaitan selama2nya" (Muttafaq Alaih)

* Jika seorang suami ingin bersenggama lagi, maka dianjurkan berwudlu terlebih dahulu, Rasulullah bersabda "Apabila salah seorang kamu telah bersetubuh dg istrinya lalu ingin mengulanginya kembali maka hendaklah kalian berwudlu"(HR.Muslim)

* Disunahkan bagi kedua suami istri berwudlu sebelum tidur sesudah melakukan jima', Hadits dari Aisyah menuturkan "Adalah rasulullah apabila beliau hendak makan ataw tidur sedangkan ia junub, maka beliau mencuci kemaluannya dan berwudlu sebagaimana wudlu untuk shalat"(Mutafaq "alaih)

* Haram bagi suami menyetubuhi istrinya disaat ia sedang haid ataw menyetubuhi duburnya. Rasulullah bersabda "Barang siapa yang melakukan persetubuhan terhadap wanita haid ataw wanita pada duburnya ataw datang kepada dukun (tukang sihir) lalu membenarkan apa yang dikatakannya,maka sesungguhnya ia telah kafir terhadap apa yang diturunkan kepada Muhammad" (HR.Al-Arba'ah dan disahihkan oleh Al-albani)

* Haram bagi suami istri menyebarkan tentang rahasia hubungan keduanya. Rasulullah bersabda "Sesungguhnya manusia yang paling buruk kedudukannya disisi Allah pada hari kiamat adalah orang lelaki yang berhubungan dengan istrinya (jima'), kemudian ia menyebarkan rahasianya"(HR.Muslim)

* Hendaknya masing2 saling bergaul dengan baik, dan melaksanakan kewajiban masing2 terhadap yang lain, Allah berfirman yang artinya "Dan para istri mempunyai hak yang seimbang dengan kewajibanya menurut yang ma'ruf (Al-Baqarah:228)

* Hendaknya suami berlaku lembut dan bersikap baik terhadap istrinya dan mengajarkan sesuatu yang dipandang perlu tentang masalah agamanya serta menekankan apa2 yang diwajibkan Allah terhadapnya. Rasulullah telah bersabda "Ingatlah, berpesan baiklah selalu kepada istri, karena sesungguhnya mereka adalah tawanan disisi kalian..."(HR Turmudzi)

* Hendaknya istri selalu taat kepada suami sesuai kemampuanya asal bukan dalam hal kemaksiatan dan hendaknya tidak mematuhi siapapun dari keluarganya bila tidak disukai oleh suami dan bertentangan dengan kehendaknya, dan hendaknya istri tidak menolak ajakan suami bila mengajaknya. Rasulullah bersabda "Apabila suami mengajak istri ke tempat tidurnya lalu ia tidak memenuhi ajakannya, lalu sang suami tidur dalam keadaan marah kepadanya, maka malaikat melaknat wanita tersebut hingga pagi"

* Hendaknya suami berlaku adil terhadap istri2nya. Rasulullah bersabda "Barang siapa mempunyai dua istri, lalu ia lebih cenderung kepada salah satunya, niscaya ia datang di hari kiamat dalam keadaan sebelah badannya miring"(HR.Abu Daud)

di ambil dari : Majalah Hidayah