Islamic Blog for New Muslims: Support for New Muslim Converts

To navigate humanity to Him, God the Almighty sent down Books with His Prophets to teach and show humankind how to live their lives pleasingly in His eyes—a way of life that delivers contentment in this world and the next while avoiding punishment in the afterlife and attaining Paradise. God sends these Books to serve as study guides and instructional manuals regarding how one's life should be lived. Through his Revelations to humanity, delivered with Prophets, God reveals His Wisdom, Laws, and Instructions.

 The Holy Quran is a guide or instructional manual that teaches one how to live their life. The Book was revealed to guide humanity through every aspect of life. The Holy Quran is a personal guide meant to navigate a person through daily struggles. Just as when you buy a computer or any electronic device, the machine comes with an instructional manual dictating its operation. 

The Holy Quran deals with all subjects pertaining to the lives of human beings, such as doctrine, wisdom, worship, law, transactions, and more. Its central theme is the relationship between God and His creation. The Holy Quran also teaches the art of living. The Holy Quran contains guidelines and teachings for both individuals and society as a whole. The Holy Quran's guidelines and instructions for proper human conduct, a fair economic system, ritual worship, ethics and moral behavior, business, government, etc., are presented in this monumental text.

You are advised to read the instructional manual of life, the Holy Quran, and live as our Creator has commanded. How else would you know your role and the purpose of your existence unless you receive clear and practical instructions regarding God's expectations of you? If you follow the guidelines carefully, you shall be rewarded with a better life--now and in the hereafter. If you disobey God and go against His commands, by contrast, you will face the consequences in this world and the Hereafter.

The Holy Quran is the primary source of Islamic teachings for all Muslims. The Book is and always has been written in Arabic. The Holy Quran is so unique in content and style that it cannot be translated; therefore, any translation is only intended to interpret its meaning. Distinctions must be drawn between the Holy Quran and its translations. 

Unlike other Scriptures of God, not one letter of the Holy Quran has been changed since its Revelation. Everything found in the Holy Quran is true, with no evidence of contradictions or falsehood found, and the truth of the book will remain valid for eternity. 

Now let's review the irrefutable evidence that proves the Holy Quran to be the Word of God:

The Holy Quran is proof of Islam's truthfulness. Anyone who thoroughly examines the Holy Quran will conclude that no one, including the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, could have authored this Book, as no human could produce anything of its scope and magnitude. Thus, this text could come only from God. 

The Holy Quran is the eternal miracle of the Prophet Muhamad PBUH, providing the truthfulness of his Prophethood. Past prophets performed miracles to prove their Prophethood, but all of these miracles ended with their deaths since they were Prophets meant to serve their people only. Since Prophet Muhammad, PBUH, is the last Prophet and meant to be followed till the end of time, his miracle needs to last for that duration so that the people who live after him can see his miracle and believe in his Prophethood. The Holy Quran remains preserved and exists today in the same form as it existed more than 1400 years ago. 

 The Holy Quran is the greatest miracle of God and contains thousands of miracles to prove its Godly origins. For a book to claim to be the word of God is a formidable statement indeed. Without clear evidence or with one contradiction found within the Book, the apparent Word of God would be proven false. 

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And before we speak about the evidence of Islam and the Holy Quran's Divine origin, let me quickly introduce your Creator to you. Muslims do not worship a particular God of Muslims; instead, the God that Muslims worship is the universal God who created the heavens and the Earth, which many people believe in from the time of their childhood. The word "Allah" is the unique name of God and translates to mean God. Regardless, some people harbor the mistaken belief that Muslims worship a different God than Christians and Jews do and that "Allah" is the God of the Arabs or the Muslims. This is far from the truth.

 Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians use the same name, "Allah," to refer to God. If one were to examine an Arabic translation of the Bible, one would see the word "Allah" being used in place of the term, God. However, Muslims, Christians, and Jews have different concepts of God.

Allah is the one and only absolute and eternal God. He is the Creator of the Heavens and Earth, the Creator of the Universe. He is the Lord of all lords and King of all kings. He is the Most Compassionate and Most Merciful. Allah Neither Begets nor is He Begotten. And He knows no equal. 

Say, "He is Allah, who is One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neitherbegets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent." (Quran 112:1-4)

 Muslims believe in one unique, incomparable God—one with no son, daughter, father, mother, family, or partner. He is the Knower of the unseen and the Source of All Mercy. He is the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner, the Wise. All that is in the Heavens and on Earth magnifies Him. Muslims believe that none should be worshipped but Him alone. He is the true God, and every other deity is false. None carries the right to be worshipped, revered, adored, invoked, supplicated, or shown any act of worship but Allah alone. 

God is unique, indivisible, and similar to nothing. Whenever you try to compare God to anything in this world, the source of comparison cannot be God because God, to put it simply, is incomparable. Your finite human mind cannot comprehend and grasp God as a concept. Muslims avoid conceptualizing His image because imagining or visualizing Him would limit Him. The human imagination is limited, as it is based on what it observes and experiences directly. The human imagination cannot fully grasp God's state, which is timeless and eternal with no beginning or end. God has a unique nature and is free from gender and human weakness. He is beyond anything which human beings can imagine. 

"There is no god but He, the Creator of all things; then worship Him, and He has the power to dispose of all affairs. No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision; He is the Sublime, Well-Aware."            (Quran 6: 102-103)

God is the King, the Holy, free from all defects, The Protector, the Keeper, the Sustainer of Earth and the Universe and all it contains. He is the Glorious, the Great, the deserver of all Praise. The Kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth belong to Him. Nothing is hidden from Him, and nothing is beyond His capabilities. He is the One that merges the night into the day and the day into the night. He is the Master of the Day of Judgment. Allah does not sleep nor slumber, nor does sleep overtake Him. 

"He is Creator of the Heavens and the Earth. He has made for you from yourselves, mates, and among the cattle, mates; He multiplies you thereby. There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing." (Quran 42:11)

God is Loving, Compassionate, and Merciful; He is the answerer of prayers. He is indeed involved and concerned with the daily affairs of all human beings. God is the Beneficent, the Merciful. He is the Giver of life and the Causer of death. He is the Master of the Day of Judgment. He is the Most-High, the Most-Supreme. 

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Not only does the Holy Quran prophesize future events, but the text tells many stories of past events, past nations, and past prophets, such as the stories of Prophet Joseph, Moses, and Jesus PBUT. The Prophet Muhammad PBUH lived in the middle of the desert with no libraries available because the Arabian Peninsula was a backward, antiquated nation at the time. He was unlettered and grew up among illiterate idol worshippers without knowledge of the Scriptures. He had no way of reading or conjuring these stories shared in the Holy Quan.

"That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you, [O Muhammad]. You knew it not, neither you nor your people, before this. So be patient; indeed, the [best] outcome is for the righteous." (Quran 11:49)

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sayings of Prophet Muhammad PBUH also have conveyed many predictions. We can outline a few among the more than 100 prophecies in the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad PBUH (sayings of the Prophet). 

 When Arab pagans were not known for building tall buildings, as the Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians were, the Prophet Muhammad PBUH prophesied a time when you would see the children of barefooted camel and goat herders participating in the construction of high-rise buildings. He pointed out that this would signify the onset of Judgment Day. 

This prophecy was made at a time and place when no indications existed that Arabs would construct tall buildings; indeed, this was at a time when Arabs lived as impoverished herders of camels and sheep. The fathers of the current rulers of Dubai and Saudi Arabia once walked barefoot and worked primarily as herders of camels and goats before discovering oil. Today, Dubai and Saudi Arabia host the world's tallest buildings. ...And when you see barefoot, naked, destitute shepherds constructing tall buildings... - Saheeh Muslim. 

The Prophet Muhammad PBUH also predicted that Jerusalem would be conquered after his death, lost, and then conquered once again. He prophesied the conquest of Persia, Rome, and Egypt. Muslims conquered Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) after his death, as predicted. Prophet Muhammad PBUH predicted that Islam would spread to the far Eastern and Western ends of the world. Now we see that Islam has spread worldwide, encompassing 24% of the world's population.

 Among the many predictions of Prophet Muhammad PBUH is the claim that a time would come when …women are clothed yet naked, walking with an enticing gait... (narrated by Ahmad & Muslim in Al-Saheeh). Today, women worldwide walk in the streets with many body parts exposed, flaunting their beauty as the Hadith predicted. 

Prophet Muhammed PBUH prophesied a time when murders would increase, and the one who kills would not know why they killed, nor would the one killed understand the motive. One can see this phenomenon happening in modern wars and gang-related conflicts.

Prophet Muhammed PBUH prophesied the increase in usury and interest, acts which are unethical and exploitative as they make the rich richer at the expense of the poor. He stated that no one would be able to escape this state, which, unfortunately, defines the world's current economic conditions.

Prophet Muhammad PBUH ordered Mosques (houses of God) to be built with a design of pure simplicity. He prophesied a time when Mosques would be like palaces, and now, we see many huge, beautiful Mosques worldwide just brimming with pillars, chandeliers, domes, beautiful colored carpets, and marbled floors. 

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Now let's speak on the irrefutable proofs and evidence on why the Holy Quran is the true Speech of God. The Holy Quran will continue to speak to every generation until the Day of Judgment. Amongst the many miracles of the Holy Quran is the Quality and Eloquence of the Holy Quran when the text is read in Arabic. Arabic speakers can appreciate the linguistic perfection of the Arabic language of the Holy Quran—it stands as a living miracle of the Arabic language. The Arabs who lived at the time of Prophet Muhammad PBUH could appreciate the eloquence of the language of the Book as they spoke Arabic. 

The Holy Quran contains the highest possible standard of rhetoric in its language, to the extent that it would be impossible for a human or group of humans to produce. The Holy Quran consists of perfect grammar. The Holy Quran explains complicated legal matters like inheritance in simple speech and imagery through the Arabic language. The Holy Quran is inimitable in style, form, and spiritual impact; the book's text has a unique rhythm, tone, rhyme, and genre like no other book. The Holy Quran uses terminology and descriptions that express a sophistication beyond what a 7th-century person living in the desert would know.

The Holy Quran contains many miracles that non-Arabic speakers can appreciate and recognize. The Holy Quran is a miracle because of the power the book wields over humans worldwide. Daily, it changes millions of lives and views. It transforms people into better human beings. The Holy Quran is a miracle because of its incredible spiritual power and positive psychological effects on those who read it. The Book often gives readers an indescribable feeling that moves them to tears, even if they do not speak or comprehend Arabic. The Holy Quran is a miracle, as it has changed and impacted human history in many ways.

 The Holy Quran contains references to various branches of knowledge and various sciences that could not have been known firsthand at the time and place of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH and his companions. We will now dig a little deeper into this subject.

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Many reasons justify the belief that Islam is the religion of God and that the Holy Quran is the true word of God. If you are still unsure of it, you should investigate the evidence that points to Islam as the true faith and that the Holy Quran is the true Speech of God. Let's quickly go over a few of these:

Many proofs exist to support the fact that Islam is the true religion of God. Among the many proofs of Islam's truthfulness is the fact that it is the only religion whose message and teachings have been preserved and never tampered with nor changed over time. As for Christianity and other religions, their original Revelation and teachings have not been preserved for our perusal. If you look at Christianity, for instance, since Jesus Christ and the disciples spoke Aramaic, Jesus Christ's Message and teachings must have been conveyed in that language. Today, we do not have copies of Jesus Christ's teachings available in the language he taught them. 

Amongst the many proofs of Islam's truthfulness is that Islam speaks to the predisposition and innate belief God has placed in the hearts of every human. Take the concept of God, for instance. The idea of God is simple, understandable, and not as complex as it is in other religions. Islam teaches the existence of only One Supreme Being, who is All-Mighty, All-Powerful, All-Knowing, All-Seeing, and Most-Merciful, and who created the entire universe and everything in it. All other beings are creations of God and not the actual Creator. If more than one God existed, there would befall a chaos of gods fighting each other for control. If the gods did not fight each other for power and control, then they would be considered dependent on and submissive to each other—in other words, not gods at all. 

Among the many proofs of Islam's truthfulness stands the idea that salvation makes common sense and applies true justice. Islam states that salvation is based on believing in your Creator, intentions, actions, and repentance. No other religion supports the belief in rational and logical concepts like Islam's concept of God; thus, the ideas of His Prophets, salvation, and the Hereafter appeal to everyone! 

Islam says that every man is responsible for his actions, sins, and salvation; no one will bear the effects of anyone else's sins, as Christianity believes, which is unjust! God, who owns everything, does not need to sacrifice his supposed son to forgive humanity's sins! Moreover, salvation is not based on one's native ethnicity and civilization, over which people have no control, as Jews believe. Where is the fairness, logic, and justice in that? 

Islam's concept of the Hereafter makes total sense and applies full justice in its scope. Islam states that there is a life after this one, where everyone will be judged based on how they lived. Everyone will get what they deserve on Judgment Day, be it a reward or a punishment. In this world, evil people may live decent lives and go unpunished for their wrongdoing, while sometimes good people who believe in God and do good deeds live difficult lives. On Judgment Day, justice will be applied. 

Among the many proofs of Islam's existence is how its teachings guide you to achieving goodness. Other religions teach you to refrain from stealing and cheating, but their teachings are not practical. In contrast, Islam's teachings are very practical and provide solutions for all problems and aspects of life. Islam offers many resolutions, like the solution to poverty. The faith contains a system known as Zakat, which requires everyone with more than a certain amount of money and assets to give the poor 2.5% of their wealth annually. If everyone followed this system worldwide, no one would die from hunger, and poverty would perish!

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Before we speak about the evidence of Islam and the Holy Quran's Divine origin, let me quickly introduce Islam. Islam is defined as the voluntary act of submitting yourself to God. When you become a Muslim, you submit and surrender to the will of God, just as the creation around you, providing you peace and contentment in this life and the hereafter. Only when you submit to God, through a process of believing in Him and obeying His commandments, do you achieve an innate and lasting sense of security, true peace of mind, and surety of heart. As a Muslim, you don't live to fulfill your desires, lusts, and impulses; instead, by definition, a Muslim submits their will to the almighty God. You acknowledge and trust that God knows what's best for you, so you follow His guidance.

 You cannot live peacefully or successfully without religion, and this religion cannot be man-made. Religion must be utterly Divine, with no human alteration inherent. The only Revelation in the world today that still rings good and true is the final Book, the last and final Testament of God, the Holy Quran. All other traditional Revelations have been lost in the annals of time or undergone endless human-made modifications that have rendered them impractical for humanity. Unlike other sacred scriptures such as the Bible, the Holy Quran has been perfectly preserved in both its words and meaning—and in a language that still exists today.

Islam is a monotheistic faith that requires followers to admit and recognize the existence of one Supreme God and Being who is Almighty, All-Powerful, All-Knowledgeable, All-Seeing, All-Hearing, Most-Merciful, and Loving. Islam stresses the existence of only One God. The same God worshipped by Prophet Adam, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, Jesus, and Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon them all. Islam demonstrates the fact that, through the centuries, God has continued to bless humanity with holy Prophets bearing the same general message.

 The message is simple: you should worship God Alone with no partners, love Him with all of your heart, and follow His Commandments. If you follow this edict, you will live a content life in this world and enter Paradise eternally in the afterlife. If you do not believe in God and follow His commandments, you will live a depressed life and enter hellfire in the afterlife. 

Islam is not a religion solely based on creeds, customs, and rituals such as praying and fasting; instead, Islam is a complete way of life that guides followers in every aspect of their lives. Islam teaches the art of living and dictates how you should steer and navigate your life. Islam instructs you about the things in this life that are beneficial to you and those that are ultimately destructive and should be avoided. 

Islam states that everyday human acts, such as eating, drinking, greeting others, sitting, learning, dressing, sleeping, and giving charity, are all acts of worship if conducted for God alone and in accordance with His Divine Laws and guidelines. 

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God taught the Holy Quran to the Angel Gabriel, who then taught it to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, who then taught it to his companions. It is imperative to know that Muslims recorded the Revelation as it was taught to them by Prophet Muhammad PBUH over 23 years. The Holy Quran was revealed passage by passage orally. It did not come down in written form. After the Book was compiled, it was apparent that the Holy Quran consisted of a deep mathematical structure and design that only God could have achieved. The Holy Quran contains many mathematical miracles or presumed coincidences that cannot be mere coincidences.

Among the many mathematical miracles outlined in the Holy Quran is the mention of the word day 365 times, which is the time it takes the Earth to complete a single orbit around the sun. The plural of the word is used 30 times within the text, representing the number of days in a typical month. The word month is used 12 times in this same text. The words, man and woman are mentioned 24 times each, and sometimes in different contexts. The word Dunya (the world we live in) is mentioned 115 times, and the word that references the Hereafter is mentioned 115 times. 

Again, God did not reveal the Holy Quran entirely at once; it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH through Angel Gabriel orally, piece by piece, over 23 years. A human could never compile the Holy Quran, brimming with a bounty of mathematical miracles, in 23 years. These are only a few of the many miracles found in the Holy Quran. These miracles, along with many others found in the text, show a deliberate order in the Holy Quran. All of the presumed mathematical coincidences cannot be, in fact, coincidences.

Unlike the modern-day Bible, which contains thousands of contradictions due to its excessive modifications and insertions from human hands, the Holy Quran boasts perfect consistency and contains zero contradictions, even though this more than 600-page Book speaks of many complex topics such as theology, law, legal problems, peace and war, marriage and divorce, economics, child custody, inheritance, etc. God states that if this Book were written by anyone else, the text undoubtedly would contain many contradictions.

Given the fact that Prophet Muhammad PBUH was an unlettered man who did not know how to read or write and lived in the desert, he could not have authored the Holy Quran as it is written, at a high literacy level of the Arabic language, containing no errors, contradictions, nor inconsistencies.

 "Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an? If it had been  from any other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction." (Quran 4:82)

The Holy Quran contains perfect consistency and is free of contradictions, even though it was revealed orally over twenty-three years. The Holy Quran challenges anyone who doubts the Book's Divine origins to produce another sacred text equal in merit, one that matches its eloquence, power, style, language, etc. Allah made it clear that no one will be able to produce anything comparable to the Holy Quran—another prophecy of the Holy Quran that is true. 

"And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant [Muhammad], then produce a surah the like thereof and call upon your witnesses other than Allah, if you should be truthful."          (Quran 2:23)

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If you do not have a relationship with your Creator, then your soul eternally will seek something to fill the emptiness of your heart. All of the wealth and material goods of this world never will fill the void, the emptiness, the gap of your vacant soul. Your happiness is not derived from the gathering of possessions. Real wealth is obtained only from the richness and contentment of the heart and soul. And the only true poverty is the poverty of your spirit and heart. Whether you believe it or not, whether you like it or not, this is how God designed you and how He designed the world you live in. 

In today's materialistic world, the endless quest for fame and wealth distracts you from reflecting on the beautiful creation of God and the purpose behind it. You live in a world where people are obsessed with materialism; their main aim and focus is to gather all the money and prizes they can possess. You are in a world in which people are obsessed with taking as much as possible from this world. A perpetual state of excessive materialism can affect your inner peace. You cannot achieve satisfaction in life if you do little but pursue material gain to an excessive and extreme extent; instead, you should look at the situation of those less fortunate than you. This way, you will have a greater appreciation of the love, gifts, benefits, and mercy the Almighty has bestowed upon you regarding your wealth, family, friends, housing, etc.

 You were created and born with a sense of awe and wonder, but many kill that sense of wonder somewhere along their journey to adulthood. Many no longer feel awe at God's creation around them because of their excessiveness, obsession, and distraction as rooted in the material things of this world. Many are so preoccupied with useless material goods, vain talk, and gossip that they have forgotten and even are immune to the wonder of the miracles happening around them every second of every day. One should think deeply and ask more critical questions about life and its purpose rather than thinking about that which is less significant.

For the few that ponder and think deeply on this creation, which others overlook, they discover within it signs and great lessons all around them that lead them straight back to their Creator. Signs that lead one to an appreciation of the Wisdom and Wonders of the Almighty's creation, bringing them thus closer to their Lord. In the Holy Quran, God invites individuals of true understanding to think about the issues other people overlook.  

You surely harbor fundamental questions that malign your conscience. Why was I created? What am I doing here? What is the purpose of my existence? Where am I headed? These are questions that only God can answer. Only He can provide you with a meaningful purpose for your life and the guidance needed to fulfill your life's purpose.

Other religions do not answer the big questions of life. You cannot live peacefully in this world without knowing who you are, who created you, where you are headed, what your role is, and how to fulfill that role. The Almighty implanted the need to answer these questions into your inner nature. However, your human intellect alone cannot answer these questions unaided. You need Divine guidance to discover these all-important spiritual answers. 

The answers lie in Islam.

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performed:

Before you connect with Allah, you must start by setting an intention in your heart for the prayer you are about to perform. There is no need to verbalize your intention. 

Now you are ready to start the prayer. You start by raising both your hands to shoulder or ear height– do not place your hands together, instead keep them shoulder apart and your feet shoulder apart, and you say 'Allah Akhbar,' which translates to 'Allah is Greater' – in almost every movement of the prayer, you will say 'Allah Akhbar' which will constantly remind you Allah is Greater than what you were doing, saying, thinking, and is Greater than everything. You keep your eyes looking down at the ground in front of you where your head would be placed when you prostrate. It's essential to stay concentrated on your prayer and not look around, which would disturb you from your prayers. You should not close your eyes during prayers.  

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