Where to Begin

[aku]

:salam:
Peace Be Upon You Sister

Wonderful Question!!

Well the first thing that all of us have to remember and realize is that none of us is perfect. You mentioned someone saying
"God will not accept your prayer if you dont know arabic"
Thats complete rubbish!! Whoever said that is just misguiding you! Yes Arabic is required for the actual "salah" (act of worship) however if someone dosent know it yet and is still learning, Allah will still accept their prayers. The Prophet Of God, Mohammed(s) said "No act big or small done for the sake of Allah is rejected by your Lord, he accepts them all and rewards you in their place"

The relationship between a human and God is very close and personal - because God knows what you are capable of and what you are undergoing in your life. So that is why God will judge each and every person individually, taking into account every little and big aspect of their life.

For example: People who were born disabled - Allah will forgive them most of their shortcomings on the basis that he did not give them legs or arms - Allah is 'Ar-Rehman" meaning "Most Merciful"

So dont let people 'push' and 'bully' you - those people are merely either too over zealous, bigots, or just trying to cover up their own short comings.

So where to begin?
The first revelation of the Quran was
"Read, Read, Read, in the name of your Lord"
So we should begin with the Quest for knowledge.
Ask as many questions as you want - read articles - talk to people - listen to lectures and gain information in all forms and from all sources.
Satisfy your heart with that knowledge so that you know what to do.

Next is the step of implementing this knowledge - which I believe is basically what you were asking about.

My personal recommendations:
1. Begin by learning simple things such as "shadah" (testimony to the belief of oneness in God" in Arabic
Why Arabic and Why not English ?
Well the fact is that Allah ordained that everyone should say their prayers in Arabic, so that no changes occur over through the translations. So it is highly advisable that a person slowly over time starts to learn things in Arabic.

2. Learn something very very simple which is required for even saying your prayers - Wudu - Ablution ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) - it is simply the way to clean and purify one self with water - so that should be simple

3. Start learning the Praying method

Now dont get confused or alarmed - did you know that I myself dont speak Arabic ? I am from Pakistan, and the maximum I know in Arabic is: 12 or 14 smaller Chapters of The Quran by memory, and some simple supplications, a few terms and sentences here and there. And that suffices me enough to be able to say ALL my prayers and carry out ALL acts of compulsory worship :)

To start learning to Pray check out the "How To Pray ([Only registered and activated users can see links])" page

Start learning the basic postures, understanding the act of worship, its different parts and components and if you dont understand anything please ask as many questions as you want. No Question is too "dumb" or too "unimportant" where the Quest of Knowledge is concerned.

Start doing the prayers slowly - even if just the gestures in the beginning - and then slowly over time one at a time start reciting the things you learned in Arabic in the prayers.

And I think that would be a good starting point for you - the prayer - since it is a very important part of Faith.

As for daily things like: sneezing, blessing food, etc etc
Those will come with time, they are very simple - so dont worry sis. You can use the Etiquettes ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) page to learn those - they are one line statements and not so hard to learn. If you have problems we can always hold small classes in Paltalk and over time learn those things.

Please whatever you do - do not panic or be disheartened in your learning path. The satan attacks the person the most when they try and draw near to Allah. He gives them bad thoughts to try and discourage them from going towards Allah. So you will have to be strong. Remember Allah is Merciful.

With this I will end but before I do let me tell you of a story related to us by our Prophet about a man who embraced Islam:
The Prophet of Allah said, 'A man from amongst one of the tribes of Arabia was searching for the truth, and he learned about Islam and the Prophet of Allah (Mohammed(s)). So he embarked on a journey with the intention of learning more about Islam from the Prophet. While he was on his way the man unfortunately died in a state of disbelief. God forgave that man and adimmited him to paradise with his mercy because the man was on his way to learn about Islam.

So you see God is extremely Merciful! People talk about the 'anger' and 'punishment' of God but they forget to mention that God loves us 70 times more than our parents love us. So never despair and never give up! Insha'Allah (God willing)

:baby:

[Hana]

Salam:

Actually, that was an excellent question!!! Thank you for posting it!!

Aku, your response was great....I learned a lot reading it as well.

Try not to feel too overwhelmed Sarah, I reverted a year and a half ago, and I'm still learning a lot of the basics too. Questions like yours and answers like Aku's helps me to continue learning, mashallah.

Just don't put a lot of pressure on yourself, take baby steps and learn one thing at a time. :baby:

I learned to say some prayers by using the Qur'an Tutor on the site. It's wonderful and you learn at your own pace.

Don't let anyone tell you how fast you should be learning....we are all different and it is Allah, swt, who guides.

Thanks again for teaching me something new you guys!!! :thanks: Jazak Allah Khair!

Wasalam
Hana :sis:

[aku]

:salam:
Peace be upon you sister

Dont worry about offending anyone or anything - like I said in your quest for knowledge ask whatever you may!!!

Your Question:
Was Mohammed(s) a Prophet of God or not? - I need proof

So let us begin in the name of Allah, The Beneficent , The Merciful.

Mohammed(s) the man
Unlike other religious figures (surprisingly including Jesus and Buddah) - Mohammed(s) is actually a man recognized by Historians to have 'existed'.
Now here you may ask "Hey Historians believe Jesus existed!?"
The answer surprisingly is NO they dont!
There is not a single piece of evidence present to prove that a man called Jesus ever existed!
Of course we believe in his existance because Allah tells us about him in the Quran.
The shroud of Jesus - after carbon dating proved to be a fake
The Bible - recognized worldwide as the work of John, Peter, Mark and other men!
Body / grave of Jesus - non existance
Artifacts from jesus (ie his things) - all those 'claimed' to be his were proved false through carbon dating!
Documents supporting the existance of Jesus - no records exist from any of the previous civilization that conclusively prove he ever existed!!

Even I was SHOCKED to find this fact while attending a 'Christians vs Athiest debate' - The athiest had the entire Christian community FROZEN with the Question, "Can you bring me one piece of evidence from history that Jesus existed?" And the ENTIRE Christian community there could not produce even 1 after hours of research!!!!!

Yet when you turn towards investigating about Mohammed, you find:
- His grave in mecca
- His body inside the grave
- His artifacts present in museums over the Muslim world and verified through carbon dating
- His hair
- His tooth
- Documents supporting his existance - Civilizations have recorded him and documented him - his letters (written by scribes) preserved in museums
All present!

Secondly let us take a look at what some of the People in the time of the Prophet used to say about him:
- The Jews used to say "If you want Justice, go to Mohammed"
- The Christians used to say, "The difference between Mohammed abd his followers and us is that of a thin strand of hair"
- The general pagan people of Arabia used to say, "He is the honest and trustworthy" (infact this title was given to him by the pagan arabs)

Additionally lets take a look at what some of the famous historic figures have to say about him:

Gibbon in 'The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' 1823

The good sense of Muhammad despised the pomp of royalty. The Apostle of God submitted to the menial offices of the family; he kindled the fire; swept the floor; milked the ewes; and mended with his own hands his shoes and garments. Disdaining the penance and merit of a hermit, he observed without effort of vanity the abstemious diet of an Arab.


Mahatma Gandhi, statement published in 'Young India,'1924.

I wanted to know the best of the life of one who holds today an undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind.... I became more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet the scrupulous regard for pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. When I closed the second volume (of the Prophet's biography), I was sorry there was not more for me to read of that great life.


Michael Hart in 'The 100, A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons In History,' New York, 1978.

My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world’s most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the secular and religious level. ...It is probable that the relative influence of Muhammad on Islam has been larger than the combined influence of Jesus Christ and St. Paul on Christianity. ...It is this unparalleled combination of secular and religious influence which I feel entitles Muhammad to be considered the most influential single figure in human history.


Napolean Bonaparte as Quoted in Cherfils, ‘Bonaparte et Islam,’ Paris, France, pp. 105, 125.

"Moses has revealed the existence of God to his nation. Jesus Christ to the Roman world, Muhammad to the old continent...
"Arabia was idolatrous when, six centuries after Jesus, Muhammad introduced the worship of the God of Abraham, of Ishmael, of Moses, and Jesus. The Ariyans and some other sects had disturbed the tranquility of the east by agitating the question of the nature of the Father, the son, and the Holy Ghost. Muhammad declared that there was none but one God who had no father, no son and that the trinity imported the idea of idolatry...

"I hope the time is not far off when I shall be able to unite all the wise and educated men of all the countries and establish a uniform regime based on the principles of Qur'an which alone are true and which alone can lead men to happiness."


Sir George Bernard Shaw in 'The Genuine Islam,' Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936.

"If any religion had the chance of ruling over England, nay Europe within the next hundred years, it could be Islam."
"I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to possess that assimilating capacity to the changing phase of existence which can make itself appeal to every age. I have studied him - the wonderful man and in my opinion far from being an anti-Christ, he must be called the Savior of Humanity."

"I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness: I have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today."


Thirdly let us take a look at his life:
- He used to give away all his money to others and for himself choose poverty
- He strove all his life spreading Monotheism (belief in Oneness of God)
- He was known for his gentleness and good character
- His wives were all happy with him because he treated them in the best of manner
- He was asked to perform miracles too and he performed them (check out the miracles page)
- He was unlettered (could not read nor write) yet the message he brought is so powerful that in just less that 200 years Islam had spread across 3 continents and 1500 years later there are soo many muslims in the billions all over the world!
- He never claimed any riches or glory for himself but always used to tell others to glorify God
- He was the MOST powerful man in Arabia in his time, YET he lived a poor life and was humble
- He was successful in spreading the word of God despite all the resistance from power hungry leaders
- He united all the tribes of Arabia together under the banner of Monotheism
- Through his message people got the right of freedom (In Quran it says 'There is no compulsion in religion' and also 'If they do not accept your message then say to them, to you be your religion and to me mine')
- Islam gave freedom of speech to people 1500 years ago (the saying of the Prophet, 'The right of freedom of speech consist in speaking the truth')
- Islam made it compulsory for ALL women and men to gain education (saying of the Prophet, 'Education is a compulsory duty on all Muslim men and Women')
- Through his message women got equal rights
- Through his message slaves got similar rights to a free man - and he strove against slavery
- Through his message black white women, men, egyptian, ethopian, etc all people were give equality
These last 3 times we take for granted but look at the facts!
> Women in USA got the right to vote 1920
> Slavery abolished in USA 1840
Yet we dismiss it so easily?
All the past 1000's of years Christianity did not abolish slavery, nor gave Women Equal rights, nor gave all people Equal status, neither did Hinduism, nor Judaism, nor any other religion known to man!! Yet we never realize what a great blessing Islam is!
Infact if you look only at medivial Europe - Women who wanted rights were burned on the cross and called 'witches' - Scientists who proved anything which was contradictory to Christianity were crucified called 'heritics' - People who wanted to practice any other faith were killed called 'blasphemers'


Anyways continuing on...the most Powerful evidence that Mohammed (s) was the messenger of Allah is the Quran itself!
Infact there is a verse in the Quran which states that if you are in doubt of my servant to whom we have revealed this book in parts, then read the Quran and find any discrepencies (contradictions, errors, etc)

So sis read the Quran - it is the best guide, uyou can find the full online Quran here:
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
Or if you want contact me and I will arrange for you to get a free hard copy of the Quran Insha'Allah
And read about the Prophet as well - there is a full biography of him in the Prophets section
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
as well as his miracles are mentioned in this article
[Only registered and activated users can see links]

And in the end I would like to say: Dont feel 'scared' or 'afraid' or 'shy' to speak ur mind and say anything and ask anything - no one here will be offended sis - we are here to help u
:afro:

[jedwomenrule]

Salam. Thank you or our questions d answers. I amhappy e lening o mch. I too am trying o lern how o pray and deverything. If ou want to ead ore on Muhammad (PBUH) go [Only registered and activated users can see links] and click on Islm then on hbook of haddith. These re e prophet's saying. Take e.
eena

[lin]

Assalamu aleikum.
When I first came to this site about a week ago I saw the congretulation to sister Sarah. It is only now (as I was going to read what Leena had written, thank you Leena for bringing me here) , that I read these questions and answers and I am so impressed since I know the next steps that had followed all this.
Praise to God! Subhan Allah.
Blessing courage and peace and joy on your next steps Sarah insha Allah
lin

[OneUmmahUnited]

to "globe mod"

salam,
i understand you are trying prove prove prophet muhammed pbuh existed, however jesus pbuh also existed just as much. We cannot reject jesus. If you do not believe that jesus pbuh was one of the greatest prophets that existed you cannot call yourself a muslim. We must believe that prophet muhammed pbuh was the greatest prophet pbuh, however all muslims beieve jesus pbuh existed and that he spread the word of allah. It was hthe people who changed it. I hope your intention was not to misguide muslims into rejecting jesus pbuh.

[seeker]

Bro Aku already sed that...he sed:

Of course we believe in his existance because Allah tells us about him in the Quran.

[Hana]

:salamalaikum:

Just to let you know that this was an older post and innkeeper wrote this BEFORE reverting. At the time of the writing she was trying to understand some things about Islam that confused her.

Alhamdulillah, Aku was able to provide her with some of the information she needed to help her embrace Islam. The point he was trying to make is that, even without the physical evidence of the existance of Jesus, pbuh, we still believe, as Christians do, that He not only exists, but is loved and revered in Islam. :)

Wa'alaikum salam,
Hana
:sis:

[fatimah]

:salamalaikum:
Marshallah bro Admin ,
great info for converts
may Allah [Only registered and activated users can see links] you.
:wsalamalaikum:

[aku]

jazak Allah khair :D
ameen

[Zakir Khan]

Ameen! and there plenty more happening around the world right now!!