thanks truth!

But I still don't have to verse talking about accepting Islam rationally.

Salaam folks long time no ping,

I need to know the original verse(s) for the following concepts and I have dug around but can't find them..

1- The verse(s) that mention that some of the Quranic concepts are metaphors and not literal and that some wise one's can understand them.

2- That even mumins don't fall on Quran blindly but follow it rationally.

Thanks!

Satan

n (Judeo-Christian religion) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell

Shaitan

113. Shait'an - (Sheen-Ta-Noon).

The common English equivalent for this word, namely Devil, does not properly express the Quranic sense of the original term. To start with, note the various meanings of the root

Shatan is a string which is long, twisted and strong.
Beirun-Shatunun is a well which is very deep. In fact, anything which is far away is called Shatunun or Shatinun.
Ar-Rumani has written that words like Shatta, Shatana and B'aoda are synonyms (Alf'az-ul-Mutradif'at). Ibn-e-Faris has also written that its basic meaning is to get far away.
Shatana means that a person went far away.
Shatana-Sahibuhu means that person opposed the intention as well as direction of his companion or kept his companion's intention different than his own, and from this reference the meaning of opposition and rebellion were derived (Taj / Lane). So the word Shait'an means one-
Who is away from Allah's Blessings, and hence devoid of life's pleasant things.
Who follows a wrong path, leaving aside the right one or becomes rebellious.
Shait'an is the name of an ugly serpent, as well as the intensity of thirst. As in verse (38/41) Job called his Rabb that he was touched by a serpent or felt extremely thirsty (Mirza Abul Fazal with reference to Q'amoos).
Some scholars think that the word Shait'an is taken from Shait'un which means to get burnt, to get destroyed.
Sh'atas-Samno means that the oil got so hot that it was near burning. So the word Shait'an means, the rebellious one having destructive or inflammable qualities. In Hebrew Shait'an means one who puts obstacles.

In the Quran, verse (19/44) says that Shait'an is one who revolts against the orders of Allah. Verse (28/15) explains that when Moses stuck a blow to an Egyptian, as a result of which he died, Moses said, "O this was the satanic action!" So this means anything wrong which is done under emotional pressure is Shaitanat.

The ring leaders of the people who opposed the system of Allah were called Shia'teen (2/14, 12/5).
Those barbaric and rebellious tribes whom Solomon brought under his control and put them to work were called Shia'teen (21/82, 38/37). About a tree in Jahannam Allah says, "Its spathes are like the prickly pear." (37/65) Ka Annahu Rouso Shia'teen.
And We guard them against all obstinate rebellious evil spirits (37/7).
So according to the Holy Quran, any authority or power which differs, deviates or revolts against the Law or course of Allah is Shait'an.

Is it now justified to to translate shairan to satan?

dude, where is the chat box. me no see it.

How do you chat here! Does anyone have MIRC?
Can anyone come to mirc, tomorrow, at say, 700pm EST on dalnet at #free-minds?

pls confirm if you will.

I just had an epiphany, you know, realized something. Wonder what your take is on it..

Go back in history, just before Muhammad's time. People were given prior scriptures. They distorted the messages. Most noticibly

1-A prophet called Issa was hero worshipped all the way to being part of some trinity. Jesus taken to the status of god.

2-People bogged down by silly worthless rituals.

3-People using no upstairs, no brains, no rationality behind their 'faith' in the perversions, and fighting anyone who challenged that mentality.

4-People adding alleged words of another human into the holy scriptures, and giving them more value than the actual scripture. The additions in bible and all.

Then, Prophet Muhammad comes, get a wahi, and changes the entire ignorance into enlightenment. Using Quran, he changes everything. He eliminates hero worshipping. Eliminated rituals. Quran taught his followers to use their heads. Quran alone was the source of guidance, preserved for atleast two more centuries.

Now look at the present world

1- A prophet called Muhammad, although not taken to the same status as Issa in Christianity, is still given more value than he ever intended or Quran gives.

2-People bogged down by silly worthless rituals.

3-People using no upstairs, no brains, no rationality behind their 'faith' in the perversions, and fighting anyone who challenged that mentality.

4-People adding alleged words of another human into the holy scriptures, and giving them more value than the actual scripture. The additions such as hadiths.

Do you see the remarkable resemblence in the 'state' of human mentality? After so many centuries, have we humans REALLY progressed, as we like to boast?

" Or do they say he invented it? Say ?Then bring a chapter like it, and call upon whoever you can besides God if you are truthful!? 1038

What does this challenge exactly precisely accurately mean?

Assuming the above translation is precise, the challenge is to bring a chapter, not just a verse, AND call upon anyone to write the chapter. Does chapter like it refers to chapter 10 or any chapter? What is the significance of 'if you are truthful'? Can someone re arrange the above verse in syllogistic form?

What is unique about chapter 10 that it cannot be replicated by any?

I'm all ears for interesting analysis. ) Bring it on smarty pants!

I see many people here getting doubts about muhammad and quran. Here are some quotes by non-muslims on muhammad.

1. "I have studied him- The wonderful man-and in my opinion--He must be called the Savior of humanity. (George Bernard Shaw, The Genuine Islam.)

2. "Philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Warrior, Conqueror of ideas, the Restorer of rational belief, the preacher of a religion without images, the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one heavenly Empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, "Is there any man greater than he?"" (Alphonse Lamartine, Historie De la Turquie, Paris, 1854.)

3. "Muhammad was the most successful of all religious personalities." (Encyclopedia Britannica, 4th & 11th editions.)

4. "Mohammad was the soul of kindness, and his influence was felt and never forgotten by those around him." (Diwan Chand Sharma, The Prophets of the East, 1935.)

5. the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels." (Michael H. Hart, The 100.)

6. "The greatest leader of all times was Mohammad." (Jules Masserman, Professor of History, Chicago University.)

7. "The word of Mohammad is a voice direct from nature's own heart--all else is wind in comparison." (Thomas Carlyle, On Heroes and Hero Worship, 1840.)

8. "The more I study, the more I discover that the strength of Islam does not lie in the sword." ( M. K.Gandhi, Young India.)

9. "The creed of Mohammad is free from ambiguity and the Qur'an is a glorious testimony to the unity of God. (Edward Gibbon, Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire.)

10. "The towering personality of Muhammad has left bright and indelible imprints on all mankind." (John William Draper, A History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, London 1875.)

11. "Absolutely unique in history, Muhammad is a 3 fold founder of a nation, of an empire and of a religion." (Reverend Bosworth Smith, Mohammad and Mohammadanism.)

12. "No man whose external conditions changed so much ever changed himself less to meet them." (R.V.C. Bodley, The Messenger, London, 1946.)

13. "The man who of all men exercised the greatest influence upon the human race--Muhammad." (J.W. Draper M.D., L.L.D., A History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, London, 1875.)

14. "Among leaders who have made the greatest impact through ages, I would consider Muhammad before Jesus Christ." (James Gavin, Speeches of a U.S. Army General.)

15. "In the person of the prophet of Islam we see the rarest phenomenon on earth walking in flesh and blood i.e. the union of the theorist, the organizer and the leader in one man." (Professor K.S. Rama Krishna Rao, Mohammad, The Prophet of Islam.)

16. "The lies which we have heaped round this man, are disgraceful to ourselves only." (Thomas Carlyle, On Heroes and Hero Worship.)

17. "A man of truth and fidelity, true in what he did, in what he spake and thought---this is the only sort of speech worth speaking." (Thomas Carlyle, On Heroes and Hero Worship, 1840.)

18. "The greatest crime, The greatest "sin" of Mohammad in the eyes of the Christian West is that he did not allow himself to be slaughtered, to be "crucified" by his enemies. He only defended himself, his family and his followers; and finally vanquished his enemies. Mohammad's success is the Christians' gall of disappointment He did not believe in any vicarious sacrifices for the sins of others." (Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.)

19. "The legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword--is the most fantastically absurd myth that historians have ever repeated." (De Lacy O' Leary, Islam at the Cross Roads, London, 1923.)

20. The sayings of Muhammad are a treasure of wisdom not only for Muslims but for all mankind. (M.K.Gandhi, Preface to The Sayings of Muhammad by Sohrawardi.)

21. "He was the Messenger of the One True God and never to his life's end did he forget for a moment who he was! He was one of those happy few who have attained the supreme joy of making one great truth their very life-spring." (Stanley Lane Poole, Memoirs.)

22. "Those who believe Islam was spread by force are fools who neither know the ways of Islam nor the ways of the world." (Balbir Singh, Navan Hindustan, 1947.)

23. "Mohammad was an enthusiast in the noblest sense." (Stanley Lane Poole, Memoirs.)

24. "He was Caesar and Pope in one, but he was Pope without the Pope's pretensions, and Caesar without the legions of Caesar...without a bodyguard, without a palace. If any one man had the right to say that he ruled by the right divine, it was Mohammad." (Reverend B.Smith, Mohammad & Mohammadanism, London.)

25. "The Renaissance of Europe did not take place in the 15th century. Rather it began when Europe learned from the culture of the Arabs. The cradle of European awakening is not Italy. It is the Muslim Spain." (Robert Briffault, The Making of Humanity.)

26. "Muhammad saved the human civilization from extinction." (J.H. Denison, Emotions as the Basis of Civilization.)

27. "The height of human achievement and glory-Mohammad." (Pringle Kennedy, Arabian Society at the Time of Mohammad.)

28. "Under his influence people became united in one bond which they knew not. The bond of true monotheism." (L.E. Browne, The Eclipse of Christianity in Islam.)

29. "Kingdom of God on Earth! God's messenger serving as the greatest proponent of human brotherhood, His viceroy on earth in the form of Muhammad." ( Philip Hitti, History of the Arabs.)

30. "The message of Mohammad, Islam, is nothing but a blessing for mankind--The usher from darkness to light and from Satan to God." (Rev E. Stephenson, My Reflections.)

31. "The noble founder of a nation, an empire and a religion. The unlettered one bestowed upon the world the Book which is a miracle, the eternal miracle and the true miracle." (Rev. Bosworth Smith)

32. "Mohammad brought an end to idol worship. He preached monotheism and infinite Mercy of God, human brotherhood, care of the orphan, emancipation of slaves, forbidding of wine--No religion achieved as much success as Islam did." (Sir William Muir, Life of Mohammad.)

33. "Mohammad's religion reformed all existing dogmas and brought the Arabs ahead of the super powers of the time." (Dr. Marcus Dods, Mohammad, Buddha and Christ.)

34. "Mohammad was the greatest Executive Officer for implementation of the Divine Will. Like other prophets he knew that time will come when all mankind will become one community." (H.N. Spalding, Civilization in East and West.)

35. "He laid the foundation of a universal government. His law was one for all. Equal justice and love for everyone." (George Rivorie, Visages de L' Islam.)

36. "The Arabian Prophet Mohammad is the founder of a revolution unparalleled in history. He founded a political state that will ultimately embrace the entire planet. The law of that Government would rest on justice and kindness. His teachings revolve around human equality, mutual cooperation and universal brotherhood." (Raymond Lerouge, Life de Mohamet.)

37. "Mohammad introduced the concept of such Glorious and Omnipotent God in Whose eyes all worldly systems were pieces of straw. Islamic equality of mankind is no fiction as it is in Christianity. No human mind has ever thought of such total freedom as established by Mohammad." (Dr. Mawde Royden, The Problem of Palestine.)

38. "Islam is a forceful spiritual energy. Its true meaning will manifest itself when it will be implemented on large scale." (Tor Andre, Muhammad, The Man and His Faith.)

39. "Islam does not set impossible goals. There are no mythological intricacies in this message. No hidden meanings or secrets and absolutely no priesthood." (Phillip Hitti, History of the Arabs.)

40. "In Islam the believer is a worshiper and a soldier ever ready to go to the battlefield but only for that battle which is waged to eradicate the evil." (Spalding, Civilization in East and West.)

41. "The Message of Mohammad is not a set of metaphysical phenomena. It is a complete civilization." (W. A. R. Gibb, Whither Islam.)

42. "The Book revealed to Muhammad is one and unique of its kind. It has left indelible impression on the hearts of humanity. Nothing can overcome its majesty. The Qur'an has given new dimensions to human thinking. Surprising reforms! Stunning success!" (Rev.B. Margoliouth, Biography of Mohammad.)

43. "The Book revealed to Muhammad defines an unalterable guide to individual and collective life of people." (Sir Richard Gregory, Religion in Science and Civilization.)

44. "The Christian World came to wage crusades against Muslims but eventually knelt before them to gain knowledge. They were spellbound to see that Muslims were owners of a culture that was far superior to their own. The Dark Ages of Europe were illuminated by nothing but the beacon of Muslim civilization." (F. J. C Hearushaw, The Science of History.)

45. "Greatness of purpose, smallness of means and astounding results- Mohammad established a system based upon true and immortal ideology. (Alphonse Lamartine)

46. The power that created in Muslims ravenous appetite for knowledge sprung from the Qur'an. (Rev. B.Margoliouth.)

47. In my view, Islam is the only religion in the world that will remain eternally practicable in changing times. (George Bernard Shaw, The Genuine Islam, 1936.)

48. I believe that if today an autocrat of Mohammad's caliber assumes world leadership, he could solve all problems of humanity splendidly. The world will become an abode of peace and happiness. I predict that tomorrow's Europe will embrace Islam. (George Bernard Shaw)

49. Mohammad never assigned himself a status more than a common man and a messenger of God. People had faith in him when he was surrounded by poverty and adversity and trusted him while he was the ruler of a great Empire. A man of spotless character who always had confidence in himself and in God's help. No aspect of his life remained hidden nor was his death a mysterious event. (M.H. Hyndman, The Awakening of Asia.)

50. The teachings of Islam can fail under no circumstances. With all our systems of culture and civilization, we can not go beyond Islam and, as a matter of fact, no human mind can go beyond the Qur'an. (Letter of Goethe to Eckermann, Sir Henry Elliott's collection, 1865).

For the unbiased reader, glimpses from the great non-Muslim minds given in this chapter should suffice to say why I am Muslim. Further discussion of the subject, however, will shed more light on the subject and I will also explain why I am a Muslim by choice, not by birth.

51. The solution to all international conflicts lies only in embracing Islam en masse because Islam is the only religion that can transcend nationalism. I see, with great dismay, that nationalism is gaining grounds even among the bearers of the Qur'an. I will hope for the day when all humanity will break this idol and unite all as the children of God. (Arnold J. Toynbey, The World and the West, 1952.)

52. Think and ponder! Which person is it who taught mankind the way to establish the greatest society; the society in which blessings descend upon every individual . . . (J.H. Dennison, Emotions as the Basis of Civilization.)

53. Fellow inhabitants of the planet! Search for the ideal Prophet, who in the 7th century, has shown you the way to total success. (Lewis Mumford, Transformation of Man.)

54. The message of Mohammad is flowing toward its noble destination like a pure, fresh and transparent rivulet. (Johann Goethe)

55. The critics are blind. They cannot see that the only sword Mohammad ever wielded was the sword of mercy, compassion and forgiveness. (Pundit Jai Anand, My Religion, Hinduism.)

56. All religions, save the word of Muhamad, are broken boats. They cannot take humanity to the shore of serenity. (Dr. E.B. Hocking, the Universal Faith.)

57. Islam is the only religion that gives dignity to the poor. (Ramsey Clark, Former U.S. Attorney General.)

Pls answer this post in complete detail, not in fragments. I need to fully understand the issue I'm raising.

Today, we see Muslims eating meat that has been cut iwth the knife on the thraot and name of God has been pronounced.

I read this article (a very good one)
http//www.free-minds.org/articles/dietary.htm

One thing is clear

"?Do not eat from that upon which the name of God has not been mentioned, for it is an abomination. The devils inspire their allies to argue with you; if you obey them, you will be idol worshipers.? 6121"

That youu cannot even eat vegetables or fruits that have been dedicated to someone other than God. So i dont understand why there is hub hub only on meat and cutting it in a special way.

Second, what does it mean that upon which the name of God has not been mentioned? What does it mean precisely?

In light of Quran, can you eat something (incuding meat) on which no other name (including God's) has been mentioned? One thing is clear, I cant eat anything dedicated to someone else. But what if I eat something not dedicated to anyone?

Can I eat meat found in local wal-mart? That meat is electricuted with machines. I dont think someone stands there saying 'you are hereby sacrificed in the name of wal-mart'.

What if i take that meat, which has not been killed in anyone's name, and cook it, and then in the name of God eat it?

The following book is an excellent analysis of hadith and its position in Islam. This book, in addition to a complete analysis, also uses islamic history and ahadiths themselves to show that hadiths have a weak position. Thos who can read urdu should read the entire text from here

http//www.tolueislam.com/Urdu/mhadith/mh.htm

For english speakers, the book is still being translated. Some chapters are available online. Frank, you will gain understanding of hadiths in this book.

http//www.tolueislam.com/Parwez/mh/mh.htm

Here is interesting question.

Suppose I'm a non-muslim. I read quran whole-heartedly and determine it is true.

Then I (truthfully) declare that I believe in all the statements made in Quran, except for one. It could be any statement. I could say that jesus is a son of God. Or that You can eat pork or anything even simpler and milder.

My question to you is, am I a Muslim?

PS This is a hypothetical discussion , not really my position. so pls dont bomb me personally with comments.

PLEASE READ THIS POST IN ITS ENTIRITY BEFORE YOU MAKE A COMMENT. REMEMBER, NOT ONLY AM I ASKING YOU TO DO THAT, QURAN ASKS YOU TO INVESTIGATE THOROUGHLY

My Questions

If you want to, please outline your understanding of Islam.

1-What is Islam? Define.
2-What is the purpose of human life in light of Islam?
3-What do you understand by Jannah and Jahanam?
4-What are Malaikas?
5-What is you understanding of Adam and Eve?
6-What is your understanding of Nafs, Asmaa-ul-hasnaa and Hamd?
7-Do you think that Islam and Science are disjoint sets or do they overlap?
8-Did humans evolve, in light of Quran?

My motivation for this post

Even under the umbrella of being so-called Quran-aloners, we have different understanding of Islam and Quran. While 'difference of opinion' is a sweet slogan in the west, Jamaat-ul-momineen must have unity in goal and understanding of Islam as well its implementation. Therefore, it is imperative that we reconcile our differences and develop unity and vision.

Needless to say, posting on this thread is voluntary. If you choose not post your answer, please do not taunt others or worse, speculate over my motivation. My motivation is to unite, not to divide. But the unity will take efforts on our behalf and will definitely create spark. As the Quran says, something new emerges from the clash of opposing forces.

So please, throw out your egos, and begin with a humble start, THINK and outline your understanding with clarity and precision. I will explain where I feel you have weaker understanding. I also hope, that you will explain to me where I have a weaker understanding. I'm not going to make any list outta this.

Excited about my 100th post. I learnt a lot about Islam and about the forum's members. Some were good. Some were disheartening. The most disheartening thing I found was name calling, calling others 'liars', 'fags' and what not. Also includes this bizzare attitude of hatred towards non-muslims. Pls read Quran and learn how you are supposed to treat non-believers.

First download a plugin to read urdu fonts

http//www.lizardtech.com/download/dl_options.php?page=popular

Download DJVU browser plug-in for your operating system.

Then,
read books here

http//www.tolueislam.com/Urdu/kitabiyat.htm

Precursor From Quran we see that Islam is COMPLETE. Meaning, all statements in Islam are TRUE.

1-Assume ALL Hadiths are part of Islam.

2-Some Hadiths are a clear contradiction with Quran. Even the strongest proponents of hadiths classify hadiths as 'weak' or 'strong'. Meaning, some statements in hadiths are untrue.

3-Hadith is a subset of Islam, hence some statements in Islam are untrue.

4-But that contradicts with the precursor. Therefore, item 1 (our assumption) is false.

Q & A

Q)But we can cherry-pick (using our brain), the true hadiths and isolate false hadiths or weak hadiths.

A)What gives you the authority to determine whether some part of Islam is true or false? Allah has already given us all the true statements embodied in the Quran.

Q)But some issues in Quran are not clearly laid out. Where else do we find out how to perform those things, like zakaat?

A)It is Allah's mercy on us that Islam is so simple. It is our discretion to decide HOW to implement the Quranic injunctions. How do we decide that? By virtue of Salaat. Indeed, Islam is an embodiment of democracy. The world is constantly changing. The basic Quranic injunctions will remain the same, but our means of implementation may change over time. E.g, we don't necessarily have to worry about injunctions related to slavery. The anecdote of bani-israel and the calf is given to us with a purpose.

Q)But aren't you cherry-picking the Islamic statements yourself by doing that?

A)By deciding how to implement an injunction, we are not determining the truth-value of Islam. By deciding among ourselves, the percentage for say, sudqaat, we are starting by the truth-assumption, and then deriving the best way to implement the injunction. On the otherhand, you are determining the true statements in ISlam, and isolating the false statements that you see unfit.

Q)But Quran asks us to follow the prophet?

A)And it also gives ample anecdotes of the prophet within itself. We can follow up the prophet by reading the verses in the Quran that address to the prophet. If you read those verses carefully, you will notice that their message can exist even today. E.g The wandering tribes.

Q)You are degrading the prophet and the Quran by isolating hadiths from islam.

A)Let us see, Hadiths show that the prophet was a pedophile, that islam is a violent religion, that islam is a religion, that islam has no room for thought, that women have no rights except to be tied in their homes, that men 'own' women, that adulteres ought to be stoned to death, that Quran is incomplete (the anecdote of a goat eating some ayats written on a leaf), that Quran is not in its true form (Quran not being written at the prophets time), that the prophet was a violent man, that homosexuality is allowed and some even go to the extent of describing God's Noor!

In hebrew, Salawaat means to pray. In today's Islam, Salaat is frequently taken as a prayer. Does this sound fishy?

Modern day evangilists refer to all of the above statements to show that Islam is bogus. They also refer to the Prophet as a pedophile.

So tell me, who is degrading the prophet?

Q)Now a question to you dear brother. Tell me, if Hadiths are a part of Islam, how come neither the prophet nor anyone of his four caliphs made any effort to write down and document such a critical aspect of Islam (hadiths)? We all agree that they were great men. Then why didn't they make an effort that all muslims at that time remember hadiths by heart, just like the Quran?

A)Because it was not necessary. Because they were in close proximity of the prophet.

Q)Upto 200 years? Thats almost four generations wide! At one point we see rigorous approach towards remembering and preserving one part of Islam (the Quran), yet on the otherhand we see no effort whatsoever to preserve the other part (hadiths). So were those people out of their minds or was there something else?

A)I don't know. I'll have to ask my religious priest.

Q) Ok, I have to ask more questions. So do you have no place for the prophet? I mean, do you respect him and all?

A)Absolutely! He HAS to be the greatest man because he was given this HUGE responsibility. But I do not believe that hadith should be part of Islam.

Q)So, like can you read hadiths anyway or do you think they should not be read?

A) Hadith is also some historical perspective. Not all of the prophet's act are misquoted. We can look into his actions and see what he did at his time. But we cannot use hadith as an integral part of Islam.

Q)How can 1.2 billion muslims be wrong?

A)Why does a number bother you. According to you, millions of shais, millions of hindus and millions of christian are wrong anyway. What is wrong is wrong regardless of how many people believe in it.

Q)This is blasphemy! You will burn in hell!

A)Peace to you brother. As the Quran puts it, time will tell who is right and who is wrong.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Nafs

The Quran has used this word 255 times as Nafsun 61 times, and in other forms like Anfusahun 91 times, Anfusakum 49 times, Nafsehe 40 times and Nafasun 14 times, etc.

It has numerous meanings. Taj-ul-Urus writes that this word is used normally to denote the total personality of a person. It also means intellect, knowledge and mind (Taj / Ibn-e-Faris). It is used for a person as well, e.g., J'aani-al-Maliko Benafsehee - the king came to me personally. It is further used to express greatness, superiority, courage, resolution, punishment. It also means close relative, brotherly (Taj / Lis'anul Arab). It is also used in the meaning of blood which appears after the birth of a child - Nif'asun (Taj). Nafasun also means "breath" and its plural is Anfasun. Ibn-e-Faris says that its basic meanings are light and soft air. It also means a nice thing which attracts a person.

Ta-Naffas means to breathe and Ta-Naffasa-Subho means the morning got clear / visible (81/1. An-Fuso also means brotherhood, kith and kin, and one's own self (2/84 and 2/44). The Holy Quran has also used this word for a specific thing called "Human Personality," or in Iqbal's poetry called "Khudi." It is also called "Self," or "Mind." It has been used as a special term in the Quranic concept of life which, in fact, is the basis of Deen-ul-Islam.

According to materialistic concept of life, a human being consists of body alone. He is born, brought up, eats, sleeps, falls sick, procreates and then dies. This, in fact, is animal life (47/12) for which he needs no Divine Guidance and, therefore, feels no necessity in having faith in life after death (45/34).

Against this, the other concept is that life is not only the human body, but something else too, which may be called "Self" or Nafs. This is not governed by the physical laws, nor does it become extinct with the body's death. If it is developed, it can flourish in this life and survive even after death. Therefore, it needs to be nourished, to enable it to develop according to the evolutionary process. This nourishment has to be according to the Laws given from time to time by Allah to mankind through His Anbia and now finally contained in the Holy Quran. It is, therefore, clear that if one believes in Self and its growth, one also has to believe in Allah, His Wahi, the Nubuwwat and life after death.

What is this Nafs? This can neither be perceived nor explained properly as it is not something material. In the Quran it is referred to as Roohona, i.e., Divine Energy. This thing is distinct and separate from everything else in the world. Every human action, even his thoughts affects it. It either settles into his account providing growth and development to his self, or causes its disintegration. He would see this disintegration himself on the Day of Judgement (17/14), when his roster would be flung open before him. One is not affected, nor can he be held responsible for the deeds or misdeeds of others (6/165). Every Nafs shall bear the consequences of its actions and no one can help him in any capacity. (For further explanation see verses (6/105, 10/108, 17/7-15, 27/62, 29/6, 30/44, 31/12, 35/18, 39/7, 39/41, 41/46, 45/15, 53/3. If the Nafs is not developed according to the Divine Laws, its growth is stopped and this becomes a life of Jahannam. Whereas the physical development of the human body depends entirely on its intake, the growth and development of one's self is obtainable by what a person gives to or does for other (92/16). In fact, when someone gives away to others, he is providing nourishment to his own self (2/272).

One thing should be understood clearly. This Nafs is a non-physical driving force in man it is neither good nor bad in itself. When it is used to promote higher values of humanity it becomes good and also gets nourished, but when it is used for selfish ends in disregard to the larger interests of humanity, it is bad. The Holy Quran terms it as "Hawa" which is the source of cunningness. When the emotions are kept guided by the Laws of Allah, the self of a person elevates. If the human intellect is used as directed by the Laws of Allah, his life, and in fact, the entire society, takes the shape of Jannah. Now a few words about various formations of this Nafs. When a person's ego chases baser sentiments in total disregard of a permanent value, the Quran terms it as Nafs-e-Amm'ara (12/53). And when it indulges in something bad, the self feels ashamed. This state is called Nafs-e-Lawwama (75/2). It may also be understood that Self, on its own, cannot distinguish between good and bad. This distinction is provided or laid down by Allah alone. When a person follows the Laws of the Quran the tussle between Ego and self is resolved. The Self saddles the baser desires (39/29).

When the superior Self overcomes the evil side (39/29), the Quran calls this, as An-Nafs-ul-Mutmaennah (89/27) and he enjoys the blissful life of Jannah (86/29). According to modern psychology it is called as integrated personality, and its reverse is disintegrated personality. The Nafs is free to choose anyone of these. Both the forms are referred to in verse (91/7- 10).

Elsewhere the Quran mentions that Allah imposes restrictions on human personality with the sole object of strengthening it and widening its scope (2/286). There is an important verse in Surah Zumr (39/42) explaining various forms of Nafs

"Allah suspends the Anfus (plural of Nafs) at the time of death and during sleep. He holds them back in the case of those who die and returns to the others for a determined period."

The question is what is this Nafs which is withheld in case of death, or in case of sleep, and is restored when one gets up or is awakened?

As far as the sleep is concerned, we know that a man loses nothing of his person except his consciousness - even his sub-consciousness remains with him. It, therefore, transpires that in verse (39/42), Nafs relates to the state of consciousness because it is only the consciousness that leaves a person during sleep as well as on death. When a person re-awakens from his sleep, consciousness starts its replay, while in case of death, the body and consciousness are dislodged permanently. Consequent upon the physical disintegration of a body, re-activation of consciousness is termed as the life in the Hereafter. The mode and form of this re-activation cannot be comprehended by the human being with present bounds of his perceptions. This is because, at present, the only recognition of active consciousness is inter-related with our physical body and we cannot visualise such activation independent of its physical carrier. The Quran does not throw any light on the mode and form of the re-activation in the life Hereafter, because it is beyond the present capabilities of our senses of perception and thus would not have served any useful purpose. However, the Quran has narrated it as an established fact and the followers of the Quran firmly believe in this truth which forms the very foundation of the edifice that Ad-Deen-ul-Islam builds.

[Since the subject is an important one, it would not be out of place to propound some view-points of modern psychologists in this respect-

Carl Rogers very rightly believed that "the goal an individual most wishes to achieve, the end which he knowingly and unknowingly pursues. is to become 'himself.'"

Self-knowledge or self-examination has always been of great crucial importance ever since times immemorial.

Happiness and contentment, equability of soul and meaningfulness - these can be experienced only by the individual himself. What is my goal in life? What am I striving for? What is my purpose? These are the questions which every individual asks himself at one time or the other; sometimes calmly and meditatively, sometimes in agonising uncertainty or despair. These are old old questions which have been asked and answered at various stages of human history by different philosophers, theorists, etc. Yet these are all questions which every individual must ask and answer for himself at times in his own way.

The study of self has been the nucleus and centre of research by psychologists and even philosophers since Grecian times. While they all have acknowledged its importance, they gave it different names, and different models have been evolved over centuries. Many have presented pyramidal models of achieving self-actualisation (Abraham Maslow) or the process of "individuation" (Carl Jung). Studies and researches have been carried out with different groups to study the stability of the self-concept, self-acceptance, self-ideal, self-integration (Allport) id, ego, super ego (Freud) self-extension or self-identity.

Erich Fromm said, "Man is the only animal who finds his own existence a problem which he has to solve and from which he cannot escape."

Reviewing a vast array of research studies across the world, American psychologist Tim Kasser of Knox College, reports

"Existing scientific research on the value of materialism yields clear and consistent findings. People who are highly focused on materialistic values have lower personal well-being and psychological health than those who believe that materialistic pursuits are relatively unimportant. These relationships have been documented in samples of people ranging from the wealthy to the poor, from teenagers to the elderly, and from Australians to South Koreans." (Kasser, The High Price Of Materialism, MIT Press, 2002, p.22)

Kasser adds

"Almost everyone believes that getting what you want makes you feel good about yourself and your life. Common wisdom, as well as many psychological theories, says that if we reach our goals, our self-esteem and satisfaction with life should consequently rise..." However "people who are wildly successful in their attempts to attain money and status often remain unfulfiled once they have reached their goal." (p.42)

Martin Seligman, Professor of Psychology at Pennsylvania University adds

"In the laboratory, children and adults who are made happy display more empathy and are willing to donate more money to others in need. When we are happy, we are less self-focused, we like others more, and we want to share our good fortune even with strangers. When we are down, though, we become distrustful, turn inward, and focus defensively on our own needs. Looking out for number one is more characteristic of sadness than of well-being." (Seligman, Authentic Happiness, Nicholas Brealey, 2002, p.43)

Who says now, that Islam is not the truth?

Islam is a belief system that requires a code of conduct to be followed by irs believers. The code of conduct, if followed, develops the potentialities of human self (nafs). 1+ nafs are required for development.

1+ nafs are available on this forum.

Questions to you all

What code of conducts should be applied by the willing members of this community as prescribed by Islam?

Not all unjunctions can be applied and enforced. E.g, we do not need to enforce injunctions related to slavery. We also cannot ENFORCE injunctions related to adultery ( I have no way of knowing if someone commits it).

Yet, we can apply salaat, even zakat and even hajj within the members here. Any thoughts?

I observe a very subtle fallacy commited by intellectuals, religious priests and some members in this community. This fallacy is somewhat hard to explain. If you understand it or recognize it, please elaborate it further on this post. Please also let me know if I'm clear or not. (I use this forum as a testing ground for discussing ideas with non-muslims. Your feedback is thus very valuable). Let me try.

Assume there are two belief systems. (They could be religions or societies or anything). Belief system A and belief system B. These belief systems have statements. The systems look like this

Belief system A
Statement a1.
Statement a2.
....etc.

Belief system B
Statement b1.
Statement b2.
....etc.

Example of above generalization

Belief system A Traffic laws in the US.
Statement a1 Driver seat on the left side of the car.
..etc.

Belief system B Traffic laws in the UK.
Statement b1 Driver seat on the right side of the car.
..etc.

The intellectual fallacy is as follows

While attempting to verify the importance, strength or validity of a statement in a belief system, instead of looking for contradictions WITHIN the system itself, instead of looking at the behaviour of a statement WITHIN the system where it is contained, the fallacious thinker compares the statement with some OTHER comparative system. (phew).

Comparing it with the generalization,

While attempting to see how statement a1 works in belief system A, the fallacious thinker 'sees' the working of a1 in Belief system B, where it does not necessarily belong.

Taking the example of traffic laws, the thinker commiting the above fallacy makes a statement as follows

"A driver's seat on the left side should be against the law in the US. This is not how we do things in England".

Who cares about England? Compare the driver seating with what is in the traffic laws in the US.

Then you may say,
"Well, can't I compare the results of statements in a belief system, with results of statements in other belief system?". Yes you CAN compare observational results.

E.g,
Traffic laws in US
You cannot drive while intoxicated (drunk).

Traffic laws in Guam (arbritrarily chosen)
You can drive while intoxicated.

From the observation of traffic deaths in the US and Guam, you will notice that more people die in Guam than in the US. You can thus conclude that it is not a good idea to drive while being drunk. While reaching this conclusion, you have seen the death rate in GUAM ITSELF (NOT US), and compared with death rate in US ITSELF (NOT GUAM), and thus avoided the fallacy.

Summing up in Islamic context,
While thinking about e.g, why sex outside marriage is prohibited in Islam, we may start to think about how presence of free sexual intercourse has no apparent effect on the US. We should instead, think about how free sexual intercourse will affect an ISLAMIC society (unfotunately in our thoughts so far) and other statements of this society.

Im afraid I have commited this fallacy a number of times myself. Sorry about that.

Ah, the dangerous topic. The famous word 'that must not be named'. The taboo, the evil word.

Why does Islam prohibit sex outside marriage? Is it arbritrary or is there a reason behind it?

-God's decisions are not arbritrary.
-God has granted human beings an ability to reason and understand.
-God has clearly marked the domains where human reasoning cannot reach. Those domains include the process of wahi delivery, the life after death and the concept of God. There may be more domains, but these are the ones I recall.

So we should be able to understand the position of sex.

What is sex anyway?
IN NATURE, sex is a process with an outcome and an attribute. The outcome is a 'baby' or propagation of the species. The attribute of this act is 'pleasure' (which just cannot be defined but is very real relative to us).

Why does sex have pleasure?
The best theory to explain this is that sexual pleasure is an incentive for a species to procreate. If there was no pleasure in sex, why would the species engage in baby-making and tire itself anyway? And quite frankly, humankind today, the billions of human are not a result of two lovers making love under moonlight and living happily ever after. We exist, like other species, thanks to lust. I'm not talking specifically about parents, but in general, the history of humans.

Now that we have defined the basis of our belief-system, lets first consider some prevailent alternative views on prohibition of sex-outside-marriage

1-Free sexual intercourse causes aids or other STDs.

This is like saying,

Large frequency of sex leads to AIDS.

This position has not been proven. Similarly, having merely large frequency can occur even in millions of law-abiding married muslims. Hence sheer quantity cannot be the factor.

Then you may say, well, it is because of sex outside marriage-partners. What if my marriage partner inherited AIDS at birth from a parent?
What if the society religiously uses condoms and quarantines AIDS patients?

STDs (minus AIDS) don't occur because of sex outside marriage. They occur because of FILTH. Being dirty, and then spreading it through sex. Of course, AIDS can also spread through non-sexual contact like sharing blood.

So, this alone cannot be the reason for prohibiting sex outside marriage. Besides, AIDS was discovered in late 70s. What about the period before that?

2-Frequent sex leads to 'abnormalities' like homosexuality.

The problem is the word 'abnormalities'. How do you define it to be abnormal? (Well, it doesn't lead to propagation of species. Counter We are over-populated anyways, so this is a good way to stop us from killing each other. And there goes this argument). Furthremore, Quran does NOT use 'abnormal' while dealing with homosexuality. Homosexuality is also visible in other species in nature.

Since we cannot agree on the DEFINITION of abnormality (and to gays homosexuality is quite normal), there is no point of pursuing this further.

Quran is a clear book. It does not depend on vague issues and definitions.

Let us look at it from another perspective

-All men and women are equal. Each earn what they strive for.
-Which means, the only way to judge indivuals is through their conduct as defined in wahi, not by other means.

What happens when you introduce free sexual intercourse in the society?

1-Sex is based on emotion called lust. Sometimes, if uncontrolled, it can lead to rape. We all agree that rape should not occur. Hence sexual urge must AT LEAST be controlled.

2-Sexual urge is determined by physical attraction. Thus, in our minds, we begin to judge people by their LOOKS and not their conducts. No matter what we say, heads still turn when a large-breasted woman walks by. This goes on even further. You develop the 'entertainment' culture, where people are judged by looks. Looks become a standard of priority. Children, from an early age focus on looking better.

WOMEN END UP BEING ENSLAVED TO MEN BY MAKING UP, LOOKING GOOD AND TRYING TO BE ACCEPTED BY A MALE ONLY BY THEIR LOOKS.

And what about the folks who see free sex around them and don't get a sexual partner because they are not attractive enough? These people go down the depths of self-pity and frustration. They lust for a good-looking woman (or man) but cannot satisfy the lust because the other partner does not find them attractive enough! Such people are the basis of serial killers.

From the above analysis, it is clear that the reason sex is not permitted outside marriage, is because it violates the clause of EQUALITY. It creates a form of slavery. It also degenerates the unfortunate ones, who don't have the birth-right of good looks.