You will have to forgive me, but I have a difficult time taking the war against Moslem extremists seriously. No, I haven’t become the latest in a line of anti-American quislings who say the war is “all about oil” or that Islamism is not a threat. It’s just that I have trouble mustering enthusiasm for overseas ventures when we allow the enemy’s fifth column to operate virtually unopposed on our shores.
I’m talking about the odious Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a group that could be the legal arm of al-Qaeda. Although CAIR’s machinations usually go unmentioned by the mainstream media, for quite some time now it has been training its sights on anyone who would tackle the Islamic threat with manly strength. It has carried out campaigns against National Review magazine, radio personality Paul Harvey, the producers of the television program 24, and many others who dare say the sultan has no clothes. And now it is targeting award-winning radio talk show host Michael Savage.
CAIR has been pressuring Savage’s advertisers to pull their spots from his show, and I’m dismayed to learn that some businesses have capitulated to their demands. Among these cowardly companies are AutoZone, TrustedID, OfficeMax, Citrix Systems Inc., and JCPenney. I will have them know that as long as they dance with the Devil and boycott Savage’s show, I will boycott them and encourage others to follow suit. And I have a very long memory.
It’s not surprising that business would kneel at the altar of political correctness, as it worships mammon. And, in truth, many people – the good, the bad and the ugly – use their economic clout to try to effect social change; why, some on my side in the culture war are boycotting Ford because it supports the homosexual lobby. But I really have to wonder if these companies know to whom they’re kowtowing. Let’s take a closer look at CAIR.
If you think that only those on the right take issue with CAIR, think again. In point of fact, the organization is so obviously in the pocket of terrorists that even some of our most left-wing politicians have condemned them. Just consider the following quotations, the first three of which are by liberal Democrats:
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - don
Dear editor:
The first time I heard Michael Savage was quite by accident when searching for something to listen to while driving. As I classify myself as a Christian and a conservative, the first few topics covered by Michael sounded reasonable. But then he exploded into a tirade about something that had just happened that he branded as anti-Semitic, which as he continued talking, was simply someon invoking their right of free speech to say something critical about how the Israelis treat the Palestinians.
The program continued along simimlar lines, but on occasion Savage grew very shrill and very insulting, again about some comment made by someone with respect to Isreal.
The more I listened, I also became convinced that Savage is simply not a very nice person but rather a somewhat vicious bully to those who seem to believe differently from him on almost any subject.
Since then I have accidentally tuned into his program, and quickly exited when he bagan one of his rants or one of his soapbox Israel speeches.
As a Californian, as well as an American, I confess that I am embarrassed to have Boxer as one of my Senators. She is also a shrill, polarizing person, different from Savage in that in general, Boxer sits at the looney left fringe while Savage tends more to be on the extreme right on many subjects, in addition to being a charter member of the Israel Lobby.
That Selwyn Duke praises Savage, he starts on my watch list. Then as I read he criticisms of CAIR, I chuckle an tell myself that Mr. Duke criticizes CAIR for all the transgressions that I normally attribute to AIPAC.
I will now add Mr. Duke to the many in the media that tend to write the same warmed over chicken soup over and over again, using the tactics of Senator Joe McCarthy, but in this instance, instead of a communist under every bed, Mr. Duke, and Mr. Savage, and Mrs. Boxer seem to find an anti-Semite under every bed.
Israeli lobbyists, the American electorate is slowly being enlightened through the Iraq Study Group Report, the Carter book about Israaeli Apartheir, and the recent excellent book by Professors Mearsheimer and Walt.
Hopefully one day while I am still alive, I will see a Palestinian state in the pre-1967 borders, before Israel attacked all its neighbors as part of its expansionist policies, and at the same time, viciously attacked the USS Liberty claiming it was an accident. With friends like Isreal, who needs enemies.
Regards,
Don
2 - Dave Nalle
I don't think Selwyn is actually praising Savage in this article, he's just pointing out that Savage is being singled out for a certain amount of persecution by CAIR. He really only mentions Savage at the very beginning and end of the article. The article is essentially all about CAIR and their unsavory connections and behavior.
Yes, Savage is over the top. He's a bit of a nut on certain issues, has religious axes to grind, and can be very abrasive. I certainly wouldn't listen to him by choice. But he's hardly the only talk radio personality to be targeted by CAIR. They've gone after Glen Beck and also the very reasonable Neal Boortz. Let's be very clear. The issue here isn't Savage, it's CAIR.
And as you say, CAIR and AIPAC are flipsides of the same coin, the main difference being that AIPAC's agenda doesn't involve the eventual domination and subjugation of the entire world, which makes them at least marginally better.
Dave
3 - Eric Adams
Michael Savage is an intelligent, educated nutritionist who applies his intelligence in ways that would make Hitler & Osama bin Laden both proud. Incite and spew as much virulent hatred about Muslims and Islam...I believe that is exactly what his bretheren Osama bin Laden wants people like him to do. Why play into the hands of Osama? America should defend itself from enemies....both foreign and domestic....I would but Savage and OBL into that category.
4 - wdufkin
Don's obviously not a Bible believing Christian, and they do exist, they are legion. Jimmy Carter comes to mind.
5 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
It's truly a sad day when one has to defend Michael Savage, a self-hating Jew, against CAIR. But, if Americans haven't the balls to throw the bastards in jail or deport them, they deserve every terrorist attack and undermining action against them that they get.
The Israeli government, led by cowards of an even lower quality than the cowards and bought off traitors in the States, also fights terror with only half an effort. So, yes, we deserve the terror against that we suffer, and will suffer.
CAIR is a creature of the Wahhabi death machine, which, properly speaking, has hijacked Islam. Imagine if the papacy was held by some Norddeutsche follower of Martin Luther or a follower of Calvin Knox or Jan Huss, or better yet, a Mormon (considered by many Christians not to be Christians). That is what the Wahhabi pigs who control Mecca and Medina are - fake Moslems.
6 - Dave Nalle
Ruvy, it sounds like you and King Abdullah need to have a talk about putting Mecca back in the right hands.
As for Savage, is he actually a Jew? From the couple of times I listened to the show I got the impression that he was Christian. Is he a convert or somesuch?
Dave
7 - Laura
"Hopefully one day while I am still alive, I will see a Palestinian state in the pre-1967 borders, before Israel attacked all its neighbors as part of its expansionist policies, and at the same time, viciously attacked the USS Liberty claiming it was an accident. With friends like Isreal, who needs enemies."
---------------------
Israel WAS THE ONE ATTACKED and and fought a war of self-defense. Anyway what does this have to do with the subject of this article? It is quite ironic how you criticize Boxer and others for "seeing antisemites under every bed", yet here you are reinforcing such suspicions with your remarks. You don't fool me. Why even make any comment about Israel in response to an article having nothing whatsoever to do with Israel? It is because you are singularly obsessed with hatred of Jews. This sort of obsession is certainly a character trait of antisemites. What's also ironic is that while you accuse Jews of seeing antisemites under every bed, you yourself see Israel lobbyists under every bed. You claim yourself to be a Christian conservative, but I'm guessing you're actually either a muslim or leftist.
8 - John
How could anyone who speaks the truth be labelled as polarizing. I'm sick of all these people who feel insulted when some speaks the truth that they for some reason do not want to hear.
9 - Dawn
Savage has his good and weak points. I agree with him on some issues, and disagree about others. However, I was listening the night he went on the attack against Moslems in the US - which prompted CAIR's email campaign to his advertizers. He really lived up to him name that night. The part of the tirade that is most likely causing him his current problems was when he asked all hunters in American to get rid of the Moslems in the US. Then he followed that up with a detailed senario in which the Mafia is enlisted by the FBI to assassinate them. There was a lot of the word "kill" in his rant that night. Not to mention him repeatedly chanting "Bomb Iran" (sorry, but the chant was really stupid and irresponsible). Advertizers aren't bowing to the protests of Moslems - they're bowing to their legal departments which tell them they can't afford to be a party to a lawsuit in the event that someone is motivated to start shooting after listening to Savage tell them to do so. If he had used the word "Black" in place of Moslem (or "throwback" as he calls them) he would already be off the air (ala Don Imus). He dug a hole for himself when he praised vigilanty killings on the air.
10 - El Bicho
"The article is essentially all about CAIR and their unsavory connections and behavior."
Actually the article is all about Duke being upset about CAIR affecting the sponsors of a show he contributes to. I am guessing he whistled a different tune when "cowardly companies" removed their advertising from NYPD Blue, Ellen, and Politically Incorrect, et al. If there are articles that state the contrary I would love to see them and will stand corrected.
Someone allegedly in the media should have a better sense of how the business actually works.
11 - Dave Nalle
I was driving home tonight and my usual station was bitching about the NFL cable network, so I put Savage on and there was Selwyn talking about this article. Or more to the point he was essentially reading snippets from the article. The presentation was a bit stiff, I have to say. It was interesting, but I hope that all his appearances don't consist of reading from articles.
Dave
12 - Friar Yid
As someone else already noted, it is absolutely ridiculous, not to mention dishonest, for conservatives to phrase this in terms of a "freedom of speech" issue, when plenty of culturally conservative advocacy groups and pundits have long used such tactics to try to advance their own agendas and in order to pressure corporations or corporate sponsors of materials they find objectionable (see, for instance, the ongoing "War on Christmas" lunacy). How is the Catholic League's attempt to boycott the Golden Compass any different from what CAIR is doing? Where’s the principled conservative defense of freedom of speech there?
The real question should be whether using economic influence to get try to support (or punish) someone because you don’t like what they’re doing is a legitimate political activity, while acknowledging that doing this entails restricting their ability to do or say whatever they feel like.
If it is, then the right then has to admit that the only reason they don’t like this case is because it’s their ox being gored. If it isn’t, then they’ve got to start speaking up when so-called Culture Warriors try to bully, control or censor corporations or individuals because they don’t like their message or policies. You can’t have it both ways.
13 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Dave,
If you dig far enough, you will see Savage's Jewish name and roots. I forget was his name is/was, but Savage is a nom de plume/guerre.
You mean in all the articles you've seen me write, articles that you yourself published, not to mention all the comments you've seen me write, you haven't seen this argument about the Wahhabi?
14 - El Bicho
According to Wikipedia, so take it with a grain of salt, but it is sourced twice, "Michael Savage was born Michael Alan Weiner to a Jewish family with Russian origins living in the Bronx."
15 - Dave Nalle
Of course I've seen the Wahhabi argument before, Ruvy, and I tend to agree. My point about King Abdullah is that he's the rightful ruler of Mecca and something ought to be done to put him back in charge.
Dave
16 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
My point about King Abdullah is that he's the rightful ruler of Mecca and something ought to be done to put him back in charge.
Apparently we strongly agree on this Dave. Any peace proposals that I have made include this. Any ideas on how to accomplish this?
17 - Dave Nalle
Now there you've got me, Ruvy. Any scenario I can come up with for that comes out sounding like a pretty far fetched fantasy involving engineering a virus genetically coded to kill every member of the Saud family or something along those lines.
Dave
18 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Well, I thought I might have you in a corner with that one. The American government will not do the job for Abdallah II and he does not appear to have the stomach for a struggle against the Wahhabi himself, even though they threaten the throne he sits on.
So this will require the kind of intervention that goes beyond your radar - a religious intervention. I've been doing some interesting reading in the last day or so, and it indicates that the events in the next year or two may get very, shall we say, interesting, to put it mildly. If the
prickking survives the next two years, there may be a possibility of him getting his throne back in Mecca and Medina.As for Don's hopes of seeing a "Palestinian" state in what used to three provinces of Jordan and the Strip [comment #1] - well, forget it. That will not happen. I'll stake my life on that statement. There may be a short foreign occupation - I may be driven out of my home or even killed fighting to keep it - but no sovereign Arab state will ever arise in the Land of Israel.
19 - troll
...the US could start by reducing the business it does in arms with the Family
20 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
...the US could start by reducing the business it does in arms with the Family
I'm an idealist too, troll. But the Saudis have the Americans over an oil barrel. If the Americans refuse to sell arms to the Saudis, they'll take their dollars and go elsewhere, and possibly start dumping the dollar debt they are sitting on right now as well. This does not take even into account the special relationship the Bush family has with the thugdom they helped found eighty years ago, or the influence that Saudi money buys in corporate America...
21 - troll
here's an image: Abdullah with a firm grip on Uncle Sam's balls while the latter beats Ahmadinejad over the head with his hat
imo the US had its chance to get ahead of the oil issue but chose to invest its treasure in war instead
moonraven is correct the 'we the people' deserve all that's coming
22 - Heiba AbdALlah
Michael Savage: The Battle Between Taquiya and Talk Radio
Let him say what he want. We are not going to give the chance to be from zero to hero.
Anonymous said...
"Did you think that We had created you in play, and that you would not be returned unto Us?" The noble Qur'an, Al-Muminoon(23):115.
What Does "Islam" Mean?
The word "Islam" itself means "Submission to Allah." The religion of Islam is not named after a person as in the case of "Christianity" which was named after Jesus Christ, "Buddhism" after Gutama Buddha , "Marxism" after Karl Marx, and "Confucianism" after Confucius.
Similarly, Islam is not named after a tribe like "Judaism" after the tribe of Judah and "Hinduism" after the Hindus. The Arabic word "Islam" means the submission or surrender of one's will to the will of the only true god worthy of worship, "Allah" (known as God "the Father" in Christianity).
Anyone who does indeed submit to the will of Allah as required by Islam is termed a "Muslim," which means one who has submitted to the will of Allah. Many people in the West have developed the sad misinformed trend of calling Islam "Muhammadenism" and it's followers "Muhammadins." This is a totally foreign word to Muslims and unrecognized by them. No Muslim has ever called his religion "Muhammadenism" or called himself a "Muhammadin."
What Is The Basic Concept of Islam?
Islam teaches us that this life is a life of worship. We are placed on this earth in order to worship Allah and obey His command. During this earthly life we are subjected to a series of trials. We have the option of enduring these trials and conforming to certain laws, and our reward will be great in the next life, or we may decline to endure these trials and choose to not conform to the law, then we will be made to regret it in the next life.
Each person will be solely and completely responsible for their own final reward. We are also told that God has designed these laws to make this life a better, safer, and more tolerable one for us. If we elect to conform to them then we will see the result in this life even before moving on to the next.
We are told that the earthly life is a life of faith and work, and the next life is one of reward and no work. We have been placed on this earth to worship God, fast, pray, be industrious, good, kind, respectful, and a source of uprightness and morality. We are told that God has no need of our worship. Our worship can not increase the kingdom of God nor add to His power, however, it is in our best interests both in this life and the next that we do.
Unlike some other religions which claim that God entered in a covenant with a certain group of people and that this group is genetically better than all other human beings, or closer to God, Islam on the other hand teaches that no color, race, tribe, or lineage is better than any other. Islam teaches that all humans are equal in the sight of Allah and that the only thing that can distinguish them in His sight is their piety and worship.
"O humankind! Verily! We have created you from a male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Verily! the noblest among you in the sight of Allah is the most God-fearing. Verily! Allah is The Knower, The Aware." The noble Qur'an, Al-Hujrat(49):13.
Levels of Islam
Islam consists of three levels, each building upon the lower ones. They are:
1) Islam:
Testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah
Establish the daily prayers
Pay Zakat (Obligatory charity due the poor)
Observe the fast of Ramadan
Perform pilgrimage to the Ka'aba (in Makkah ) once in your life if you are able
2) Faith (Iman):
To believe in Allah
To believe in His angels
To believe in His Books (Scriptures)
To believe in His Messengers
To believe in the Day of Judgment
To believe in the Divine Decree (Divine fate) whether good or evil
3) Excellence/Goodness (Ihsan )
To worship Allah (God) as if you see Him, for if you can not see Him, He assuredly sees you.
In Sahih Muslim, Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab narrated:
"My father, Umar ibn al-Khattab, told me: One day we were sitting in the company of Allah's Apostle (pbuh) when there appeared before us a man dressed in pure white clothes, his hair was extraordinarily black. There were no signs of travel on him, but none among us recognized him.
This man came and sat beside the Apostle (pbuh) kneeling before him and placing his palms on his thighs. He then said: Muhammad, inform me about al-Islam.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: Islam implies that you testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, and you establish prayer, pay Zakat, observe the fast of Ramadan, and perform pilgrimage to the (House) if you are solvent enough (to bear the expense of) the journey.
He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth.
He (Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: It amazed us that he would put the question and then he would himself verify the truth.
He (the inquirer) said: Inform me about Iman (faith). He (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you affirm your faith in Allah, in His angels, in His Books, in His Apostles, in the Day of Judgment, and you affirm your faith in the Divine Decree, either good and evil.
He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth. He (the inquirer) again said: Inform me about al-Ihsan (performance of good deeds).
He (the Holy Prophet) said: That you worship Allah as if you are seeing Him, for though you don't see Him, He, verily, sees you. He (the inquirer) again said: Inform me about the hour (of the judgment).
He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: The one who is asked knows no more than the one who is inquiring (about it).
He (the inquirer) said: Tell me some of its indications.
He (the Holy Prophet) said: That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and master, and that you will find barefooted, destitute goat-herders vying with one another in the construction of magnificent buildings.
He (the narrator, Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: Then he (the inquirer) went on his way but I stayed with the messenger of Allah for a long while. The prophet Muhammad then, said to me: Umar, do you know who this inquirer was? I replied: Allah and His Apostle know best.
He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: He was Gabriel (the angel). He came to you in order to instruct you in your religion."
What Are The Pillars of Islam?
Islam is built upon five major pillars. A Muslim is taught that anyone who dies observing these five basic pillars will enter heaven. As mentioned, they are:
(1) To bear witness that there is no entity worthy of worship except Allah(God) alone, and that Muhammad (pbuh) was His messenger. This establishes obedience to God Almighty alone.
(2) To perform five prescribed prayers to God every day according to a specific prescribed method and at specific prescribed times. This continually reminds us to bear God in mind in all actions, either before or after any given prayer.
(3) To pay two and a half percent (2.5%) of ones wealth to charity every year if their savings exceed a certain minimum level which is considered above the poverty level. (This is the basic concept, the actual calculation is a little more complex).
(4) To fast the month of Ramadhan (from the Islamic Lunar calendar) every year from sun rise until sunset. This involves not eating, drinking, or having marital relations, from sun rise until sun set.
(5) To perform a pilgrimage to Makkah (in the Arabian Peninsula) once in a Muslim's lifetime if it is financially possible and their health permits. During this period, Muslims come from all over the world to join together for six days in a prescribed set of acts of worship. All Muslim men are mandated to wear the same garment which was designed to be very plain, simple, and cheap to obtain.
Mu'ad ibn Jabal said: I said to Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him): Inform me about an act which would entitle me to enter into Paradise, and distance me from the Hell-Fire. He (the Prophet) said:
"You have asked me about a matter [which ostensibly appears to be] difficult but it is easy for those for whom Allah, the Exalted, has made it easy. Worship Allah and do not associate anything with him, establish prayer, pay the Zakat, observe the fast of Ramadhan and perform Hajj to the House (Ka'aba)." (Narrated by Ahmed, al-Tirmathy, and ibn Majah)
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
Muslims are taught that prophets are humans who have been selected by God for a special purpose. They are given miracles to assist them in their message but these miracles are not performed through their own power, but through the power of God. The prophets of God have no divine powers of their own, nor even the power to decide who will go to heaven or to hell. They are merely there to convey the message entrusted to them by God to the best of their ability.
In a similar manner, Muhammad (pbuh) was assisted by God with a number of miracles and entrusted to convey His message to mankind. Muhammad (pbuh) himself, however, was just a regular human being. He could not issue passes to heaven. He could not condemn people to hell. He could not change what was in people's hearts. He could only convey the message and hope that they would believe.
Muhammad (pbuh) lived like any other man or woman of his people. He dressed like they dressed. He ate the same food they ate. He lived in the same manner and in the same sort of houses they did. It would be impossible for someone who did not know him to pick him out of a crowd.
Muhammad (pbuh) taught his followers through example. If he commanded his followers to do something, he would be the first to abide by this command. He never broke his word, he was by far the most charitable man among his people. He was the most God-fearing and the least attached to this life.
He never in his life accepted charity, but worked for a living. He never lied. It was not at all uncommon for him to spend months on end enduring severe hunger never seeing a single cooked meal. He taught his followers to be merciful to their children and respectful to their elders. He commanded them to never taste alcohol, gamble, engage in usury (interest), fornication, envy, deceit, or back-biting.
Muhammad (pbuh) taught that no human being needs any other human being to intercede for him with God. He showed them that God is within the reach of all his creation. He hears and sees all and answers His servant's prayers.
Muhammad (pbuh) further severely cautioned against promoting any of God's creation or groups thereof to higher levels of divine authority and closeness to God than others, or the excessive glorification of any human being. This includes the prophets of God themselves. He taught that the very best of God's servants are those who continuously seek out knowledge and that God sees all that they do.
Muhammad (pbuh) taught his followers to be industrious and to earn an honest living. He taught them that the best Muslims are those who are not overly obsessed with earthly wealth since excessive wealth usually leads to corruption.
However, he also taught that a wealthy person who is not blinded by his wealth is not condemned by God and may even be able to utilize his wealth in acts of worship not available to the poor. In other words, Muhammad (pbuh) taught moderation in all things.
There is much more that could be said about the teachings of Muhammad (pbuh), however, probably one of the most general summaries made by Muhammad (pbuh) in this regard was:
"Righteousness is good conduct, and sin is that which weaves inside your chest and you hate for it to be revealed to mankind."
No 'Religious' Hierarchy
In Islam, there is no hierarchy of religious leadership such as the people of some other religions may have come to expect. There are no priests, bishops, monks, Popes, ...etc. Muslims define a scholar of Islam as an 'Imam' (not to be confused with the "Imams" of Iran who claim to have boundless supernatural powers and divine attributes). In any given neighborhood, the Imam is the person that a Muslim seeks for religious rulings.
For example, if a Muslim dies and his sons want to distribute his inheritance, they go to the Imam and he presents them with the verses of the Qur'an and the Sunnah which describe the required procedure. This man will also usually give religious lectures to teach the Qur'an and the Sunnah.
The Muslim Imams and scholars have no special divine powers. They cannot forgive sins. They do not receive divine "inspirations." They cannot issue passes to heaven. They do not have knowledge of the unseen. The can not change the law. They are just regular Muslims who have distinguished themselves with their study and their knowledge.
No Monasticism (monkhood)
Islam commands Muslims to obey Allah and follow his command. It specifies acts of worship which are acceptable. It encourages Muslims to work and be industrious. It forbids 'monkhood ' and excessive 'spritualization' or 'Zen' and other such practices. A Muslim is commanded not to forbid upon himself that which was made lawful by Allah, nor to introduce new and innovative acts of worship into the religion.
This means that a Muslim should not decide that even though Islam allows marriage, he will forbid it upon himself and remain celibate (he may choose not to marry, but he can not forbid it upon himself). If he wishes to perform extra worship, there are many avenues open to him, such as nightly prayer, charity, abstinence from sin....etc.
Muhammad (pbuh) once gave the example of two men. One was practicing monasticism and excessive worship, totally detaching himself from this worldly life. The other was working for a living and paying for the food and drink that the "monk" was consuming each day. Muhammad (pbuh) told his followers that the man who was making an honest living and supporting the 'monk' was greater in reward in the eyes of Allah.
The Law
Islam, like Judaism, is a structured set of laws and commandments. The basis of Islam is the five pillars mentioned previously. Anyone who dies observing the five pillars will enter heaven. Anyone who does not may enter Hell (there are exceptions). However, there are many subtle levels both above and below these. These levels are governed by the law.
Islam teaches us that Muslims will be rewarded in proportion to their good deeds, their restraint from evil deeds, and their faith. In this manner we will have people who will enter different levels of heaven, as well as different levels of hell, in direct proportion to their faith and deeds.
We learn about the laws of Islam from the Qur'an and the Sunnah. The Qur'an is the Holy book of Islam which contains the words of Allah Almighty and the broad guidelines of Islam. The Sunnah, is the traditions of the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) which included both his words and his actions.
The Sunnah usually provides the details for those laws which are drawn out in broad outlines in the Qur'an. Each one of these two sources has a dedicated and very complex science associated with it.
"And We have sent down unto you (O Muhammad) the Reminder (one of the names of the Qur'an), that you may clarify to mankind that which was sent down to them" The noble Qur'an, Al-Nahil(16):44
Al-Bukhari narrated upon the authority of Abu Hurairah, that he said: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said:
"Allah said: 'I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved things with which My slave draws nearer to Me is that which I have ordained upon him. My slave continues to draw closer to Me through performing 'Nawafil' (supplementary worship) till I love him.
So I become the sense of hearing with which he hears, and the sense of sight with which he sees, and the hand with which he grips, and the leg with which he walks. And if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks my protection, I will protect him'"
The Way of Life
Islam is not the same as some other religions from the point of view that it is not confined to a certain place of worship or a certain act, or acts, of worship. Islam teaches it's followers that every single aspect of their life, from eating, to drinking, to sleeping, and everything in-between can be done in one of two ways: Either a way that pleases God, or one that displeases Him.
Islam is also a social, economic, and political way of life. Every single aspect of human existence is governed by the law of Islam. A Muslim is commanded to respect his elders and to show humility and respect to his parents. He is also commanded to show kindness and mercy to those who are younger or weaker than himself as well as all of God's beasts.
A Muslim is commanded to have nothing whatsoever to do with usury, gambling, or alcohol. A Muslim, however, is not passive and weak. He is commanded that if he sees the laws of God being violated or an injustice being committed, he must stand up for the truth and fight to establish the law of God, defend the oppressed, and establish justice and peace.
A Just But Merciful Law
Islam, as mentioned above, involves a structured set of laws and acts of worship. Some are more strict and rigid than others. For instance, there can be no excuse whatsoever for worshipping any entity other than Allah alone. Here there is no room for compromise. On the other hand, Islam is designed to also be flexible and lenient.
For instance, if a Muslim is sick and can not fast during the month of Ramadhan without incurring bodily harm to himself, then even though this is one of the five pillars of Islam , he is not mandated to fast. In fact he is encouraged not to fast. The law allows for leniency in this, and most other cases.
Muslims are taught that each good deed is multiplied by Allah Almighty till it becomes the equivalent of anywhere from ten up to seven hundred similar good deeds (sometimes more). An evil deed, however, is either counted as a single evil deed or is forgiven by Allah.
A Muslim is further taught that as long as there is life there is hope. So long as death has not yet overcome him, he can still repent from his evil deeds and, if his intentions are sincere, Allah is willing to forgive all of his past evil deeds no matter if they exceed the drops of water in the ocean.
Islam teaches Muslims that God holds them responsible for their INTENTIONS and not necessarily for their DEEDS. This is revealed by the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the following saying which was narrated by Umar ibn al-Khattab in Sahih Al-Bukhari:
"The Prophet (pbuh) said, "O people! The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions, and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So, whoever emigrated for Allah and His Messenger, then his emigration was for Allah and His Messenger, and whoever emigrated to achieve a worldly benefit or for a woman to marry, then his emigration was for that which he emigrated for".
"The good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel the evil deed with one which is better" The noble Qur'an, Fussilat(41):34
"Verily! Allah does not forgive that a partner should be ascribed unto Him. He forgives (all) save that to whom He will. Whoso ascribes partners to Allah, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin." The noble Qur'an, Al-Nissa(4):48.
"Whatever of misfortune strikes you, it is what your right hands have earned. And He forgives much." The noble Qur'an, Al-Shurah(42):30
"And those who, when they do an evil thing or wrong themselves, remember Allah and implore forgiveness for their sins. Who forgives sins save Allah only? and they do not knowingly repeat (the wrong) they did. The reward of such will be forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide for ever, a bountiful reward for workers!" The noble Qur'an, A'al-Umran(3):135-136.
"He knows the treachery of the eyes, and that which the chests do hide." The noble Qur'an, Ghafir(40):19.
"He is the One that accepts repentance from His Servants and forgives sins: and He knows all that you do." The noble Qur'an, Al-Shurah(42):25.
"The likeness of those who spend their wealth in Allah's way is as the likeness of a grain which grows seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He will. Allah is All Embracing, All Knowing." The noble Qur'an, al-Bakarah(2):261
"Say: My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgives all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Turn unto Him repentant, and surrender unto Him, before there comes unto you the doom, when you cannot be helped. And follow the better (guidance) of that which is revealed unto you from your Lord, before the doom comes on you suddenly when you know not, Lest any soul should say Alas, my grief that I was unmindful of Allah, and I was indeed among the scoffers! Or should say: if Allah had but guided me I should have been among the dutiful! Or should say, when it sees the doom: Oh, that I had but a second chance that I might be among the righteous! (But now the answer will be): Nay, for My revelations came unto you, but you denied them and were scornful and were among the disbelievers." The noble Qur'an, Al-Zumar(39):53-59.
Abu Hurairah narrated that Allah's messenger (pbuh) said
"When Allah completed the creation, He wrote in His Book which is with Him on His throne: Verily, 'My Mercy has overcome my Anger'." Narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari.
Abu Hurairah furhter narrated : I heard Allah's messenger (pbuh) saying:
"Allah has divided His Mercy into one hundred parts, and He kept ninety nine parts with Him and sent down one part on the earth, and because of that one single part, His creatures are merciful to each other, so that even the mare lifts up it's hoof away from it's baby animal, lest it should trample it." Narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari.
Names of God
The people of Christianity have been taught to refer to their deity as "God." If you were to ask one of them: "What is your god's name?," they would respond "God!" (there are some exceptions). They object to Muslims worshipping "Allah," and usually picture "Allah" as some pagan god. Some of them will even go so far as to curse "Allah," not realizing that they are cursing "God."
Now the question becomes: where did the name "God" come from? Did Jesus (pbuh) ever say "God"? Did Moses (pbuh) ever say "God"? No! The Jews and Arabs are both Semitic tribes which descended from one father, Abraham (pbuh). Their languages are quite similar.
The Old Testament tells us that Moses (pbuh) referred to God as "El" or "Elohiym." Jesus (pbuh) too, referred to God using a similar construct. Jesus (pbuh) spoke Aramaic, however, the ancient copies of the Gospel available to us today are mostly written in Greek.
Very little of Jesus' actual words have been preserved to this day. However, we do know from Mark 15:34 that Jesus (pbuh) referred to God as "Eloi." "Eloi" is an Aramaic word which means "My God." It is pronounced as {el-o-ee'}. The Arabs would say the same word as "Elahi," pronounced {el-ah-ee'}. So Muslims refer to God with virtually the exact same word Jesus (pbuh) used.
Muslims are taught that Allah Almighty has more than one hundred names, the most well known among them being "Allah." These names are to be found in many places throughout the Qur'an. They embody the major characteristics of Allah Almighty such as "The Gracious," "The Merciful," "The Majestic," "The Supreme"...etc.. These names are usually considered adjectives, unless they are applied to Allah Himself, in which case they are treated as proper nouns. For instance:
"Allah's are the fairest names. Invoke Him by them. And leave the company of those who blaspheme His names. They will be requited what they do." The noble Qur'an, Al-Aaraf(7):180.
"Say (unto mankind): Supplicate unto Allah, or supplicate unto the 'Rahman' (Compassionate/Merciful/Gracious), unto whichever you supplicate (it is the same). His are the most beautiful names." The noble Qur'an, al-Isra(17):110.
"Allah! There is no god save Him. His are the most beautiful names." The noble Qur'an, Taha(20):8.
"Not equal are the Companions of the Fire and the Companions of the Garden: The companions of the Garden, they are the triumphant. Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain verily you would have seen it humble, rent asunder for fear of Allah. Such are the similitudes which We propound to humanity that they may reflect. He is Allah, other than whom there is no other god, He is the 'Knower' of (all things) both the unseen and the seen; He is the 'Gracious' the 'Merciful'. He is Allah, other than whom there is no god, the 'Sovereign' the 'Holy One' the (source of) 'Peace,' the 'Guardian of Faith' the 'Overseer,' the 'Majestic,' the 'Irresistible,' the 'Supreme': Glory be to Allah! (highly exalted is He) above the partners they attribute to Him. He is Allah the 'Creator,' the 'Innovator,' the 'Fashioner'. His are the Most Beautiful Names: Whatever is in the heavens and on earth do glorify Him: and He is the 'Mighty' the 'Wise'." The noble Qur'an, al-Hashir (59):20-24.
23 - Joshua Goodman
Heiba,
Thats is the best explaination of Islam I have ever read....this helps me understand your religion much better. Thanks!
24 - Richard Carter
That was the only explanation of Islam I have read.
It does not sound that much different than what I have heard at various churchs and denominations.
All religion seems to be filled with generalities and contradictions and can be and is interpretted differently from one person to another.
I do believe that there is a higher power simply because I have no other explanation for my existence and I believe that whether I decide to call that higher power god, or allah, or bob, it is meant to simply recognize something greater than myself.
I choose to believe that whatever reason we exist it is not to take control of anyone elses beliefs.
I will have to choose the golden rule of treating others the way I want to be treated rather than mocking, mistreating, chastising, or killing those that dont share my beliefs.
I also believe that in America if we continue to let extremists of all types to set up shop within our midsts there will be a heavy price to pay soon.
The decline and fall of the roman empire was caused by the politicians going to sleep at the wheel and granting access to all comers and then having those people destroy them from the inside out.
I agree that we should not allow organizations to use corporate blackmail against anyone because they voice a certain opinion and I also agree that the cowardly companies and sponsors that go along with these nuts ought to be boycoted by everyone, cant they see that it's economic terrorisim?
Michael Savage is only voicing himself with the same red faced swollen vains in the forehead, buldging eyed, spitting, rage that most Americans feel, or should feel but are either to afraid or to complacent to voice themselves.
I want to know what it's going to take to wake our nation up?
If we saw an armada of ships or planes or even an advancing army on land wouldnt we immediately destroy it?
There are those in the world now that are attacking us and their telling us every day that they are attacking us and that they are already here with more on the way, so why are we allowing this to happen.
Are we going to wait until our children are blown up while attending class or shopping at the mall before we take any action.
It's all going to be such a waste of innocent life because in the end America will rise and fight back with a vengence never seen before in history.
We will win because we want to survive regardless whether other nations or religions hate us.
So what, what can they actually do to stop us when it comes right down to it.
25 - Dawn
“I want to know what it's going to take to wake our nation up?”
To do what?
Michael Savage is the voice of one type of extremism in this country.
Corporations do not HAVE to support anyone’s cause. If Savage can get supporters, he can continue his show. If he cannot get supporters, he is out of the marketplace. I do not know of a case where a public person has been able to establish a property right to their show.
Michael Savage does not have a RIGHT to corporate money.
I agree that extremists are a real problem " for any society. But are Islamic extremists the only problem in the US? These neocons have ushered in a new “mccarthyism”. Instead of seeing a communist behind every door, they see 1) Islamic radicals, 2) gay activists, or 3) Latino conquistadors behind every door. Savage is one of those extremists " his views are most definitely not centrist. And, he makes it very clear on his show, that his goal is to influence the behavior of his listeners to “save this country.” He constantly screams into the airwaves that America is doomed if there is not an uprising against the three groups named above (and you can add “liberals” and “feminists” to the list of people who are no good in his view).
A telling show was the one he aired during the James Watson scandal about Africans being less intelligent than Caucasians. He would not overtly come out and disagree with Watson. The closest he came was saying something like " maybe there are different kinds of intelligence. A real copout. Of course, his callers were calling non-stop to agree with Watson. In general, the majority of callers make statements to the effect “Yeah, you rock Michael, we also oppose _______.” His solutions to the “problems” (read presence) of Moslems, gays, Latinos, liberals, and feminists almost invariably center on getting rid of them. Is it a self-evident truth that this country should be dominated by heterosexual Judeo-Christian white males?
If there is a trend (and I say trend, not threat) in this country, it is that it will Latinize. Neocons, if they whip up enough paranoia can crush gays, Moslems (but not the African-American ones, in my opinion), women, and perhaps even beat back liberals for a time " but Latinos have overwhelming numbers. Exactly how is the US going to prevent the Latinization of the country? You can’t even run a business in the US these days without Spanish translators.